Radian- Concrete and Wood hall table
I have been combining concrete and wood in my furniture for many years now. One piece I created several years ago was my Mercury bench. It is a three foot long bench designed for that perfect little spot. Since day one of completing mercury, it has been envisioned taller as a table. My latest project has been building just that- a concrete and wood sofa table inspired by mercury.
The heart of the piece is its concrete slab. It is mold poured concrete and in order to achieve a high quality surface on all exposed sides it must be poured vertically. The slab will be 1.5″ thick to achieve this, reinforcing mesh is added to the mold.
In order to achieve maximum strength on this casting, I use a based sand mix. Extra cement, fiber, and acrylic fortifier make this type of casting possible.
The mold is filled and plastic is draped over the top the slow the cure and increase strength. The ribs on the mold increase the strength and make for a flatter casting.
Once out of the mold you have a what is referred to as a green casting. You can truly see the moisture in the concrete. As it dries it becomes harder and lighter in color. This photo shows the back of the casting. I have relieved two sections to make the casting lighter. Amazingly these two thinner areas save 30 pounds of weight. I am particularly fond of the side effect- the visual interest created.
And finally back from the photographers. The concrete has dried to a beautiful light gray. The top is a black stained mahogany and the base brushed aluminum. The Radian table is complete!
Buying a Horizontal Mill
My studio is filled with many machines for Woodworking and Metalworking. Most were made between the 1940’s and 1950’s, a golden age of American manufacturing. Industrial machines from this era were built to last and are widely available in these modern times.
I recently got a phone call from a friend and fellow furniture maker Douglas Thayer about a Cincinnati Horizontal Mill which was at an auction he was attending. I was keen on owning a horizontal mill for a while and with the new shop I actually had the space to house it. I authorized a bid and he bought it for the princely sum of $400- not bad considering it weighs nearly 4000 lbs. It turns out the machine, a Cincinnati MH, was built it 1939, making it nearly 70 years old. Quite amazing.
He brought it back to his shop and sent me a picture.
An absolutely beautiful machine! Look at that rump!
I quickly made plans to travel to Douglas’s shop and pick up the beast. I rented a trailer and set off on the three hour drive from Saratoga Springs to Westhampton Mass.
I showed up in the early evening and after a tasty dinner we set out to prep and load the mill.
By ten o’clock we have it skidded and tarped and ready to load on the trailer.
Some fancy forklift driving leaves great tire tracks.
The massive skid we built does not allow douglas’s forklift to get close enough to the center of gravity, so we need to pivot the mill of a central point to gain the needed height to reach the trailer.
We get the mill on the trailer and push it forward with a 4×4. The forklift turns out to be more powerful than the 4×4!
The next morning things look so much nicer, the rain has stopped and we strap and bind down the mill. Here I am ready to hit the road.
After a very safe and easy drive I arrive at my studio and back the trailer up to unload the mill. I am working alone and don’t have a forklift as strong as Douglas, so unloading is a process I like to call “Egyptianing”
Using rollers, a pry bar and a device called a pallet jack I am single handedly able to ease the mill of the trailer.
I get the mill of the trailer.
Only one problem, the skid is a tad too long. Fortunately a solution presents itself.
The remedy is quick and effective.
Ready to move into place
And lastly, the difference between my horizontal mill and my vertical mill (aside from the way they cut). The tool holder on the bottom fits my horizontal mill, the tapered section is what gives it is rigidity, contrast it to the toolholder on the top the amount of taper is not even comparable. This mill is a beast!
