# Demilune table build



## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

I am starting on a demilune table with a drawer for my wife. I have always enjoyed seeing the build threads around here, so I figure after being a member for over three years, I'll try posting my work as I go along.

At this point, I have no jointer, planer, or bandsaw. I have a table saw, miter saw, jig saw, and two routers. My power tools are in a plastic sheeted section of the basement. I will definitely have some tooling issues to work around. Unless I crack open the wallet....

I bought the wood from a lumber yard 5 weeks ago and let it sit in the storage room of the basement. That's long enough.

Lets get started!


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Okay, May 28 is the start date.

Here are the boards that I hope to make into a nice piece of furniture. Poplar and walnut in the first picture, curly cherry in the second.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

May 28

My full size template, the table will be 32" x 12":








I also printed a copy on regular paper, sprayed it to some mdf, for a template for the table top. I cut it with the jigsaw and a bit of sanding left it feeling very nice.








Once the template was done, it was time to find the section of the walnut boards I wanted for the table top.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

May 29

I cross cut the poplar on the miter saw to 33" for the 30" long legs, then using the edge ripped at the lumber yard, squared the other side.








I found the section of the walnut boards I wanted for the top. I cross cut those to length, then also ripped with the lumber yard edge.








I wasnt quite happy with how they came together, so then I put them on my tapering jig to clean up the edges. I built the tapering jig specifically for the legs, but getting a good edge on a board is a useful application as well.









I had the boards planed at the lumber yard, but they are still a bit off. I am going to make a router sled type flattening/planing jig. That will cost me a lot less than a new #6 plane, and it will be easier for my skill set.


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## hands made for wood (Nov 2, 2007)

Sanchez, I can feel your pain with a less than industrial workshop... I'm still in a single garage. Which is very hard to work with at times. But it does the trick! haha I'm really looking forward to seeing this beautiful piece come together!


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## bigcouger (Jan 4, 2012)

I'm Watching


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## Reclaimed Wood Blog (May 28, 2013)

This going to be fun to watch. :thumbsup:

http://reclaimedwoodblog.com/


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## guglipm63 (Feb 27, 2013)

I'm in


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Okay, not a lot of productive woodworking this weekend. Saturday I did some yard work and the neighbors had us over. Today I went to church and my nephew's birthday party.

I got my flattening/planing jig together on Saturday.








I hope to get the two boards for the top glued together on Monday.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Well, Monday night went rather poorly.

The two boards I had chosen (a little over 6" wide each) for the top didn't have a clean edge to glue up, so I tried trimming them on the saw and jointing them on the router table. After all that, they were 1/2" too narrow for the 12" top, so I decided to go with a three board top.

So I used my tapering jig again to cut the clean edge on the third board and ripped the three to 4 1/4" each. I was still having a bunch of trouble getting a clean edge, so I again tried trimming them down. BY this point I now had three boards that were barely going to be 12"!:furious:

So late Monday night I finally figured out the trouble was my tapering jig. My runner was a bit deeper than the miter slot, so the jig would rock just a hair as I pushed it through, making the cuts a bit cupped.

Lesson from Monday night. TEST JIGS WITH SCRAP, OR YOU MAKE YOUR GOOD WOOD CRAP!!!


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I'm along to watch as well! Looking good so far.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Tuesday June 4, much better evening:

I planed down the offending runner on my tapering jig with my trusty free Great Neck #4. 

I got perfect clean edges on all the boards, ready for glue-up. I took the cutoff from the center board and glued it back where the grain lines up. I hope with only a sawkerf or two missing it will look like one board.















Then since I was happy I cut the blanks for the 1.5" tapered legs.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

firemedic said:


> I'm along to watch as well! Looking good so far.


Thanks! I saw the cool demilune table you made out of cypress a while back. Very nice!


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## Wema826 (Jul 22, 2012)

Im in for the ride! your off to a great start!


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

sanchez said:


> Thanks! I saw the cool demilune table you made out of cypress a while back. Very nice!


