Table for Raleigh Mayor's Office

[kelLOGg]

Good for you!

As a sawyer I am interested in when it was felled and who milled and dried it. When I sell wood I really like being able to tell the buyer the story of where the tree was and other interesting info as you have told us, or will that be in the next issue of Raleigh Magazine? Thanks.

Bob

 

[woodworkingshop.com]

Love this story! Thank you for sharing and beautiful work!

 

[KenOfCary]

I thought it looked like it had been fumed. Just can't get that dark patina any other way.

 

[UncleJoe]

Very nice work. Good craftsmanship. Love to see the local towns buy from local craftsmen and women.

 

[Bear Republic]

Looks great. I know it's a proud moment personally and a great gift for the city and our state. It's great that it can continue to be a "living" history for the vibrant green jewel of Raleigh. I'll have to stop in and see it next time I'm downtown. It's story from planting to how and where it sits today seems like a great story. It's like playing the halftime show at the Superbowl of woodworking. It's inspiring to us woodworkers who are happy to just get two boards joined at 90°. Thanks for sharing it.

Stuart, for the movie adaption, who do you think should play you? Jason Statham If you can put a good word in for me, I played a tree in a preschool performance.

 

[Stuart Kent]

Good for you!

As a sawyer I am interested in when it was felled and who milled and dried it. When I sell wood I really like being able to tell the buyer the story of where the tree was and other interesting info as you have told us, or will that be in the next issue of Raleigh Magazine? Thanks.

Bob

it was felled by the City of Raleigh I think, and then transported by my dear friend, the late Mr. Greg Poole Jr. to American Woodyards in Raleigh. They milled the log, and another was milled by our friend Scott Smith. I made bowls for the private donors that purchased Dix Park from the slabs cut by Scott.

 

[Stuart Kent]

Looks great. I know it's a proud moment personally and a great gift for the city and our state. It's great that it can continue to be a "living" history for the vibrant green jewel of Raleigh. I'll have to stop in and see it next time I'm downtown. It's story from planting to how and where it sits today seems like a great story. It's like playing the halftime show at the Superbowl of woodworking. It's inspiring to us woodworkers who are happy to just get two boards joined at 90°. Thanks for sharing it.

Stuart, for the movie adaption, who do you think should play you? Jason Statham If you can put a good word in for me, I played a tree in a preschool performance.

very funny! Thank you for the kind words!

 

[Grimmy2016]

the finish is layered: fumed, dyed, stained, lacquered, waxed.
This wood was problematic from the outset. I did more to repair the raw material than was reasonable. It was dried incorrectly, had MANY cracks, splits, checks, etc. In the end, it worked because it looks like it's genuinely old.

for us less than knowledgeable folks, what is fuming, how is it done, etc. Sure I could google it, but getting it from someone who did it is way better!

 

[Danny Batchelor]

Beautiful work! Hopefully I may see it in the flesh one day.

 

[sawman101]

You are the master Stuart, as evidenced in this finely crafted and beautiful table! Thank you from this NC family.

 

[Stuart Kent]

for us less than knowledgeable folks, what is fuming, how is it done, etc. Sure I could google it, but getting it from someone who did it is way better!

don't have much time this morning, so here's the 'canned soup' version: using species with high tannic acid (ie. oak), you build a plastic tent around the piece. Then you place a container (I use a glass pie dish) with a quantity of aqueous ammonia, under the work piece. The fumes from the ammonia chemically react with the tannins and turn the wood a deep rich brown color.