Haven't built a dining table in quite some time. Boy did this one make up for that.
It is in the Louis XVI style  12' 6" long with the 30" leaf in 10'0" without the leaf.
We found some fantastic veneer at the Wood Gallery for the top. The idea was for the table to be 120" from the beginning, but when we found this veneer we knew we had to make a leaf even if it couldn't be used at this home. With this fantastic crotch of Mahogany it was now or never so that the pattern would match with the leaf in or out. This was done by cutting 15" off of both ends butting them together to make the 30" leaf.

This is what I found at Wood Gallery to get this ball rolling. Thanks Barrett.

This is the top with the leaf in but not trimmed to length.

Used a MDF template to finish cut the D ends with a flush trim bit. I also used the pattern to lay out and check the apron as it was constructed.

Here is a shot of the cross banding detail.

 I rough cut the packs of banding then trimmed it to the radius with a flush trim bit.
The arrow denotes grain direction very important to keep the pieces all oriented the same way so that you keep the same color once the wood is polished. If one should get turned it will reflect the light as a different color and show up like a sore thumb. Once the wood was glued down a 1/8 " square piece of brass was inlaid at the dividing point of the two veneers.

 This is a pic of the jig I made to make the radius pieces used to build up the aprons of the D ends.
Once they where routed I stacked and glued them together to form the radius.

                              This shows the template I made to mimic the mortices of the legs

                                                           Now how do we cut that?

I put together a jig for my router to ride on

Next I started on the legs. Here is a shot of my Bailey # 8 smoothing and straightening the tapers.

I took a chance doing this as I hadn't received the toe caps or as the Frenchman I ordered them from says "Sabots".  I ordered them from a company out of California who imports from France. Just so happened that all of France goes on holiday for the month of August. So I waited. 10 weeks later they sent my order... no toe caps. So I call.  Oh those have been discontinued was the reply. When where you going to tell me this, was my response. Well I might be able to find some or one that you could use as a mold in another 4 weeks. Great!! now it's mid October the table needs to be done for Thanksgiving and  I have no Toe Caps. What to do... the only option was to have them cast locally. I made a mock up of what I needed and had A&B foundry do them for me. 

This is what they looked like after a lot of filing and polishing. At this point the legs where  fluted and finished and on the table. The good thing was I knew they would work because I had made the template instead of guessing at the aperture of the French ones.

                            

                               This is a picture of the jig I used to rough out the tapered flutes.

A little of the hand work needed to finish the flutes properly.

A little clean up with my Sauer & Steiner K7 Smoother. and they are ready to install.

         A couple of shots of the table with the apron glued up, center legs installed on the rails.

This is the start of the panels on the apron. Lots and lots of spring clamps to hold the pieces till the glue dries.

Detail of the apron with the brass quarter round in place.

At this point the table is basically finished and oh yea those pesky "Sabots" made it from the foundry. I didn't want to flip the table back on its finished top so I raised it up with some blocks the shop has laying around made a jig to rout the leg.

                                                                 Ready for delivery.

                    At its new home.  Thanks To Gentry and Kathryn Beach for the opportunity.

This is the drawing for the next plaque I had the privilege of doing for Jim Guy Designs and a private  library.

Constructed of mahogany it is a showcase of distinguished guest to a fantastic private library

                          This is a full size drawing I had blown up from Jim's scale drawing.

Here is a shot with it mostly complete and unstained.

Detail of the lower right side.

Shot of the acanthus leaf carving.

This was the first go at it. As it evolved Jim and I changed the design to the inside corner transition.

Here is a pic of the change.

Here is the opposite side with color on it.

The carved detail in the middle.

Finished and installed with the bronze almost complete.

A final picture of its new home taken from the stage where it is hung.

The picture does not do justice to the scale and grandeur of this room.

Thanks for the opportunity guys.

After the presidential display case I went to work on a series of plaques. The first pair shown here is for The Nurses Quarters at Old Parkland Hospital. Both were designed by Jim Guy Design Studio.

The wood he chose was Pecan to match the room walls 

                                            Here are the basic frames. A real simple profile.

This pic shows a completed frame.Although there are carving chisels in the picture I soon realized I would be trading them for a Dremel for the carving of the vine and leaf to come.

This shows the relief i did on the table saw earlier in the process to get the carving positioned where I wanted it on the frame.

Here is he finished pair before the installation of the bronzes.

The finished plaque with bronzes installed.

Next up a really nice Mahogany plaque.

Finally some shots of the finished display. This one sitting on the worktable before delivery.

   

                                     This shows the hidden drawers in the back compartment.

                                  The Butlers slide with the hidden compartment for the key.

                                                      Delivered in the clients residence.

Well it's been awhile since I've posted. Had a little vacation time in upstate N.Y.
Now we're back in the Texas heat.

I had just started veneering before my vacation so here are a few pictures of the finished product.

The eagle inlay is from Dover Design. I have work on various marquetry pieces over the years, mostly replacing missing and damaged designs on antiques. I enjoy the challenge but the guys at Dover can't be beat.

This is the butlers slide. I took a nice oval fan and veneered it to a piece of 1/8" mahogany

Routed out a little cove with a core box bit and created a great place to hide the key.

This shows the butlers slide pulled out with the octagon glazing bars in place.

I have some beveled glass to go in place after the finish is done.

that brings up the process I came to in order to keep it light in proportion and strong enough to be lifted off to allow the presentation to be changed.

This is the detail of the upper and lower glazing bars. The upper has a rabbit for the top glass. with the dado to accept the side glass.

This shows the corner glazing bars with the tenon that houses in the glazing dado. the top and corner bars are glued together with that assembly screwed to the lower glazing bars that have been splined together as a unit. I just couldn't see another way to do it and keep it all looking clean.

Glue up with 1/4" MDF as glass to keep it all lined up.