Joe Horner writes:
I can proudly say that I am an excellent finisher. I admit to being a
good amatuer furniture builder. However, I enjoy the building process,
will keep at it until the project is right, and learn something every time
I undertake a new job.
We stay so busy with restoration and refinishing, that when we get the
opportunity to build a custom item it is a welcome diversion from the
normal business. We have a regular customer that operates a "rustic"
furniture and decorating store. She brings us considerable repair work
on the new items she sells. Mostly it is "Hecho en Mexico". She has a
customer (now our customer also) that knew exactly what she wanted
in a dining table and she commissioned us to make it.
Here is the result. This table is made of 5/4"Sugar Pine with a solid 60"
top, the apron makes the top appear to be 3" thick. She specified a very
heavy pedestal on a square base. We designed the pedestal with two
square platforms each 2" thick and a 15" pedestal to support the table
top. This pedestal is solid, the top diameter is 12", it tapers to 9" and
back up to 14 1/2" and back to 12" at the bottom. This was the largest
turning project I have ever done, but was a lot of fun to complete.
For a finish we started by distressing the wood so that it looks like it
has been used for 200 years, then we stained it a honey color and
glazed with burnt umber. The topcoat is a matte sheen lacquer.
After all the planing and sanding, it was hard to start beating the
hell out of the wood. I kinda got into it though after we started.
We delivered the table to a restored (probably 200K worth) 1850's
farm house that the lady was born in. She loved it and paid us
so fast we probably left money on the table (pun intended).
The chairs in the photo were bought in Mexico and were finished
to match the table.
The next custom project is three toyboxes for Christmas.
Joe Hornor
TX
