Ok finished off my daughters birthday present.. *PIC*

[Mike in Ajax]

Of course after Jim Shavers great post I am almost scared to post these here!

Here are some pictures of some end tables I build for my daughter for her birthday. Ok so her birthday was in june but I didn't start them until the middle of june but I gave her the choice of buying her new golf clubs or making her new end tables. She made the right choice!

!

http://www.photoloft.com/view/exportImage.asp?s=fshp&i=7495318&w=640&h=480

[Mike in Ajax]

http://www.photoloft.com/view/exportImage.asp?s=fshp&i=7495319&w=640&h=480

[Mike in Ajax]

http://www.photoloft.com/view/exportImage.asp?s=fshp&i=7495317&w=640&h=480

[Arnold - Sudbury]

A fine gift Mike but she might want more.I made a camper type bed for my daughter then 4 drawer chest& head board with 2 bedside tables.Now she wants matching 4 drawer & 6 drawer to match. FINE WORK Arnold

[Vlad]

[W.Y.]

Fantastic work Mike . That is a presnt to be cherished.
Could I ever do a lot of scrollsaw projects with that much beautiful oak LOL. Good oak is as scarce as hens teeth out here in BC
W.Y.

[Ron Evers, Beeton, ON]

Bill I do not think it is oak, it might be Tulipwood or Eastern White Cedar but I am likely also wrong. It is hard to tell from a picture, particularly if the wood has been stained.

No matter what, they are very nice tables.

Best Regards, Ron.

[Mike in Ajax]

[W.Y.]

Thanks for the correction Ron. On second look I can see that it isn't oak but it sure is beautifull and excellent worknanship.
W.Y.

[W.Y.]

Hi Mike. You mentioned tulipwood/poplar. Is that two different names for identical species? We have loads of poplar trees in BC. In fact that's about all we have besides the majority being evergreens. I don't see any poplar being sold as lumber though around here.Any idea why poplar is also called tulipwood? Inquisitive minds need to know.
W.Y.

[Mark Bertoia]

I totally agree with Vlad. You have nothing to be ashamed of. I thought they were Pine myself buy what do I know. Is Tulipwood the same as popular and if not where do you get tulipwood?

Mark :)

[John Allman in T.O.]

You got this inquisitive mind going!

"The Guide to Trees of Canada and North America" refers to Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) also as a tulip tree. It is native from Massachusets and Indiana down the Mississipi Valley to just short of the Delta and to central Florida.

John

[Randy Gillard]

Really nice Mike. A very fresh look. Try buying something that nice at Leons. Good luck.

Cheers

Randy

[Peter (up North,nonstop r]

Beautiful end tables, excellent finish!! It had me wondering what kind of wood, as it looked close to some of my poplar(aspen) work.
Seems to be different variations of "tulip" wood depending what book. Got one that lists a tulip tree variety growing on the shores of some of the Great Lakes.
Appears to me that any of the tulip woods I've ever seen are a very close cousin of the common aspen which covers most of Canada.
Why don't they sell/process poplar? Someone told me because there is so much of it....'it can't be much good'. When I first started playing around with poplar 15 years ago I was really impressed with the variety of colours one gets out of boards. It's actually the main reason I ended up buying a mill. By flipping the cants I can pick and choose, either all white boards or mixed or dark. Despite a few quirks it is very easy to work with. I've never seen it successfully stained, but then why stain it? The photo clearly exhibits what is my mind one of the most beautiful natural woods.
Peter.

[Peter (up North,nonstop r]

Am curious what you used for a finish?
(Very well done)
Peter.

[Mike in Ajax]

I had asked Randy what he had used on his mission highboy and he said the Mixwax Satin Wipe on poly. So I did some test pieces and they looked good. So what you are looking at is 3 coats of Mixwax Satin Wipe One Poly. This is the first time I have tried a wipe-on and I am pleased with the results...

[Shelley]

Excellent job Mike. I know Jim's Shaver's pic of his latest project is a tough act to follow, but your tables sure look fine! She may not be able to hit a ball with this present, but imagine her trying to set a drink and framed picture on a golf club - even if she could, it certainly wouldn't look as good! And imagine how proudly she will say for many years..."aren't these wonderful? My dad made them for my birthday one year!" You can see by the workmanship that they had to be 'just so'.

As for the present being late - I'm still working on my Aunt's Christmas present, which is a computer workstation. Ain't it great to have an understanding family?

Good Job!
SY

[Ron Evers, Beeton, ON]

Hi all

Liriodendron tulipifera is what the wood is; the common name being Tulip-Tree. It is not of the Poplar family although often called Yellow-poplar. It is marketed in the big box stores as either Poplar or Whitewood. Dont ask me why.

"One of the largest hardwood trees, commonly reaching heights of 50 to 75 ft. and diameters of 2 ft. or more; but can grow to 175 ft. and 10 ft. or more in diameter." Ref. Native Trees of Canada.

We have a young one growing in our yard but we are at the extreme of this trees range in Canada.

Best Regards, Ron.

[Gord - Cambridge]

Hi Mike

Looks great, keep up the good work. I like this tulip wood, Its strong & easy to work with. I have only stained a few test samples with some sucess. Use lots of prestain conditioner then stain. Also, aniline dye works well on this wood.

[Randy Gillard]

Hi Mike,

Glad I could have a little input on your excellent end tables. Regarding the wipe on poly, I have had good success on a couple of pieces with it. One time I put it on way too thick and left it looking a little plasticky, but that was my own doings. 3 coats seems to be a good balance between protection and maintaining a natural look.

It may not seem as elegant as some other more complex finishing methods, but I like the combination of simplicity of application with very nice results.

Cheers

Randy