check out the video of the test hanging here ...
we started with an inspiration photo from our designer client, jennifer palumbo interiors, of newton, massachusetts, which we translated into the drawing above. it looks pretty straightforward, but has the classic three choice intersection joinery challenge, coupled with an outside installation situation, and the ability to seat three (at least) people. so, we had some serious, long term structural considerations. we chose reclaimed chestnut for the wood as it has a reputation that in outside use, it last two years less than stone. in fact, i have some chestnut fence posts in the woods, by the corner of my property, still sound, and surrounded by 65 year old trees. good enough for me.
first set of corners was easy. bridle joints on the table saw all around.
i made a sample corner, which i later changed to a square tenon on the ends of the crosspieces, and inserted 1/2" x 6" stainless steel hanger bolts through the bridle joints, with stainless washers and bolts securing them.
the assemble corner sample
the brain storm was using the assembled bench to drill the pilot holes for the hanger bolts. by carefully drilling centered holes in the corners of the end assemblies with the pilot bit on the drill press, i had a guide for drilling the 3" deep pilot holes for the hanger bolts. i then disassembled everything, drilled the holes in the ends sections large enough for the hanger bolts to pass through, reassembled everything, and inserted the hanger bolts with the bench already put together. otherwise, it was almost impossible to get those 6" long bolts in straight.
lots of mortising and tenoning later, we had the bench below.
we hung it in the shop and grabbed some cushions from the lounge chairs in the office and had a swing.
the springs and hardware gave the whole deal a wonderful feeling, even with three of us and wills dog in it. be sure to check the video ... its one of our best.
the finished bench color with the sample of the rough sawn siding
i found the perfect swing hardware and springs online and they are sweet.
the custom forged steel swing hooks that sam made for this project
we just finished a project for a local interior design firm that involved making 12 new feet for 2 big couches whose feet were not really in proportion to the rest of them, or to the room where they went ... the new feet are 7" in diameter, 7" high. we glued up some blocks from8/4 and made a sample and a template for the duplicator and had at it. before will could start turning them, i cut them to length and round for him. will had recently tuned up the bandsaw, adjusted the guides, etc. etc., but i didnt realize what a good job he had done until i cut the blanks ... square ... straight ... cut after cut, through 7 " of maple ... click the photos to enlarge them ..
in response to the comment below, i am posting a link to the bandsaw blades we use. THE most important part of the tune up is a new blade from doall. weve tried many brands i wont name, but these are, in our opinion, THE best. i have to go to the shop to find the exact info ... next is to adjust your guides close to the teeth and square your fence to the table and the blade ... fussy stuff but worth the effort. see the last photos below.
this is how they lined up across the top of a stack 3 high ... barely a 32nd difference across the tops.
the chips flew during the rough out stage ...
and made quite a pile ...
first coat of stain ... after distressing we used a second coat of english brown mahogany lockwood water stain. then a coat of oil/poly, then gel stain on the lathe spinning on low speed. the final coat of satin poly was brushed on with the feet on the lathe, and then they were transferred to the finish room to dry where you see them below. 
all in, all done ... they will be installed to the couch frames with 2 - 8" timberlock screws per foot
in the photo above, you can see a stack of 9 - .1" veneers cut sequentially and sanded after from one piece of 8/4 walnut. and 4 - 10.5" wide curly hard maple slices also from one board.
were shipping out a little walnut, curly maple and ebony bar cabinet tomorrow. it went through a lot of iterations to get to the final layout ... (my client likes the design process) and it was loosely based on the proportions of the ebony cabinet we built a few years back. needless to say, it is for sure a simplified version, though almost as effective. same nice proportions and nice detail. click the photos to enlarge them ....
i know i have quite a few early sketches somewhere and ill add them when i find them.
but, basically, its a box. the sides are walnut ply set back from solid wood edges and legs. the joinery is done with our domino machine and the cabinet went together fairly quickly. the rails are mortise and tenoned into the legs and the ply panels were added after ...
the top is a nice piece of walnut about 14" wide that had a nice eye in it ...
here will is adding the edge inlay, made from big leaf maple burl and ebony ...
all done ...
the core of the door is to the left before it was veneered with shop made .1" veneer. the stack to the right is culy maple for the door panels ...
which were added after the veneer was applied and the ebony borders were installed ..
the doors are on self closing european hinges and the client selected the hardware from a supplier in her new jersey area ,,, looks great ... some of the other projects we have worked on with her are below ... seems like its been about 10 years now and she was one of the first to commission one of our single pedestal dining tables, a style that has become one of our standards ... in fact, we are working on one in the shop right now ... more on that as it happens ..
this one had some matching transitional chairs with it ...
and this one was a complex little case project ....
we finished this unusual coffee table last week. i 
its vaguely nakashima influenced with its simple, square legs, but the box originated with the project that involved the other half of the original claro walnut slab.
that project involved one of the 3 original claro walnut slabs that i purchased from goodhope, oh, back in about 2006. in 2010, one of my clients purchased the last of those slabs to use for an interesting console that had to be notched around a carving from bali that hung over a wall hung heater. the design was driven by many factors, and i cant find a photo of the finished piece, but when we were finished, we were left with the half slab you see below with a piece missing on each end. click the photos to enlarge them. more photos of claro walnut can be seen by clicking on the claro walnut slab tables category below the archive
the cut for the console table marked out in tape ...
the leftover has been standing in my office closet since and the project has been on again, off again for a couple of years ... i am glad its finally finished.
above is the cad drawing from the console project and you can see the shape of the coffee table slab in the negative space of the plan view ...
no date on the sketch, but im betting its from 2009 sometime ..
and heres what i did with the left over, though i now see i somehow got the notch for the box in the wrong place from the sketch ... we somehow got past that though, and the table will be delivered soon ... it will be a cool story if it ends up in the same room as the console ...
not much to detail on the process ... the box is mitered play with a ply top with 1/8" thick veneer, rabbeted and dropped into the open end so only the veneer was left and then flushed off and beveled. looks like solid wood, though you know it cant be ... fun project ...
