A Table From Reclaimed Early Growth Heart Pine
June 24th, 2009 by Bob
I had the good fortune of being asked to make a dining table with leaves in a “farmhouse” style. The client wanted pine and I said the only pine that I would work with is early growth heart pine if I could find it. Luckily my friend Rick Hearne of Hearne Hardwoods (www.hearnehardwoods.com) had some that came from a factory in Baltimore that had recently been demolished.
I work in the hardwoods (deciduous trees). Pine is a soft wood (coniferous trees) but my experience is that first growth heart pine has more in common with hardwoods. It’s denser, heavier with long tight grain and does not have a great deal of resin. It also takes a finish like a hardwood.
Leg detail with beaded apron
The table has a beaded apron and the leaves attach onto the ends and are stored in a simple rack. I prefer to attach the leaves onto the end allowing beautiful planks to show their panorama and length unobstructed by a split that happens when leaves are placed in the middle.
This table measures 66″ by 36 with two 14 inch leaves. The top is made of 3 planks. The finish is 5 coats of Sutherland Welles low lustre wiping varnish.
