Reclaimed pine table

Reclaimed pine from architectural salvage provides a way to use Pine harvested from established forests (harvested ca. 1900). These forests created lumber with tight grain (up to 20 growth rings per inch), reddish caramel color and a harder surface than the quick growing pine harvested currently.

A reclaimed pine flooring source became available about the same time a custom wanted a lighter-colored wood dining table that had some “character” . The customer specified a 110 inches long table with arched sides – 3.5 inches drop from the 48 inches width center apex to form a 41 inches wide section at each end. The arches emulated the arch pattern incorporated throughout the home’s architecture.

Being originally sourced as flooring, this reclaimed pine had few knots or other blemishes. On the downside, the 6 inches and 5 inches maximum width required 12 boards to be glued together to make a 48 inches wide table top. This premium wood’s finer grain patterns interwove to create a natural flow between boards to avoid the noticeable transitions between many narrow boards.

Piecing the reclaimed pine together

Being flooring originally means that the boards mills out to about 11/16 inch thick.  To compensate for the “thin” appearance and to reinforce attachment point for the legs and apron sub assembly, an additional 10 inches perimeter layer doubles the thickness along the edges. A similar lamination method created a 1 inch thick apron and with five laminations, the 2.5 inches leg blanks. The curved apron paralleled the table’s arched side and the legs tapers  to 1.5 inches on two adjacent faces.  An arch was cut along the long edge of each apron.

Apron arches

Tapered legs and an arch cut along the apron’s length completes the table support structure.

Same pine lumber makes a 72 x 42 inch kitchen table that extends to 96 inches with addition of two leaves. The storage bench seen to the right provides seating for the table and drawer storage below and bin storage behind the seat back

For more information please contact findoutmore@wccwood.com