Monday, April 29, 2013

Creating Tables from Reclaimed Cypress

Once I started making the stump tables, I thought making larger tables would be fun and might have a market. I looked around at Bruner Lumber and found some very unique pieces of deadhead cypress. Often this cypress has been partially eaten away by fungus prior to harvesting the timber 120 years ago. It cannot be milled into useable lumber, other then the pecky cypress variety. So, I started buying this reclaimed cypress and making cocktail and side tables. Some finished pieces never made to market, due to Ki and Lisa saying "I want this for my house." Now our house looks like a forest and I can sell the pieces, unless they end up as trade ins.

Here are some of my deadhead cypress tables. Enjoy.



















Here are the original cypress pieces, straight from the river.
                                                                                                       And here are the finished pieces.



Another set of cypress tables. These pieces came from the same log. It is a lower 13".



This was designed to sell as an upright 14" high cocktail table. It turned out to be too low for many people. So, at the Scott's Antique Market in Atlanta, I took the glass off and turned it on its side. The hole was horizontal with a flat top surface. It sold right away to a woman for a side table beside her antique bathtub. Who knows.

Here are cypress side tables in a natural finish with 1/2" glass top. They have been heavily eaten away by fungus, but still have enough body to support the glass and accessories, or even a drink or two. They are 9x9x24. These are the remnants of milling a log that is 2-3' in diameter.


And here is the side table in a dark finish with 1/2" glass. There is barely enough solid wood to support the table, but cypress is very strong.

This stump table is from a cypress log with 480 life rings. Plus 120 years under water makes this wonderful piece over 600 years old - starting growing around the early 1400s.

Or the table can be without the glass.


Four tables ready to go to market. Need to sell some, no more room in the garage and Ki wants her car inside. OK Ki.

Another way to use the large one in front, is to turn it on it's side for a coffee table. Don't try and use it as a stool, unless you weigh 50 lbs, but it will support good weight for a table. Also a good place for your pet to hide or make a bed.


Thought I would try a black lacquer look. Next one might be pink for Eric, he just loves pink.

Then Lisa and Ki suggested I do a table in grey tones. Can't argue with the bosses. It was sold to a person building a house in Rosemary Beach.

Then I picked up a birch stump at Jim's cabin to try my luck at making a table. Made two and the people of Atlanta liked them. Guess I need to do more. Maybe I can write off the expense of a MN fishing trip, and find some birch stumps.

Now, what do you think I have here in front? Mary was working with Betsy in trying to find a small stool for around a cocktail table. I had this finished piece and was wondering what to do with it. Well, it was turned on its side - and wa lah we have a stool. Now I am looking for another piece for a second stool for her.

This table needed a glass top. The piece is totally hollow. Another of Mother Nature's wonders. 


Here is my favorite. I started out with four square pecky cypress pieces from Bruner's. Planned to four separate tables, but when I started cleaning and finishing them, they were much more eaten away then I thought. Each one was too weak to be a separate table. So, I glued them together to make a four section table. Now, it is a perfect coffee table in our living room. Ki once again said "oh, that would look very nice in our house." What can I say. Looks good as shown below.
The original four peices. This is pure pecky cypress.

After cleaning and finishing. Now what to do?

The finished table, all glued together, ready for that lucky buyer.

And now the pecky table is a proud and happy resident of our living room, having been reclaimed from the junk yard or fire pit.



If you are ever tired of paying for that health club, I would recommend log cutting. In fact, I could use a helper. The pay isn't very good but the socializing is fabulous.

See you soon. Have a great day and year.

Remember, "Around each corner lies a new adventure."

John "Gabby" Gabrielson
Natural Creations
Miramar Beach, Florida
612-816-5378

2 comments:

Lisa Gabrielson said...

Great job!

Unknown said...

John,

Great post! You know I always enjoy chatting with you, so if I lived closer I would come over and help.

Dorothy

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