Our friend Hagit asked Chris to build an island for her newly remodeled kitchen.  Hagit loves the look of old wood and Chris had just the thing for her in his stash of reclaimed fir.

First he made her a mockup to test the height and the size of the two shelves.

The fir had been used as flooring and is full of nails………….Hagit wants them all to show.  The top however needs to be satiny smooth so Chris planed it all down to the raw wood.  He lengthened the top by adding breadboard ends.

Hagit came to visit several times during the two weeks that it took Chris to build her table.  When she first saw the top she knew that she wanted a vertical piece inlaid into the center.    Not a problem……………Chris routed it out and inserted an extra piece.

The old fir has beautiful raw patina which Hagit wants to see on the shelves and the legs.

All the legs have to be mortised perfectly to fit.

No room for error here.

The top is getting the first coat of stain.  It has to match the old raw wood and the bigger holes are filled with epoxy.

You can see the nails and the worm holes.

Now the tenons have to be fitted into the mortises………there is no room for error here.  If it’s off by a fraction the table won’t be square.

Whew!! …………I think I heard a few curse words that day!

Wax on the top makes the perfect finish.

Hagit stopped by again while Chris was cutting the pieces for the shelves.  He was going to make them all horizontal but she asked if the center ones could be vertical.  Of course…….we love it when our clients participate in the design of their commission!!

I went with Chris when he delivered last friday……….everyone was very excited!

Assaf was ready to carry it in by himself.

Top in place.

Assaf used the drill to screw the top on tight.  Hagit was arranging her plates immediately.

Even Naomi gave her approval.

Good job Chris!

Kathi