Woodywoodwood Signature Dining Table
Built from scratch without compromise, these tables are custom-made to meet your exact specifications while always adhering to a few key principles:
No Single Planks: Instead of single planks, I use glued-up boards made of 2 to 3-inch thick hardwood in the species of your choice, ensuring a solid and durable build.
Unique Curves: Instead of traditional live edges, I incorporate random curves wherever you prefer—even along the short sides—for a truly unique and custom look.
Resin Details: Cleaned areas can be filled with resin, and if you want a river table, I’ll carve rivers to a depth of 1/8 inch, using no more than half a liter of resin for a tasteful touch.
Breaking Conventions: I leave behind the standard practices—like the overuse of live edges, chamfers, or gallons of epoxy. The only tradition I stick to is maintaining the structural integrity of the table. This means accounting for seasonal wood movement and ensuring that the choice of legs and joinery is sturdy enough to support the table's weight and intended use.
You can see a complete start-to-finish build of a sample signature table here.
Benches
Sample Pau Ferro Benches Shown
In addition to having our meals on the dining table, it is where the kids do their homework, I look over and pay bills, my wife will sometimes set it up as her office desk. In short, dining tables serve many functions and depend on the user’s needs.
And sometimes dining chairs are not the best option. I use single planks or glued-up boards to make benches. The image shows a Walnut dining table with benches made out of Pau Ferro with Flowyline powder coated steel legs.
Built without compromise
Every project starts with a careful analysis of the design, measurements, features, materials, and more. I ensure that every detail aligns with the structural elements, from joinery choices to the placement of mechanical fasteners.
The image here shows the underside of a Walnut table. Each leg is secured with four threaded inserts, ensuring a strong and stable connection. These powder-coated steel legs, crafted by Flowyline, are flush-mounted to maintain both precise height and a clean aesthetic. The design provides ample surface area where the legs meet the table, allowing wood joint connector bolts to pass through wide slots. These slots are crucial, as they allow the wood to expand and contract seasonally without stressing the structure. The legs also feature built-in adjusters for easy leveling.
To keep the tabletop flat over time, I’ve integrated flush-mounted C-channels. These channels prevent warping by maintaining the horizontal alignment of the boards while allowing for natural seasonal movement. The wide slots in the C-channels ensure the bolts can securely attach to the threaded inserts, preserving the table’s structural integrity as it ages.
The process
There's something truly rewarding about watching raw wood transform throughout the process—from milling and sculpting to sanding and applying the final finish. The grain and texture evolve with every step, revealing the unique beauty of the wood.
In the image, you can see the dining table just after the glue-up stage. To achieve the table's width, I milled and glued together seven Walnut boards. While the glue-up is seamless, the grain tells a different story, showcasing the individuality of each of the seven boards. This approach keeps costs lower, while still providing a visually rich surface.
For those seeking unmatched grain continuity, a single four-foot-wide plank can be used. This option offers a seamless look with a continuous grain pattern, but it does come at a significantly higher cost.