Thanks. I have another in Cherry coming up soon! I'll be watching what ya do... You already ahead of me, :laughing: I hardly sketch pieces much less draw em up in cad! :thumbsup:


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

firemedic said:


> Thanks. I have another in Cherry coming up soon! I'll be watching what ya do... You already ahead of me, :laughing: I hardly sketch pieces much less draw em up in cad! :thumbsup:


That's not cad. That is MS Visio. I am only patient enough to draw out one dimension. :laughing:


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 5:

I got home late from work, so I didn't get a lot done. I got the three (and half) boards clamped together after cleaning them up last night. They looked great, no gaps!








I put the template on them and adjusted a bit for looks.








I glued up the three boards for the top. Yes, those legs I cut last night make good cauls.








Probably no updates until the weekend. I am going to the ball game tomorrow night at the company luxury suite :thumbsup:. Friday night is for my girls.

Saturday I hope to get the legs tapered and mortised. And maybe a start on the bending forms for the apron/drawer front.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 8:

There wasn't a lot of progress today. I spent most of the day out with my wife and youngest daughter.

I got the top cut. I cut it to rough size and shape with the jigsaw, then nailed the pattern to it and used a flush trim bit.

















I also got the templates done for the bending forms. One for the drawer part of the apron and one for both of the sides.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 9: 

Today I made the bending forms for the aprons and started on the forms for the drawer.

I ripped a bunch of 3" wide strips of 3/4" plywood. I cut them in batches to 12" wide for the aprons and 16" wide for the drawer.

I cut out the 3/4" plywood with my jigsaw.









I used the template nailed to the plywood and matched it up with a flush trim bit.









I screwed each piece to the prior layer and trimmed to match.









Shortly after the first few times, I figured out I could attach two layers at once on opposite sides and trim to match the center.









And finally, the male/female bending forms for the side aprons are done. I can use one for both sides of the apron, they are just flipped vertically.









.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 12

It's been a while since I updated. Today I got the bending form done for the drawer.








I made a tall auxiliary fence to help when I have to resaw the laminations. Which will actually only be about 3 inches tall, but hey, why not make a tall side on the aux fence...








I put the legs on the full size drawing to mark off the width of the aprons and drawer so I could mark for the mortises.








Now I can mark off the appropriate placement for the mortises.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

I started trying to figure out how I want to use my curly cherry for the drawer and aprons. 

Dont mind the pile of mdf template junk.

I promise I'll have some more interesting posts soon. I'll have to mortise the legs and resaw the cherry soon.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Come on, Sanchez! We're waiting for more! :smile:


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

I'm glued to this thread, Sanchez! Never done a bent lamination, and I'm eager to see your approach.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

I've never done one either. Or made a table top, or made tapered legs, or a curved front drawer.....

My wife picked one heck of a complicated project for me to learn on...


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

That's the best way to learn, IMO. I'm sure you'll find lots of help here, too.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Good morning, time for an update. Here comes the good stuff.

June 19:

I resawed some cherry on my tablesaw so I could do the bent laminations. That's a double height feather board.








The pictures below are the layers for the curved drawer front. 3/4" thick, six 1/8" layers. 








I did make sure to cut one long veneer for the entire front of the table so the grain is continuous. I just forgot to take a picture.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 20:

Tablesaws dont cut very even 1/8" laminations. After lots of handplaning and sanding, the layers were sufficiently flat.

I lined the bending forms with packing tape. I put the laminations in the forms, clamped them together, and hoped for the best. I thinned some Titebond II with a little bit of water.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 21:

I took the bent lamination out of the bending form. I saw no springback. It fits my full size pattern perfectly.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 22 was a pretty productive day.

I used my router sled flattening jig to flatten a cherry board for the straight part of the apron. Cupped side up first, then the other side. I was pretty pleased with how it worked. Sorry no pictures of the process.

I cut mortises in the back legs for the rear apron. I know the mortises are longer, there's more to the apron coming up.









Since I had the tablesaw set up for non through cuts after tenoning the rear rail, I gang cut some small (1/4") grooves for break moldings on the legs.









I screwed poplar strips to the top and bottom of the apron and flush trimmed them. 









Here is the rear apron, fit into the mortises in the legs. The poplar strips will be painted. The cherry will not.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 22 continued.

