hey everyone. I was asked to post pics of my progress on my fire station table. So here are a few. With all your help I’ve been able to do a pretty good job on the inlays. The inlays are padouk and Wenge. and the panel is Maple and Jatoba. I know my craftsmanship isn’t what most of you are used to seeing but I think I’ve done pretty well for my first table. I recessed the inlays about 3/16″ into the panel and wedged them with a bevel from my dremel. A few taps on the dead blow hammer and they went in…eventually 🙂
Since I couldn’t figure out how to get a clamp in the middle of my table I ended up using 80 pounds worth of iron plates…..I know, a little crude but it seemed to work. I am filling the little tiny spaces inbetween the recess and the inlay with a little bit of Wood Tex. Have any of you used this? it seems to work really well. As I said my craftsmanship is a work in progress…but everyone who has seen the table in person loves it.
My biggest disappointment so far is I wasn’t able to join my breadboard ends completely flush with the panel. Most of the end is flush but on the ends my router ran out on me apparently and I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to hide the 1/32″ space at the end of the breadboard.
Still a lot of sanding to do and card scraping. The inlay is almost done. “FIRE” will go above the cross and “STATION” will go below the cross. These will be in Purpleheart.
Please give me any comments, criticisms, suggestions you have.
Dustin
Replies
Dustin,
I've fixed perhaps one complaint/criticism for you. The originals were 32"x24"!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Thanks, sorry about that. I still haven't figured out how to resize.
Dustin,
You might want to check this out, http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=36992.1 I started this as quite a few folks were having the same problems.
A reformed computer nerd,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
It looks like sitting in the middle will be better that sitting at the head of the table. What are you doing for chairs? you better get busy. Looks good, when do we eat!!!! Ron
I told the guys I won't be making chairs. I know it may not look like it but I've probably got over 150-200 actual working hours into that panel. Just ripping the 9 foot boards to get them on my new jointer took me forever! And I estimated that I put in over 100 biscuits when I glued up the panel. Not to mention the friggin' breadboard ends were so tough.....I have a whole new respect and love for this craft. It will certainly be a life long hobby.
I'm sure most of you guys could do it in half that time but almost everything is new to me so it's exciting and nerve racking all at the same time!
Dustin
Quite a project to take on, and looks great! Whereabouts do you live? There's a Kirkland in the Seattle area, any chance it's there?
Thanks a lot for the feedback. As a matter of fact it is Kirkland, WA. I'm stationed at Station 27 near I-405 and Evergreen Hospital. I've been a firefighter with Kirkland for over four years and my station Captain asked me if I'd be interested in taking on the table project......and of course I said yes.
I actually live in Olympia though. So when I'm done with the table I have to find a way to get it up to the station. If you ever want to come by and take a look at it....feel free. I'll keep you posted on the progress :)
Oh and I saw you got a lathe! Congrats. I haven't got into that yet....but someday.
Dustin
Dustin, cool! I'll try to get by some day. We drove right by the exit on our way back from a mini-vacation up in Metaline Falls, came home today.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Very nice work! The inlays appear to be really well done!
Don't get down on yourself about how long it took. It was a labor of love. It turned out great. You probably learned a thing or two on the way.
Bless the Firemen!!! Thanks!!!
Peace, Mark
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