The contemporary, angular design came about using a two-piece offset format for the legs of the table and benches, made from blackbutt timber, joined with straightcut crosspieces.
I used the same profile in the table top framework, with Kauri Pine floorboards in the centre. Various knots and holes were filled with clear resin to create a flush surface.
The bench legs echoe the design of the table, routed straight through the Blackbutt timber seat.
result
After more than 15 years of great times and hard use it hasn't warped or discoloured and looks just like it did when finished.
blackbutt table
medium
Table - 1910mm x 1050mm x 720mm
Benches - 190mm x 230mm x 450mm
Recycled blackbutt timber and kauri pine. 2000
This was the very first piece of furniture I made in Australia. A dining table with benches to seat up to eight people and last as long as I might. Limited funds meant I had to make it myself from recycled materials.
process
I passed an old landscape gardening yard and noticed that the building was derelict. With the building due to be torn down, the owners allowed me take what I wanted. Returning with saws and sledgehammer, I left with a decent load of timber.
After removing hundreds of nails, I planed the surface of the timbers to reveal what I had to work with. Recycled timber is great because you get the blackening of the grain, creating a naturall contrast with the sharpness of a freshly planed surface. There is something so satisfying in stripping back a dirty, rough surface to reveal the natural pattern underneath.