I also mortised all the legs with a 1/4" straight bit. All except for sides of the legs where the drawer goes. I need 5/8" long stopped mortises for the top and bottom drawer rail. They will be like the poplar strips on the back apron.









I trimmed the drawer front down to size - 2 3/4". I used the full size template to mark off the angles on the drawer and cut them on the miter saw. I left just a bit extra for now.

Here's what I have done. Back apron, mortised legs, drawer front.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 23-June 26

I got the two apron laminations done. For these I used two outer layers of cherry and two inner layers of 1/4" plywood. The bottoms of the aprons will have a painted poplar strip so the edge doesnt matter.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 27:

I cut some curves from some 6/4 poplar with my jigsaw to match the aprons and the drawer. I screwed the strips to the aprons, and flush trimmed them. I used carpet tape on the drawer because I didnt want holes in it. Then I ripped the strips to 5/8 so I could have one on top and one on the bottom.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 28:

I got the aprons marked for tenons. I think I'll probably have to make a tenoning jig so I can stand them on end. I can't run them flat. Either that or maybe make loose tenons. 

Any opinions?


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Dude I am really enjoying watching this thread! The laminations came out great. That's going to be a sweet table. 

As far as those tenons go, if it were me I'd probably make a mock up of your bent apron out of layers of 1/4" ply or some cheap hardwood (poplar if you have extra?) and try cutting them by hand. I picked up a decent gent's saw for 25 bucks that - with a little practice - cut a pretty damn straight line.


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

See,,,,,,,,,difficult projects really put your mind to work. It is looking so GOOOOOOOOD!

You should THANK her for picking such. 

Nice, for sure.

Dale in Indy


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

June 30:

Today I cut the 4 sided tapers on all 4 of the legs. I used a jig I found on woodsmith.com.


















On BZawat's suggestion, I also practiced cutting tenons for the aprons with my handsaw. I made an extra apron and practiced. It's fairly easy after scoring the line with a razor. I did some of the small ones for above and below the drawer to start. These pieces are only 5/8" wide. Tomorrow I'll attempt the 4" wide aprons.


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## anoldlady (Aug 19, 2010)

That looks fantastic! Great job so far.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Tenons came out good man


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Looking good!


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

July 1:

I started with the easy stuff first. I cut the little break moldings for the legs. Big strips into little pieces. 16 of them. They're not going to stay so square. I'll make them softer edged.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

July 1:

I started cutting the tenons on the 4" aprons. I got 1 of 4 tenons done tonight. It took about a half-hour to cut and fine-tune. It turned out pretty good with my super cheap Irwin handsaw and Buck Bros chisels.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

July 2:

I got the other three tenons cut on the aprons!

Apron 1









Apron 2









Dry fit pictures


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Look'n good


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## SeanStuart (Nov 27, 2011)

That's going to be a beautiful table. I am looking forward to see how you do the drawer. 

Did you have to heat the laminations or did they bend OK without?


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Thanks, I'm probably just going with a stopped dado or sliding dovetail to join the drawer sides to the front. 

No heat on the laminations. Just 1/8" thick layers of cherry. It bent pretty easily.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Happy Independence Day!

Today I was lazy. I glued the little moldings into the legs. Then I did a dry fit of what I had done so far. One of the tenons has to be shaved a bit to get the right angle, but otherwise, I'm pretty pleased with how this piece is progressing. Next comes the drawer.


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

You should be pleased - it looks great!


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

July 8

I worked on the neighbor's house almost the whole holiday weekend. Tonight I quickly whipped together the parts of the drawer compartment. 

I mortised the center of the back apron for the sides of the drawer compartment.








Sides of the compartment and runners/kickers.








During some slow parts of the weekend work (like during my morning coffee), I managed to get the first coats of paint on the legs and the poplar strips of the aprons.








Testing out some finish options for the cherry aprons.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Well, I know it's been awhile. So for anybody who's been keeping up, sorry for the delay. I helped build a three car garage for my brother in law this weekend, so no woodworking time.

July 17:

I put the final coat of flat black on the legs and aprons. Now its time to hit them with steel wool and give them some satin poly.

















