The Brother's Table

The latest Expression in Wood from the Knotty Woodworker is The Brother's Table. Born and raised in Florida, The Knotty Woodworker moved to Colorado in 1990. In Florida there remained four sisters and two brothers.
My youngest brother, Jason, recently moved to Colorado and for the first time ever, two Abneys have built a piece of heirloom quality furniture, hence, The Brothers Table.
It stands 31" in height, 40" in width and 82" in length. It has been fashioned from the heart of Beetle Kill Pine grown here in Colorado. This means it lacks the blue staining caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle. It began in Loveland, CO with the selection of harvested trees.
From there, I had the logs sliced into 4 x 4's for the legs, and into 2" thick slabs for the apron and top. Not many woodworkers are blessed with the oppurtunity to choose their tree, have it cut, and then bring it to life in the shop.
Although the trees have been cut and air dried for quite some time, I stacked the pieces in the shop with sticks to separate them to allow air drying to an acceptable moisture level.
The Brother's Table features a drawer on one long edge that is 24" in width, 3" in height and 18" in depth for silverware/board games, etc.
The top is crafted from four 10" wide planks and brought down to a thickness of 1 1/2".





The apron is 4" wide and planed to 1 1/2" thick as well. Each piece of the apron has a tenon that is 3/4" thick x 2 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" long that will fit into a corresponding mortise on each inside face of each leg.





Here is a video showing the strength of a mortise and tenon joint. My mortises are deeper and my tenons are longer and thicker than the average mortise and tenon joint, adding to the strength.





The solid legs are 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" finished thickness. The two outside faces of each leg is fluted down the center with a 3/4" core box router bit and on either side of that flute is a flute made with a 1/2" core box router bit, for a total of three on each outside face.





Simple. Sturdy. Hand crafted. Knotty. Heirloom quality. Guaranteed for 5 full years in materials and craftsmanship.
As a woodworker, I enjoyed crafting this table for my client. I wondered what would take place at this table besides meals. Certainly, many cups of tea will be enjoyed at it with lively conversation. The owners of this table are English.
How many nights of homework will be mulled over at The Brothers Table? Mother daughter talks about life, love and happiness. Family vacations might be discussed and planned at this table, built by two brothers far away from their homeland.
Will a young man sit at this table in a few years and ask a father for a young woman's hand in marriage? The craftsmanship, care and construction of this table is only the first step in achieving the status of heirloom quality. The family's gatherings will do the rest.
As a brother, having lived so far away from home, I enjoyed creating it with my brother by my side. Talking about life, woodworking, Colorado, Florida and the smiles that have occurred between the miles and years.













It's simply more than a table already. How would such a table be completed if it stood in your home? 303.246.4766

The Long's Peak Gun Cabinet

The latest Expression in Wood by The Knotty Woodworker is The Long's Peak Gun Cabinet. It is 53" wide and 74" tall and will hold 12 long arms. It features raised panel sides and lower doors, Glass panel upper doors, handmade pulls and knobs, and a tongue and groove paneled back.
A pure pleasure to create and build, I was allowed a lot of creative control to do a "Knotty Job." As has become the norm, my client was very satisfied, not just with the overall appearance, but with the quality of craftsmanship.



I made the pulls and knobs from a limb that was killed by the Mountain Pine Beetle. The burrow tracks are the texture and beauty of each one and each is as unique as a finger print. The door pulls and knobs are doweled into place through the face of the door and a set of smaller dowels are glued into those dowels from the edge of the door. Quality. Uniqueness.








Some folks might would consider the steps I take a waste of time. However, The Knotty Woodworker guarantees all of his furniture for a full 5 years in materials and craftsmanship. Five years! A brand new house is only guaranteed for 1 year.
It is not my intent to ever have to do any warranty work. The only way to avoid this is to build it right the first go around. My pieces are tomorrow's antiques, so I build them to be an heirloom your great grand kids will enjoy. I beg you to find such a guaranty elsewhere and at no additional cost.
The Beetle kill pine has a most unique beauty. Each piece is so unique and different than the next board. The result is not only extreme beauty, but knotty uniqueness. If you are not familiar with Colorado's Beetle Kill Pine, please see my blog entry located at Environmentally Responsible Furniture Making
When this wood is crafted into furniture by The Knotty Woodworker, each aspect of the grain is significantly highlighted through grain selection and board placement.






Here is a close up of the base of the Long's Peak Gun cabinet that shows the incredibly catastrophic beauty of this wood. The moulding used here is a piece 1/4" thick. The other half of the board, the "book matched" slice, is used as the molding on the top of the cabinet. Just one of many little steps taken by The Knotty Woodworker to display the elegance of this wood and to have your furniture exclaim "Colorado" to all who takes in it's beauty.


Here are a few more pictures of the Long's Peak Gun Cabinet.




























Please consider how a piece of furniture made from Beetle Kill Pine would fit into your home and how to get the best quality for your money by having The Knotty Woodworker be your furniture maker. A decision that you will never regret. The money you spend with The Knotty Woodworker today will continually spend itself into the future. 303.246.4766