Bookmatched Walnut Crotch Staked Coffee Table

Solid live edge, bookmatched, walnut crotch top with hand planed octogon walnut legs. The legs are reverse tapered, so the octagon shape tapers from thick to thinner from the bottom to the top.

"Bookmatching" is a technique of resawing a large piece of wood in half by its thickness, so that the two adjoining surfaces mirror each other, giving the impression of an opened book.

On this table I've resawn the walnut crotch in half end-for-end, as opposed to the more common side-by-side method of bookmatching (original and unique to Philomath Woodworks).

This top features a beautiful high compression figuring.

 

One of the many challenges of great woodworking is that in general the progress is slow and methodical. Therefore making it inherently difficult to build forms that appear light and gestural. 

On this table, I've tried to make it feel light and gestural in two ways:

     First, by only giving it three legs. The three legged stance keeps your eye slightly on tilt, yet the angle of rake and splay in the legs, still keeps the table stable.

     Second, by leaving a negative space between the two halves of the top. Then joining the halves together by shared inlaid walnut "Dutchman" joints (original and unique to Philomath Woodworks).

 

Inlaid double dovetailed dutchman joints are used to stabilize inherent cracks found in the live edge top. These joints are not only beautiful, they are extremely strong and useful to prevent further cracking or warping.

Proprietary Philomath LinBee Finish - a natural blend of linseed oil and Montana beeswax (for more details please see LinBee product page).