tables

When I looked up "sawbuck" in the dictionary, I expected to find "an X-shaped structure used to cradle logs for sawing".  Instead, I found " a table with X-shaped legs".  Curious--could the table have come first?  In any case, this table was inspired by a crude sawbuck (for logs) which I made years ago.  The intersecting legs and the wedged, through-mortised rail make for an incredible strong structure, with a simple grace.  This spec piece is made from 8/4 and 10/4 cherry.

This is my latest design (August 2012).  It is a bit of a departure for me--a little more massive, and featuring Lodgepole Pine.  Also, it is long, 72 inches, although the 34 inch height and the 18 inch depth are fairly common for hall tables.  The trestle is here made of cherry.  Look for another version soon, perhaps with a natural bent aspen log for the trestle.

Now most boat cleats are metal, but the first ones were no doubt wood.  Shaping them made me appreciate their functional grace.

My signature style of work has always favored the interplay of gentle curves, and I have designed many pieces of furniture with bowed-out, or bulging legs, including dressers, beds, and tables. These nightstands are a good example of my “bulging “series. In a slightly larger size, they can become living room end tables.

Structural simplicity inspired this design.  The bowed, intersecting members form a triangulated leg system--the strongest there is.