Recently we had the opportunity to work with a client on a custom Maple slab table for a dining room in Lavender, Ontario. Lavender is a beautiful little village just a few minutes drive from Creemore. The client was rebuilding/converting a church into a family house. As part of revitalising the property and protection the house , they realised they would have to remove a massive 200 year old Maple tree. The client wanted to save the tree and had managed to bring the tree down in such a way as to cut out 7 massive slabs. 3 will be used for desks (another project for another day) and 4 were earmarked for the table project. It was at this point that the client approached BeReclaimed.
Custom is what we do best at BeReclaimed,. So after figuring out a basic design/build concept with the client it was time to get going! The first step was get the slabs to a local kiln. BeReclaimed works with kilns both in the city (an RF kiln) and in Collingwood & The Georgian Triangle (traditional heat kiln). Given the proximity we opted to take this wood to the heat kiln in Collingwood. Here the slabs were dried for approximately 8 weeks. Thankfully they lost some weight, but they were still back-breakingly heavy pieces. .
While the slabs are being dried we take the time to fine-tune the details of the design with the client. In this case we opted for a custom-welded steel base with a wood trestle to match the top. I personally love both the utilitarianism of this design and the circular nature of it. By including a trestle fabricated from the same wood as the top we have a complete table, rather than a table and a base. So much of what we strive to do is make purposeful decisions. This is definitely one of those.
Once we got the slabs back to the shop the next stage was figuring out which pieces we would use for this project. Working with the client to figure out the best layout of the pieces, which involves more permutations that one could imagine - flipping top to bottom, flipping end to end and shuffling side to side we chose the three slabs we would work to make table.
The next step, and in this case most rewarding step was taking the slabs and flattening them. For this we use a Woodpecker extra-large flattening mill with the largest Festool router. The mess is incredible even with dust collection running full force. Once the slabs are flattened and squared off they are almost light and we can really start to see what the table will look like when completed.
At this point we get into the nitty-gritty of custom table crafting. We pour the epoxy, making sure to remove all of the bubbles and striving to keep as much off the floor as possible. Then it’s sanding. Thank god for noise-cancelling, bluetooth headphones. A few podcasts later and things are looking up. Once we’ve applied the finish it’s time to deliver the table. In this case, that involved lifting the table over a 10’ tall entryway wall. Long story short …. I deserved the ritual post-delivery beer on this one.
The real joy of this type of custom table project is getting to work with clients whose visions so closely align with ours at BeReclaimed. These clients were eager to save as much of the history of their property as possible, even if this meant taking extra time and labour to make it happen. We had the opportunity to work closely with them through each step, from pick-up, design, fabrication and finally delivery. Truly this custom Maple slab dining room table is one-of-a-kind and will be spot where their entire family will be able to get together for countless celebrations for years to come. I’m just waiting for my invite. ;)
If you’re looking for a custom furniture piece of your own to transform your space and want one that will survive generations please feel free to contact us today. We’ll start with a conversation in person or over the phone to get a better understanding of what you hope to achieve. From there we’re put together some 3D schematics and an estimate. Finally we will embark on the actual physical process of crafting your own bespoke custom furniture piece. Whether it’s a table, bookshelf, console, stool, bench or anything you can think of, reach out and let's create something beautiful together!
