Pedestal teaser

After waiting for Oil to dry I was finally able to finish the third of three Pedestals. From right to left: AD Cherry with AD Maple, AD Walnut with AD Maple, and KD Walnut with HD White Oak. Everything but the KD Walnut is finished with shellac and wax. The KD Walnut is oiled.
More decent photos will come after the coffee tables are done!


On that note Milling is complete and I'm getting a move on Joinery. The frames are built the same way. Clearing the rebate to make room for rail joinery.


Holy crap!! Look what happened to my chisel while working on the above Oak pieces... seriously I just needed to make an end-grain chop maybe a 1/16" deep and CRUNCH! I knew Oak was hard but this is unexpected. I've never done a whole project of Oak before. I've only recently seen the species in an aesthetically pleasing manner, Oak was usually the last I would ever use.
I guess I'm surprised with the little experience I already have and it's "workability". Most guys around hear love Oak... Oak this and Oak that, I was frankly sick of seeing and hearing about it.
Does English Brown Oak work any better? I still have a craving for some of that European beauty.
Still this Oak isn't as tough as Shedua... I'm just taken a bit off guard.


Making those all important cross cuts to finial dimension.


Trying to get some support with these long pieces. I would really like to find a "real" X-Y table. I'm getting a bit sick of this one heh though once again it is better than nothing.
Even though I've had to go out and about running errands and what have you I feel like I've been making decent progress on these Coffee Tables. Really I'm just moving on through the steps faster because there are less tables to make but moving on and not droning away for hours at every operation keeps my spirits higher. Even if I'm not working any "faster" I feel more energized and excited about moving on because I actually CAN move on as opposed to grinding away at every corner. I find that I can work later into the day, I'm willing to put in the extra time because I know I can get this or that task done... Sooo it's almost like I'm faster if you were to look at progress in terms of days vs hours (in fact I'm probably more productive in hours too).
Then again I was kind of feeling this way at this stage in the Pedestals then it took weeks to get them done. There is a lot more work to do. The refinement and hand work is really what takes time... we'll see.