take an old mahogany staircase - WIP

[archersam]

My first WIP post, I think from my lurking you guys like details and phots so here goes.....

Good friends have moved to a new place and were going to BURN what I guess would have been a bespoke/custom made and installed mahogany open tread staircase (circa 70's). Not sure if it is true or not but some great person told them it was poisonous to burn so it was left outside the house when I happened to pop round for a cuppa tea to then find myself with a new project!!

Treads as they were collected:

Sorting out which are most useable

10 biscuits per side - I am always a bit paranoid and tend to over engineer things.

Realising I don't have enough long clamps to do all 6 boards so it is 4 first

After a night of dreaming about clamps and searching forums and web for ideas I drill out my clamp rivets and use M6 bolts to make them all longer

Plugs to fill the holes where the treads were screwed down

After A LOT of sanding (40 with the belt sander then 120 and 180 with random orbital).

For the record just after I had glued them all up I picked up a DW733s P/T and almost cut the table into boards again to use it, but I decided against it.

Learning the very hard way that you need to make sure that your ratchet clamps are not broken!!! It amazed me how quickly the router ripped into this before I realised what was going on.

As it currently sits in my workshop with 2 coats of waterbased Walnut stain then 2 coats of satin hard lacquer from Hannants http://www.hannants.com/

Final step is to assemble the metal legs and glass top(s). I will leave you in suspense as to how it might actually look as most people at this stage say "its far too low for a coffee table". Thanks for looking. Sam

 

[joiner_sim]

I like the use of the reclaimed timber, it looks like quite a nice top. I think I'd say that at a guess the timber is more likley to be sapele, from your photos, and also it's a bit cheaper than mahogany for a staircase.

EDIT: Ps. Welcome to the forum, it looks like you have quite a nice workshop there!

 

[archersam]

Thanks Joiner-sim. Someone else mentioned sapele, but that was the first time I had heard of it and assumed it was a subspecies of mahogany which I guess it isn't.

I am going to post a workshop tour in a bit ;-)

 

[joiner_sim]

This site may help you to identify it. http://www.sykestimber.co.uk/hardwood.html

 

[Pete Robinson]

Thanks Joiner-sim. Someone else mentioned sapele, but that was the first time I had heard of it and assumed it was a subspecies of mahogany which I guess it isn't.

Just to set the record straight Sapele IS from the same family as Mahogany and "quote from 100 woods by Peter bishop" can often be confused with African Mahogany.

Also..Sapele is very difficult to tell apart from its nearest cousin, Utile, and normally requires microscopic analysis to tell which is which.

 

[brianhabby]

That's a very nice top you've finished up with - whatever type of wood it is. Would have been a real shame if it had been dumped.

regards

Brian

 

[archersam]

quick update.....was fitting one of the glass pieces at the weekend. didn't think about it and was using nylock nuts and of course could not feel the tension and then BANG the glass explodes as I overtightened it. I was on my knees at the time so my face was level with the glass but luckily I wear specs. Did not feel any glass hit my face but on close inspection I found 3 tiny pieces embedded into the lens of my specs. :shock: Am off to the opticians for some wrap around sunglasses like the stupid famous people wear at night for extra protection!!!!

 

[archersam]

oh almost forgot. altough it was toughened it is still sharp and the process of hoovering it up left a few tiny scratches in the surface of the lacquer (only visible in certain light), but i am a bit anal about stuff like that so it was a quick rub down and another coat before we go back to trying to fit the glass.

 

[Russ]

Good to see its not just me that breaks things!!

Do like the layout of your website especially the photography!!

 

[mailee]

WHAT A BUMMER! I would have been gutted at that Sam. How much was the glass not cheap I would imagine? Apart from that it was looking great. Hope to see the final item once it's finished. :wink:

 

[wizer]

Never done anything like that before :^o

 

[archersam]

well if the weather is nice tomorrow the table is going on a trip to the seaside for a photoshoot (my friend is a photographer and he wants to see what pieces of furniture look like in odd places so I am happy to oblige for photos!!!)

will of course post some piccies when i get them.

regards the glass it was not hugely expensive but this table was already being made on a super tight budget as a favour for friends who gave me the lovely staircase in the first place. The lady of the house has seen it in my workshop put together and was almost in tears which I have to say was a most amazing feeling.

 

[Digit]

What ever the wood is I am currently building a work station from the same timber, also reclaimed, and I love to know what the hell it is!

Roy.

 

[big soft moose]

Roy

I'm almost certain that its sapelle - I have wads of the same stuff (also recycled out of a skip)

 

[Digit]

Ta!

Roy.

 

[OPJ]

That could well be sapele and the fact that it was part of a staircase only strengthens that thought. If it isn't then, it's definitely from the "mahogany family"! :wink:

What a pipper with that glass! I was looking forward to seeing this come together; hopefully you'll get there soon.

 

[archersam]

Here you go nice people, the finished table, just need to deliver and install at the weekend.

Sam

p.s don't worry it is level, just the grass was a bit wonky....

 

[joiner_sim]

oooooo0o0o0o0ooooooo very nice! Well done Sam! It looks really good. Definatley not what I was expecting, your finished pictures are the only ones I looked at compared to the beginning photos, so I didnt know how it would turn out.

You have a big back garden lawn there! :lol:

 

[Russ]

Interesting idea... It has a certain recycled feel about it, which I like!!

 

[OPJ]

I think it looks great, Sam. What finish did you use on the sapele/mahogany?