Another Kitchen Work Island

[WDH]

For Daughter #1 for Christmas.  This is a kitchen work island with a top and shelf made from quartersawn white oak.  The carcass is made of yellow poplar and painted.  The island is 4' long, 2' wide, and 36" high.  The top is made to look thick by a technique that I call the "faux thick" technique, faux being French for false.  You simply cut the end off each board on the top, turn it back under, and glue it to the mother board where the grain matches.  This assures that both the mother board and the cut-off end will shrink and swell with seasonal changes because the grain is matched.  Here is a pic of the underside of the top with the  "faux" edges and ends.  It looks like it is 2 1/4" thick when in fact, it is only 1 1/8" thick except along the ends and the edges.  Scott Smith recently made a beautiful quartersawn red oak kitchen table using this same technique.



 

Here is the top of the top.  You can see where the grain on the end of each board is matched with its corresponding cut-off.



 

Here is the carcass made out of yellow poplar.  I used yellow poplar because my daughter wanted the base to be painted white to match her kitchen.  The aprons are attached to the legs with mortise and tenon joints, and there is a bead along the bottom of each apron. 



 

The legs are tapered on the inside on both inside faces below the slatted shelf.  This gives it a more elegant look, not so bulky.



 

Here is the completed island.  The top has very nice quartersawn figure.  The slatted shelf is also quartersawn white oak.



 



 



 

The top was finished with food grade mineral oil and paraffin wax.

Merry Christmas!

[Mooseherder]

Another work of art.

[Tree Feller]

That's what I would call "simple elegance." It's a very clean look with just enough refinement to make it stand out. I like it a lot, especially that beautiful QS Oak top. Well done, sir.

Edit In: In furniture, proportion is everything and you got the proportions perfect on that piece.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I can build one like that if I get my mind right.  ;D

Very nice......Sis gets all the good stuff.  :'(

[WDH]

Know I know why you call me Pop all the time  :D.

Cody, the slats are the same width as the thickness of the legs which makes it sort of flow together.  The bead creates a nice shadow line to draw the eye.  The thickness of the top is just 3/16" less than the width of the slats and the legs, so that is complementary.  The figure in the QS white oak gives the unpainted wood portion just a little fanciness.  This was a fun piece to build. 

[thecfarm]

You do some good work.

[haywire woodlot]

Thanks so much for posting these Danny. I'm in the design process of my island/work table and I was considering tapering the legs. I like what you have done with yours.

[Axe Handle Hound]

You are quite a productive woodworker WDH.  I can only manage to finish a single piece every 6 to 9 months these days.  It's impressive how you get these done without sacrificing an ounce of quality.  I love the bead detail and the color on that oak is amazing.

[Red Clay Hound]

Nice Danny!  Maybe one day I'll find enough time to build some projects like this.  So far, my kids aren't as fortunate as yours.  I have been the recipient of a couple of nice pieces built by Dodgy. 

[Piston]

That is really nice!  I envy you guys with woodworking skills.  I'm still working on mine  :D

[WDH]

Red Clay Hound,

It is the daughters that are the problem  :D.  Hard to turn them down  .  All you need to do is throw a hint at Dodgy  ;).

Axe handle Hound,

I generally have some type of woodworking project underway most times, but some of them take a lot longer to complete, especially if I am sawing lumber.  I do things in spurts.  A spurt of logging/sawing, then a spurt of working on my timber stands, then a spurt of woodworking, then a spurt of doing almost nothing  :D.

Piston,

You have to start somewhere, and if you stick with it, it will be fruitful for you. 

[jamesamd]

Dan,Your the MAN!!
Another sweet build.
Jim

[Lud]

Well done, Danny.  Very cleanly designed and executed.  You help "set the bar" for the gang here. 8)

[DR Buck]

Nice piece Danny.    How did you do the ends?   I'm guessing they are cut off at 45º from each end and then glued back under?

[WDH]

Dave,

They are cut off at 90 degrees, like you were trimming the end of a board square, then glued back under where the growth rings match.  These end pieces were 1 1/8" wide because the boards that make up the top are 1 1/8" thick.

[clww]

Super job, Danny! ;)

[Dodgy Loner]

Beautiful! I love it 8) Better not let my wife see it, or she will want me to make her one ;)


Now, get to work on that cherry blanket chest

[samandothers]

"The legs are tapered ........  This gives it a more elegant look, not so bulky."

Hey my legs are tapered but it has not helped me to look more elegant and I still appear bulky!  What's up with that.  >:(

Great looking job, I like the trick to the faux thickness.

[WDH]

(Working on the blanket chest tomorrow.....working on the blanket chest tomorrow....working on the blanket chest tomorrow......)


Guess what I am doing tomorrow  ???.

[metalspinner]

Nicely done, as always, WDH!

[WDH]

Sometimes simple is good.  Simple can be beautiful, like those boxes you made! 

[jueston]

beautiful, its going to make for a great christmas. 

[fat olde elf]

WDH - I checked this out after our phone chat while you were delivering. As usual great work.  Had a nice phone chat with Gene Wengert after talking to you.  Both of you continue to inspire me. Happy Holidays...........

[fishpharmer]

Danny, your woodworking inspires me.   :christmas:

[Al_Smith]

I generally have some type of woodworking project underway most times, but some of them take a lot longer to complete, especially if I am sawing lumber.  I do things in spurts.  A spurt of logging/sawing, then a spurt of working on my timber stands, then a spurt of woodworking, then a spurt of doing almost nothing  :D.

 

Which I might add is almost exactly the way it goes in my life also .

[WDH]

I am in the "Do Nothing" spurt at the moment.  Tomorrow that will change!  This is the very best time of the year for me to saw lumber and replenish some inventory.

[scsmith42]

Two thumbs up Danny!  That really turned out nice.  You did a great job matching the grain pattern on the top too.