I resawed some poplar down to 5/8 for the drawer sides and back. Now I have to figure out how to hold the curved drawer front flat so I can route the dadoes for the drawer sides. I think my bending forms could come in handy for this?









Trying to figure out how to color the cherry part of the aprons. I got a couple of bottles of Transtint dyes, and had some fun. This is way better than stains.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Looking good! Any new progress?


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## Wema826 (Jul 22, 2012)

Great looking table! I have to admit I have been bit by the demilune bug. I am in the process of building a matched pare for 2 family members. lol up for a little competition?!!


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Wema826 said:


> Great looking table! I have to admit I have been bit by the demilune bug. I am in the process of building a matched pare for 2 family members. lol up for a little competition?!!


Oh sure! Why not? I am doing my best!


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

firemedic said:


> Looking good! Any new progress?


Yes, firemedic, as a matter of fact, there was some progress today! :thumbsup: I will be posting it shortly!

I have been pretty busy the past few weekends, so time on the table has been short. I had to paint the living room this weekend. Repaint the ceiling, prime the walls, then paint them two different colors.

Last weekend, I helped build this garage for my brother in law. It was my first time setting trusses and sheathing a roof.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

July 21

Today I did the scariest part yet. I cut the stopped dadoes in the curved drawer front for the drawer sides.

I used some extra layers of my bending form so I could run the curved drawer face flat on my router table. I used carpet tape and some painters tape so it wouldn't shift on me. 









Shallow cut...see if its okay..nervous here..









First side came out good, now I have to run it left to right on the router table for the other side.









Okay then, two stopped dadoes!


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

July 21

I cut the tenons on the drawer sides so they would slide into the stopped dadoes of the curved drawer front.

Get the angle right, make a few passes, then bump the tenon flat. Sorry, the fence is missing in this picture. I put it back after I took this shot so I could bump the tenons.








The fit is good, now I can cut the first 3/8" off so the sides can slide all the way up. 









And there it is, drawer sides, back, and front dry fit together. 








Tomorrow I'll make the grooves for the drawer bottom. I'll have to use my new slot cutter for the front...

I also found my dye mix for the cherry aprons, so I'm pretty happy with that.


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## Wema826 (Jul 22, 2012)

Very nice! way to go!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Looking great so far...nice work. Full size drawings are the way to go.:yes:








 







.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Coming together really nice, Sanchez. I can't wait to see it finished!


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

Looking very nice, YES I too like FULL SIZE DRAWINGS.

When I made my last communion table I laid it all out full, and that was such a big help. 

Going to be nice, keep on keeping on.

Dale in Indy


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Well BZawat, I'm in the home stretch now!

The drawer is pretty much the hardest part.

I'm also going to do an edge inlay on the table top.


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## Carvel Loafer (Dec 31, 2011)

Very impressive!!!!:thumbsup:


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Good Evening, I'm posting yesterday's progress before I head to the basement. 

July 23:

I used my slot cutter for the first time, and made some nice matched slots for the drawer bottom in the sides and back. That part was easy since these are all the straight pieces.









So then I wondered how I could make a slot in the curved drawer front. I can't run the concave side against the fence. I didn't have a big enough bearing. So I whipped up this little jig and it worked pretty well.








The hardest parts were when I got close to the stopped dadoes, where I wanted the drawer slot to stop. The jig didnt support the workpiece on both sides, so I had to carefully hold it. I had the router on the slowest speed, and it felt just fine. The slots were cut and while there is a bit of jaggedness near the ends of the slot, it doesn't matter since the drawer bottom goes in there.








And there it is, the completed drawer with all 4 sides of the bottom captured.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

July 23:

I also wanted a little 1/16" rabbet detail on the cherry part of the aprons. 1/16" is because the laminations are 1/8" thick. I used a little 1/4" roundover bit, because I was actually hoping to get a bit of the round, but 1/16" wasn't deep enough. Sandpaper takes care of that in a couple seconds.

This straight rear apron I just ran along the router fence, set back 1/16".









I also wanted the same detail on the curved aprons and drawer front. My test piece showed I couldn't do it because at the beginning and end of the cut, I only had support on one side of the fence. So I either needed a zero clearance insert for the bit, or a big enough bearing. Lucky me! I had a very big bearing in my rabbeting bit set! I put it on and lo and behold, 1/16" of cut depth!









