Gallery
Bloodwood Table
Feb 18, 2010
According to the manager at the woodshop, this piece of bloodwood stood against a wall in the back of the warehouse in a pile of misfits for at least 10 years before I was lucky enough to dig it out. This piece is 73” long & the top is over 2” thick, and weighs a ton. The heartwood is very dense and the sapwood is still in great shape despite the spalting and long-term air drying. It was fantastic to work with and takes an excellent polish.
The curly maple third leg was a generous gift from a friend who also had it standing in the back of his shop for many years. Also a hard to find piece and a lucky addition.
Bloodwood, maple and mahogany with wenge accents.
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Comments
Very curious. Nice too. The pictures of the bench from the side make the top seem dark but the pictures of the top make it seem light. It looks like it might be a tad unstable, sort of like it would fold up if you sat on it too hard or tip over or up. How stable is it? Anyway it's fun. Congratulation.
Thanks for the feedback P. Sorry for the color shift on the top…cheap camera! It’s a medium sort of Paduk-like red that you see in the one photo. The white sapwood contrast makes it seem a little darker than it is as well. Otherwise it’s just a low-cost photography problem.
It’s actually a table not a bench, so weight is not really a problem. But as it is, the 2in+ thickness and density of the materials all around are extremely stable. Plus, the geometry of the base design and tenoned joinery actually sets up a tremendous static load capability. Basically, you can park a truck on this thing with load to spare. That being said, it is a three-leg table, and rather tall, so the truck better not wiggle very much or it could come crashing down. In normal use it’s very stable, and I did design it to be mated with a built-in set of shelving, so it will be attached and even more stabilized when it’s all said and done. Trading off design for stability can be good, but it has to be safe as well. Not always an easy problem to solve to be sure.
This is the type of spontaneous creativity that I hope for every time I log into FWW Gallery! There is elegance in the simplicity of your wonderful design. I think your wood choices are more a result of your innate sense for beauty than luck! You hit a home run with this piece. More please! Thanks for posting ... Max, the night janitor at HardwoodClocks.com!
Thanks Max. Much appreciated.
Really like this use of what the tree (lumber) has to offer, and using it imaginatively. I'm always amused by how some woodworkers talk of a piece of woods defects, as opposed to its possibilities. You made something beautiful from a piece of wood that was passed on for ten years. Awesome. The joinery looks really nice, as well. Thanks for sharing...
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