Woodworker: Bert Ray
Third Place

For 13 years, the Texas Furniture Makers Show has been promoting the talents of the state’s woodworkers with an annual exhibit in Kerrville. The show last November featured the work of 42 furniture makers. Here is one of the award winners.

The five floral inserts on the top of this hall table (18 in. wide by 54 in. long by 30 in. tall) are made of 1,380 small veneer segments from 11 different species. The centers are Sugilite, a semi-precious stone. Ray constructed the table with hand-cut veneers of mahogany for the base and Honduran rosewood for the top, all over a birch plywood substrate. He takes pride in the fact that he doesn’t use any stains, tints, or dyes in his work, letting the natural colors speak for themselves. Ray finished the table with hand-polished cellulose lacquer.