All the curved parts have the same rabbet now!









I sanded all the cherry parts down to 220, then applied a "special sanchez blend" of Transtint dyes Reddish Brown and Dark Vintage Maple.


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

This is looking really great! Nice job on that curved front dado jig - very clever.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Dude I gotta say, I'm blown away by this build so far! I really look forward to your updates. 

I'd consider myself to be of an intermediate skill level (I guess) as a woodworker, but I've always been intimidated by designs that incorporate rounded or arched parts, bent laminations, etc. 

That said, I'm thoroughly impressed seeing what you're turning out from what you're working with! Keep it up man!


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## BKBuilds (Jan 12, 2013)

Love it!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Sorry I'm late to the party here. I read the entire first page (20 posts) then I scanned through the rest, taking time to enjoy and learn from the pictures. Sanchez, man! For a first attempt at so many things, you've really pulled this off incredibly well. Excellent work, Sir. I'm eager to see it all come together. It's going to be beautiful. :thumbsup:

Great job jigging up the router table to cut the groove in the curved drawer front. Solutions like that are what woodworking is all about. Well done.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Good morning guys,

First, I want to thank all of you for following along. I consider myself a beginner (about 4 years of woodworking) and I am very pleased with all of your positive comments.

I haven't updated for a bit because I am working on finishing some of the parts before glue-up. I hope to start on the edge inlay of the table top tonight.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

July 30

I mentioned an edge inlay a few posts back. I want a 1/2" wide inlay along the edge of the table top. 

Today I needed to cut some thin strips for the inlay. So I had to make two zero clearance inserts. I used 1/2" mdf and made one for 90 degrees and one for 80/10 degrees.

I used a Wixey Digital Angle gauge to get the angles. That little tool is great. Perfect angle measuring, totally worth the money.

I resawed some walnut and some maple down to about 3/8. Then I set the saw to 80 and used the ZCI to cut some thin strips.








Next I cross cut the walnut to approximate length and put them together for a nice picture.








Here they are getting glued up.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

July 31

Today I got home from work late. I pulled the start of the edge inlay out of the clamps. The walnut and maple were a bit uneven, so I had to use chisels as scrapers to even them out. A bit of sanding and here is the center section of the inlay. Next I will put a 1/16" layer of maple on top and bottom.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Looking great, man. This is going to be an nice inlay. That would make a cool cutting board too. 

What is that you clamped the glue-up on/to? Is that a slab of granite? Thick hunk of MDF?


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

Very nice work, please keep posting with progress photos.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Looking great, man. This is going to be an nice inlay. That would make a cool cutting board too.
> 
> What is that you clamped the glue-up on/to? Is that a slab of granite? Thick hunk of MDF?


Steve, it's 3/4" MDF covered in packing tape. The whole inlay blank is only 6"x4"x3/8". Much too small for a cutting board.

I realized today that I have to rip off one strip of maple or I'll have a double section of maple when I line up the thin strips for the edge.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

sanchez said:


> Steve, it's 3/4" MDF covered in packing tape. The whole inlay blank is only 6"x4"x3/8". Much too small for a cutting board.


Oh :laughing:. I imagined it being larger.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Looking great Sanchez. I'm watching how you are doing this inlay. I'd like to try making my own. Good job on the table so far.


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

Yep, this is cool! I have never done inlay, so I am watching and learning.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

MapleMoose said:


> Yep, this is cool! I have never done inlay, so I am watching and learning.


Thanks! I haven't done anything I've used on this table before. It's all new to me.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

sanchez said:


> Thanks! I haven't done anything I've used on this table before. It's all new to me.


You could have easily fooled me. You're doing a fine job at every step so far. :thumbsup:


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 5:

I am on vacation with the family this week and we have some stuff going on, so who knows how much I'll update. We spent the day at the state fair today! :thumbsup:

This evening I added 1/16" layers of maple to the top and bottom of the inlay blank.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 12

Well, I was on vacation last week, so not much done on the table. But here is my update. 

I started sanding down the maple layers of the inlay blank. I got one side nice and flat.









