Desert Game Table
Appearing in the client’s online search for a custom furniture maker, I was asked to make a game table. 3’-0” x 4’-0” main tabletop with two 1’-6” x 4’-0” drop leaves. Also, two 12” x 24” sliding shelves on the two open ends of the table. Clean simple lines; no extraneous detail. Wood: darker rather than lighter.
The wood choice turned out to be amazing in its color and grain, while challenging in that when completed only a few scant bits of wood remained that made it to the scrap bin. Certainly none large enough to make a replacement part had something gone awry along the way. The wood had been reclaimed from a body of water (likely Lake Superior) after sinking following its harvesting over 150 years ago. This wood is a real treasure and should serve the client well in its final role as a game table.
I was also presented with the challenge of making this piece primarily during the most humid summer and autumn months in northern Minnesota and sending the piece to its new desert home in Southern California. Wood can respond dramatically to changes in relative humidity. Precautions must be taken. I maintained a dry studio environment for the duration of the project and employed methods and materials that will help ensure a long and stable working life for this table.
Materials Reclaimed old growth elm, shop-made aluminum hinges
Finish Odie’s Oil
Dimensions 48" wide x 72" long x 30" tall open; 48” wide x 36” long x 30” tall closed
Status This piece resides in the client’s California home
