The Eidos of Table, part two

The essence of a Nakashima-style dining table is that the finished product evokes the original tree. Not in any rustic haphazard fashion but the elegant modern design makes one appreciate the living tree from which the lumber was harvested. It also brings to mind our connection to the paleolithic hominid who put their gathered roots and berries on a fallen log instead of dropping their dinner in the dirt.

Our Cherry slabs would be  book matched, placed side by side with the branch stubs in mirror image. The outside board edges would be left as the tree had grown. The inside edges would be trimmed just enough to join the slabs to make the table top but a void would remain where the growing tree had curved. The two sections would be joined by joined wedges, butterflies. George Nakashima had favored Mahogany with Black Walnut butterflies. As our table was constructed of local Pennsylvania woods, we would use Birds Eye Maple for contrast against the Cherry boards. The birds eye marking would resemble the variegation of an actual butterfly wings and I wanted to maintain a lighter color tone.

Hans Wegner was a Danish contemporary of Nakashima. The finished live edge table would be paired with set of light Maple Hans Wegner wishbone chairs. The wishbone chair combines the shape of a traditional Ming chair with sleek Scandinavian construction. Aside from the designs dating from the same era the maple butterflies and bowed backs would echo each other. 

The workshop had to grow to accommodate the project.

The 10+ foot slabs took over the workshop. Francis decided the solution was a bigger workshop to complete the project. His 12 x15 shed pupped a giant 15 x 20 child. Now he had the original workshop for tools and the new area for woodworking. No reason for a workshop to look utilitarian, along with expansion came french doors for better light and air flow, a deck to rest from his labors and a stone patio with a fire-pit to burn the scrap. It’s not a workshop it’s a cottage,
dubbed “Labrotorio Artigianale Di Francisco” with it’s own address 118b.

Sealing, smoothing and aligning the rough slabs took every day of several vacations in the new space. A snapped plumb line from end to end determined the minimum wood to remove to join the two slabs. Just a small sliver off the side opposite the branch stub would permit the two boards to be joined but maintain a partial void  towards one end. To support and level the heavy slabs 2x2 stringers cut two inches shorter than the table width and attached to what would be the bottom of the top.

 Once the wood was stable, it was butterfly time. A half-dozen butterflies would rest in this table top. Each butterfly in the table required both a carved insert and a matching carved divot. 

Francis estimated it took him seven hours to carve out and assemble each butterfly. He started out with a paper template. The paper template was scribed onto the cherry table top and then glued onto the Birds Eye Maple stock. He sawed out the block and hand beveled the edges. The table top was hand carved to crisply set the dimensions. With a Forsner bit he set the rough depth and removed some initial waste and using  a router he removed more waste. The delicate work of carving just to but not beyond the outline and beveling out the sides of the divot was completed with hand chisels. 

The bevel and shaping  of both the divot and the insert had to be precise in slant and proportion. The butterfly insert must be slightly larger at the base than the opening of the divot but precisely the same dimension as the base of the divot. When knocked into place the two units snap tight with just a film of glue between. The opposing angles of the butterfly's wings drawing the two slabs together. Delicate butterflies joining two heavy slabs of lumber into one elegant table top.   The stringers running across the bottom  counterbalanced by the butterflies snapped and glued in place on the top, the opposing forces preventing the table top from buckling or bowing.

 

Finally, the top is complete and the finishing commences. To a man learned in the ways of French Polish, a finish cannot be rushed. First a seal coat, sand it away, then base coat, sand that down, then a top coat, sand that smooth, then the finish polish, which must be buffed to a gentle glow. We are still at the buffing stage. Will he ever be satisfied? Hmmm...

And between the butterflies and the finish, we encounter a design dilemma and make another  trip to Aldenville.  Should our table base replicate the Conoid (cantilevered) style or the Minguren (slab) style? In any case  materials must be sourced and it’s back to visit Dan Droppa.

When we arrive at Aldenville Lumber http://www.avlumber.com/ there is a new addition to the site. In the center of the lot is a pen filled with Japanese Quail. Tiny spotted birds wandering around, squawking at us and dropping tiny spotted eggs at random. Dan tells us that he bought some lumber from a farmer and picked up some baby Quail while he was there. The minute birds leave him eggs every day, which he reports he greatly enjoys with salad.

Francis has speced a number of lengths and sizes of Cherry from which to make the base. Once again, all hands on deck become involved in the selections, trimming and planing. They pull blocks and boards from the stacks for Francis’ approval then cut the lumber to size and plane the rough surface smooth. We are only charged for the segments we request but the remainders are thrown in as well, plus a pile of Cherry 2x2s to use as checks when stacking the wood.  Amazed at the service we have received, we begin to drive away, only to have Dan run after us. His hands are full, “Would you like a dozen quail eggs to take home?” 

Francis contemplates his creation.