It still has to get down to 1/2" so a bit to go on the other layer.









I put some gloss poly on the cherry aprons.









I finished the last coat of satin poly on the legs and the black parts of the aprons. 









Tomorrow I hope to get the 1/16 deep, 1/2 tall groove/dado cut in the edge of the table top for the inlay. Scary, cant screw that one up.


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

Bon courage !


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## :-) (Jan 18, 2013)

I can't believe how incredible this looks. I can't wait to see that inlay for sure. This is impressive.


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## wood_chucker (Oct 18, 2012)

Man this is awesome it looks great. I been wanting to do a demilune for a while now, but got a slew of projects in front of it. Maybe one day ill get around to it.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

That's pretty awesome looking.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 13

Today I wanted to get the dado/channel cut into the edges of the table top. My rabbeting bit is exactly 1/2" so I figured I could use that. There were two problems. One, I didn't have a big enough bearing to get down to 1/16". Two, the table top was too big for the router table.

Then I remembered that I used to do all my routing with my handheld plunge router! Hah, almost forgot about that since I set a fixed base router in a table! And I had an edge guide that would get me the 1/16" depth I needed!

So I got the router set up.









After a few test cuts, I went to town and had a nice channel all the way around the edge of the table. This is on the back too.









I also got the inlay blank sanded down to within 1/32" of the thickness I want. Oh, I am using my quarter sheet power sander for that process. A little more with the 60 grit tomorrow should do it. Then it will be time to start cutting the blank into thin strips to fill the channel.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 14

Today I got the inlay blank sanded down to 1/2" thick. Then I started to cut the blank into thin strips.

I made a quick thin strip ripping jig I saw on woodsmith tips.com.

I was using the fence to bump the blank up against the screw. This was probably not the best idea since I was actually cross-cutting and not ripping. A better idea would have been to use the miter gauge and a backer board. You'll see in pictures 3 and 4 why I say this.









I started working and the strips were good.









I was going along just fine and kickback got me. Split the skin down to my knuckle bone. These pictures are from after the swelling started. Hand moves fine, full function was my first check, but I will need stitches to keep the skin from popping open constantly. And there's quite the swelling on my knuckles.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 14, continued

Come on, you didn't think a little blood would stop me, did you?

I did step away from the table saw after the incident. I got bandaged up and went back down to the basement.

I switched over to the miter saw with a piece of mdf on top for zero clearance and a stop block.









I finished up all the strips I needed. The inlay will look like this.









Here's a picture showing the contrast with the walnut table top. It's going in the channel I cut yesterday.


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## Effingham (Dec 2, 2012)

I just started following this, but I have to tell you that this is an amazing bit of work. I love what you've done, and can't wait to see more!


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Ouch! Bummer about your hand man. Coulda been worse though! Can't wait to see that inlay in place. 
By the way, all you need are a few dabs of super glue and a couple butterfly bandages and you'll be good as new LOL


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Ha, super glue! We have a clinic here at work that will stitch me for $5 and no hit to my insurance, so stitches it is.

I'll start getting the inlay into place tonight. :thumbsup:


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 15

Once again, thanks for following this thread. It's pretty fun describing what I'm doing and taking pictures as I go along. I appreciate the comments and the input.

My hand got stitched this morning. Doctor said outside of 12 hours there is more risk of infection if it is fully closed up, so he decided just two stitches and antibiotics. The swelling is the bad part. It hurt like hell putting my motorcycle gloves on. 

Today I put the inlay strips into the front of the table top. I glued them up and used blue tape to hold them in. I found it helps to wad up a bit of tape at the end to help really push the ends down. The strips are a bit proud of the table edge so I can sand them down.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

pictures missing from above post.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Looking great, Sanchez. The inlays are going to add a nice touch to the table. They're looking really cool so far. Sorry to hear about the kickback knuckle. That's some scary and painful stuff. I'm glad that you're OK though. 

I know it's a little late now, but maybe a sled would have been a safer way to cut the inlay strips. I know it's easy for me to say that after the fact. I comment mostly for the sake of myself and others at this point, in hopes that we each be as careful and safe as we can. But then again, accidents can happen no matter how careful and safe you try to be. So maybe I'm just talking out of my @ss. :boat: The important thing is that you're not injured any worse.


