Yes, madrone bark is something else. The wood is not common and even in North America few know of it. I have neighbours who haven't heard of it, although they probably have seen it and not known what it was.
Well, my first major mistake. I was routing the rebate on the aprons that will form the "waist" of the table and I made it too wide by setting the router bit on my router table too high. It should have been 9 mm and I made it 13 mm. I have a long and embarrassing explanation for how that happened that I won't share.
Nevertheless, the madrone worked beautifully at the router. A few shallow passes and the cuts were crisp and smooth with little tear out or chipping.
Attachment 502705
I made a 1/4 round cutter for a scratch stock to round over the apron rebate arrises. That worked worked well too.
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And then all rounded over:
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But then I test assembled and saw this. The bottom of the rebate should have been level with the line on the corner of the leg. Oh no! What have I done!
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One option is to work with the new rebate width but that would require thinning the legs and aprons and stretchers and...... Not doing it.
The other option is to order more stock and remake the aprons. The aprons aren't difficult to make. Fortunately a local supplier has just enough so I ordered it. It won't be a perfect color match but I can deal with that later. It should be here in a couple of days.
I'm not happy about my dumb mistake but it is not the end of the world. While I wait I'm planing and spokeshaving the bandsaw marks off the legs and making the stretchers.
And here is one more pic of an off cut of some quarter sawn madrone after hand planing. The piece is about 100 mm wide. It has a subtle pattern that I like very much.
Attachment 502709