Woodworking

This piece started as a vague idea. I wanted to make a piece traditionally. So I started by drawing a design for the base. The top I was less clear about at the beginning. The outside case of the base is constructed with one piece of mahogany. The grain therefore wraps around the case. The drawer faces are consistent with the front board. The case is assembled with graduated hand chiseled dovetails, as are the drawers. Each drawer has a hand planed bottom tapered to fit snug and therefore not needing any hardware.

The right top for this piece kept me thinking for many weeks. I wanted this piece to look very organic. The base is so hard and solid that the top was going to need extra-organic if I wanted to get the look I was searching for. Finding the right wood was essential. I chose this sequoia for it's complementary colouring and for the relative ease of carving. After much chiseling, hammering, carving and sanding, a top was born. It is attached to the base using buttons.

The finish for this piece has to be of quality but also of durability. The base is 4 coats oil based polyurethane, sanded in between each coat with finer and finer sand paper. The top is 4 coats of water based polyurethane to prevent yellowing with age and to prevent cracking in the finish of such soft wood. The entire piece is then steel wooled, waxed, and polished with a clear wax. The end result of such a finish is silky soft. When you touch the finish, and I want people to touch it, you can feel the twists and turns in the wood. This is the kind of furniture that you will gently let your hand feel each time you walk past it.

This credenza is for sale.