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

Sorry to hear about yr hand, inlay looks great though, not a drop of blood visible !


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> I know it's a little late now, but maybe a sled would have been a safer way to cut the inlay strips. I know it's easy for me to say that after the fact. I comment mostly for the sake of myself and others at this point, in hopes that we each be as careful and safe as we can. But then again, accidents can happen no matter how careful and safe you try to be. So maybe I'm just talking out of my @ss. :boat: The important thing is that you're not injured any worse.


Steve, thanks for posting the above. I agree, a sled would have been the safest way to cut those strips. Absent a sled, I should have had a slot in my ZCI for the riving knife, and been using the miter gauge to push the material through. The riving knife would have prevented the workpiece from shifting towards the blade as I pushed it through.


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## Effingham (Dec 2, 2012)

Hope the knuckle is doing better. I have a cousin who maintains "it's not a project until I bleed on it."


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Effingham said:


> I have a cousin who maintains "it's not a project until I bleed on it."


 Is he still alive?


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## Effingham (Dec 2, 2012)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Is he still alive?


I've often wondered.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Good evening, happy Sunday night.

August 18

I got another coat of gloss poly on the cherry aprons. I hope this is the last one. I keep getting little dust nibs in it. I wanted to use satin, but the Mrs. loves gloss.

I also put some satin poly on the sides, back, and bottom pieces of the drawer, but that's boring so no picture.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 18

A much more interesting post this time. I also got the table top edge inlay all glued in and sanded flush. For my first try at doing this type of stuff I'm pretty pleased.

Back









Front









Close-up









Imperfection, oh well, it's my first time doing this.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Effingham said:


> Hope the knuckle is doing better. I have a cousin who maintains "it's not a project until I bleed on it."


Thanks! The cut is no big deal, two stitches are holding it pretty good. But there's still nice swelling on the inside of the index finger knuckle. I can't make a perfect fist yet.

I don't like to bleed on wood...


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Not too bad on the inlays. Not too bad at all! That one gap is a shame but it's definitely not a deal breaker. You can cut tiny strips of wood to act as fillers and it won't really be noticeable unless someone is looking closely for it.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

I might try fixing it. I could just chisel it out and pop a new piece of the inlay into it, with just a sliver more left on the new piece.


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

Wow, gone for 1 week (on vacation), and look what happens in the meanwhile!!!

Sorry to hear about your kick-back experience. If you are still struggling with swelling, I heartily recommend soaking your hand in ice water, with epsom salts.

That inlay looks awesome, the one minor blemish aside. I agree with Steve: after you patch/repair it, you will be the only one who sees it.
Oh, and that gloss finish is looking outstanding, too!


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 20

I didnt get home until pretty late tonight. More poly on one of the apron pieces. I did the final 220 sanding on the table top and the inlay. After that I put some clear oil (pre stain conditioner) on the table top. That really made the walnut and maple combo look nice!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

That wood really came alive! Beautiful.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Looking great!


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## Effingham (Dec 2, 2012)

That deserves a full, two-syllable Southern "dayum!"


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## cps (Jun 21, 2013)

Very nice....


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 22

Today I put the aprons back together, and I glued up the sides and back of the drawer. The oil on the tabletop also revealed a couple of spots where I have to sand away a bit more glue.

Here's one of the curved front aprons. I noticed the glue spot when I loaded the picture. I ran down and washed it off.








Three sides of the drawer glued up. I am pointing at a spacer that should help me keep it square since the curved front is no help for that.









Rear apron dry fit into the legs. I noticed that the left mortise needed a bit of shaving at the bottom to bring that apron flush with the top of the leg, so I did that after pictures.


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

It's coming together beautifully! I had to really zoom in to see the glue spot - how does it look after clean-up?


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Oh man this is getting good!!!! On the edge of my proverbial seat...


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

MapleMoose said:


> It's coming together beautifully! I had to really zoom in to see the glue spot - how does it look after clean-up?


It's completely gone. A wet rag took care of it. Easy on gloss finish.


