The box will be constructed of 2 sheets of 1/4″ baltic birch plywood, honeycomb cardboard and solid maple frame members.  All of these pieces will be glued together and clamped in a special vacuum bag.  Vacuum pressure will actually hold and clamp the box while the glue dries.  Because of the size of the torsion box.  We will need to fabricate a special bag.  We will be using thick mil visqueen plastic (shown below)and special caulk

Next Austin and Jacob attach the solid maple frame members that will make up the outside edge of the torsion box

Many clamps are used to hold each piece of the frame as it dries in place

After the frame has been attached, and the honeycomb cardboard panels are cut to fit within the frame (see white panels below)…the leg assemblies are positioned on the box to determine where the solid maple reinforcing block will be placed

Next the maple blocks are cut and fitted into place.

Then all of the other torsion box components receive a layer glue and are placed in the specially made vacuum bag.  Below Jacob has to arrange some of the pieces in the bag.  Remmert Studios assistant Don Macaluso (shown holding the bag) says that Jacob really enjoys “getting into his work’.

Finally the bag is under vacuum pressure, and Jacob inspects the seam massaging out any leaks.

Coming soon…. the table gets its legs…. and takes its first steps……

Roughing out the general shape of the legs and arches is the starting point.  Below Austin and Jacob carefully guide the bulky walnut blanks through the bandsaw.

Next Jacob lays out the finished line of the curves.

Then a hand held router and a template are used to shape the legs and arches to finished dimensions.

The completed pieces start to accumulate as the lengthy process of routing continues…..

Now as all of the leg and arch pieces have been machined to exact size they are dry fit together in order to layout the mortise and tenon joints that will make the two pieces one.

The floating tenons are cut into the end of the arch….

And the mortises are on the lower face of the leg.  Here PVA glue is applied to the mortises.

The two pieces are clamped together and allowed to dry.

Now the completed leg and arch assembly awaits hardware and installation to the rest of the table.  As I complete this blog post, I hear the machines running in the background completing the final stage of the fabrication…stay tuned for the component that holds it all together….the torsion box.

Next the ends are roughed out to form a slight radius.  This was accomplished by the use of a hand held sabre saw.  (the scrap piece is sitting on the top)

After roughing out the ends, a hand plane and a couple of sanders are employed in “fairing” the edge of the curve.  Getting it to look and feel very smooth.  This detail to the ends provides a stark contrast to the free-flowing and rough-hewn feel of the long edges of the table.

Here Remmert Studios Owner and artisan Steve Remmert steps in and begins the process of giving shape to the sculpted edges of the table.

The finished detail for the edge of the table was an inspiration by our own Austin Glidewell.  Below is a shot of Austin completing the detail for the edge.

Because we are working with 1″ thick planks of walnut, we will have to glue pieces together in order to give the edge a “thick” look.  It will also need to be wide enough to allow for the sculpting of the simulated “raw edge”  Below the mocked up edge detail is used to begin the layout on the table top.

Next Jacob begins the process of flattening the surface with the aid of 19th century technology…there is nothing like the sound of a properly tuned hand plane!

When the surface is flat, the process of  gluing up the edge begins.  Here Austin custom fits small blocks of end grain for the ends of the table

Many clamps are necessary for today’s work…by the end of the day most of the studio clamps will be on deck.

Here more clamps stand at attention as the long rails for the table edges are glued and clamped in place.  These pieces will soon be sculpted to take on the appearance of an undulating ribbon.

By days end, the clamps are removed and the final pieces are fitted into place.  The clamps have been removed…. and it is time to get Austin to start cleaning the shop.

International Talk Like a Pirate day.  Yarrr!

In honor of the day, me and me crew mates put together a dastardly meme.  The theme is so chilling…   Me blood runs cold as I sit here tapping at me pirate keyboard.  It tells a tale from me time as a ship hand under Captain Mad Billy Flint while sailing the waters of Skippy’s School o’ Wooden Peg Leg Craft

Signed by the hand of Iron Roger Read, First Mate (alter ego: Jacob Aune)

Next the boards are given some added reinforcement.  Below, Remmert Studios master craftsman Jacob Aune, uses a Festool Domino Joiner to cut special mortise joints that will accept corresponding hardwood tenons.

After the “domino joints” are cut the tenons are fitted and tested.  All of the boards are assembled prior to the application of any glue in a process known as a “dry fit”

Next the boards are glued together.  However, because of the width of the top (66 inches), the four boards that make up the top will be glued together in stages.

After the boards have been allowed to dry for several hours, the hardened excess glue is scraped off.  Austin affectionately refers to this as “grunt work”

Finally, both halves are glued and clamped together.  Again, after several hours clamp/dry time…the clamps are removed and a large table top blank emerges.

Below is a shot of the walnut planks that have been laid out prior to rough cutting stage.

After the rough stock has been laid out, all of the pieces are cut to approximate size and then stacked to dry.  It is important for the wood moisture content to equalize to the same moisture content of the studio to minimize warping and other wood defects.

Below is a special sample that was made for our clients.  They were looking for something that simulated both a natural edge, and rough-hewn beam.  They visited the studio yesterday and were pleased with this result.  The finish will be a linseed oil with a walnut stain mix, sealed with a shellac and then top coated with a precatalyzed lacquer.

characteristics of their order.  So…what does it take to create a hand-crafted tabernacle?  The slide show below offer a glimpse into what goes on inside the studio.

Everything starts as rough lumber, in this case cherry, and is then surfaced into flat boards.  They are then cut and glued into rough blanks for sawing out.  Much of the profile is done by hand-shaping.

Some pieces with intricate parts may require several dry fits prior to final assembly.   A scale model was made during the design process.  A comparison between it and the real piece shows just how accurately the model portrayed the design.

To see more pictures of this commission click here.

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