From coffee table to cupboard...

     If you go back to the beginning of this blog you will find a post about a coffee table. The table in that post had been in the store for sale for a little over a year without being purchased so to make room for newer pieces I decided it was time to bring it back to the workshop. After moving the table around a few times to make room in the shop I knew something had to be done.

     What to do? Chop it up and toss it on the scrap pile? The thought had crossed my mind. Then, while shuffling the table from one side of the shop to the other for the last time it was chop time! Some pieces of the table would not end up on the scrap pile though. The pieces that could be reused were transformed into the cupboard pictured above.

     With a fresh cut off wheel on the grinder I started dismantling the coffee table and separating the usable parts from the scrap. The 3 inch channel base and the 1 1/2 angle frame of the top were the only pieces that made the transition into the new cupboard. The remaining parts were set aside maybe to be reused in a future piece of my furniture or to sold off and turned into a new air conditioner, toaster or whatever scrap metal gets turned into.

     I have had the idea of a large cupboard floating around for a while and with the leftover steel from the table this seemed like the perfect time to get started on a new project. A few rough sketches were drawn up and then the process of cutting, forming and welding began. The frame of the cupboard is steel angle covered with 18 gauge sheet metal that has been step rolled to add some design flare. To finish the steel a rusting solution was used and then sanded off. Black stain was applied next to darken the metal with a final hand rubbed waxing to help protect the finish.

     The wood that I used for the shelves was salvaged from a local feed storage barn that was being torn down. A light sanding was all the boards needed before a coat of Briwax Tudor Brown was applied. The dark color contrasts well with the metal and also allows the character of the wood to still show through. I like being able to see all of the saw marks, nail holes and bug holes that the old wood has earned over the years.

     At 80 inches tall, 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep at the base this cupboard is an attention grabber. Stop by the Black Falcon Fabrication booth inside Antiques In Milton to see it in person. Located at 109 Union Street in Milton, Delaware the store is open 7 days a week 10 till 5 Monday through Saturday, 12 til 5 on Sundays.

    

Brass tags

From the start all of the furniture that I have built has had a serial number stamped on the framework. Now, along with the stamped number each piece will have a custom etched brass tag. Due to the etching process each tag is unique just like the furniture that I build.