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## Art Rafael (Apr 17, 2013)

Very nicely done throughout. And Great attention to detail. That is a beautiful piece. Congratulations. Ralph


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## MasterSplinter (Jan 12, 2013)

Wow. That really looks amazing.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Absolutely beautiful.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Good evening, I was busy all weekend, but now it's actually time to start putting the table together!

August 26

I got coat #5 of gloss poly on the table top. Underside is done too.









I glued the drawer front to the rest of the drawer.









And glued up the rear apron to the rear legs.









Next I have to trim and tweak one of the curved tenons to get the curved parts to line up exactly with the pattern. 

I also have to attach the sides of the drawer compartment to the center legs and the rear apron.

I think I'll have to get a ratcheting strap to clamp the rest of the aprons and legs together.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Okay, time to post a few days of progress at once!

August 29:

I had to join the sides of the drawer compartment to the legs. I didn't want to mortise the legs again because there were already two mortises in each one. I went the old fashioned glue block route.









I screwed them to the legs. Then I also glued them to the drawer compartment sides, but there's no picture of that.









And a dry fit of everything.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

August 31

Finally, it's time to glue up the aprons and legs. I picked up a nifty ratcheting band clamp from Rockler on the way home. 

So I finally glued it up!









And it actually fits the pattern!


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

September 1

Big day today! I took the bottom of the table out of the band clamp and it looked like this.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

September 2

Okay, even bigger day today. I got the drawer runners attached and the drawer slides nicely.









I made a tiny drawer stop so the drawer doesn't fall out.









And I attached the top with four z clips and one screw through the center apron?? strip above the drawer.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

September 2 continued:

Here it is all assembled in the spot it was made for. All it needs is a few more coats of gloss poly on the table top and a drawer knob. I started on one but I don't like it, so another one is in the works.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

September 2, continued, again:


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Oh wow man. That is drop dead gorgeous. I'm blown away by this build!!!!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I give you a standing ovation on this. It turned out so beautifully. Very, very fine job, Sanchez :thumbsup:

Also, I didn't realize the inlay wrapped around the back as well. That adds a whole other level of niceness. Bravo, Sir, on an incredible job.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Thanks a lot for all the comments. Also, I really want to thank anybody who followed this thread for the last 3 months!


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

A beautiful job man. You should be very proud.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

It took a while, but the wait was worth it!!!!!

Absolutely beautiful man. :thumbsup:


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

johnnie52 said:


> It took a while, but the wait was worth it!!!!!


It sure did! 3 months and a week! And I still have to get happy with the gloss finish on the top and find/make a knob!


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

Playing catch-up again.

Amazing job - the table is beautiful and I am sure that it is destined to become a true heirloom! You really hit the ball out of the park.

Looking forward to more pictures when you finally get happy with that gloss finish.


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## Effingham (Dec 2, 2012)

Absolutely magnificent. I'm impressed that even the BACK side has personality. You did a splendid job on it.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Good morning,

I have one more update on this thread. Thanks again for following along. This table turned out pretty good from my humble little workshop.

My wife found the knob she wanted for the table, so now it is officially finished.









And Maple Moose asked that I post to show the final gloss finish on the top. I think this picture shows the finish pretty good.









And just one more picture with some outside lighting.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

You can post pics of that piece all day long man. And I'll keep looking! Absolutely gorgeous. You should be proud!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

BZawat said:


> You can post pics of that piece all day long man. And I'll keep looking! Absolutely gorgeous. You should be proud!


+1

Not a bad choice of knobs either :thumbsup:


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## Chataigner (May 30, 2013)

That is beautiful ! The knob looks spot on too. Congratulations on a fine project.


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

WOW! This piece is simply stunning! You were right to not be happy with the finish earlier - it now looks fantastic!

I agree with the others - the knob does look like a great match.

I really enjoyed this build - thanks for taking us along :thumbsup:


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Thanks for watching! This really stretched me on skills, techniques, and problem solving. I am very pleased with how it turned out, and my wife loves it.


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## burkhome (Sep 5, 2010)

She's a beauty...3 months or no it was definitely worth the effort. Beautifully crafted and a gorgeous piece...Well done.


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