Taking full advantage of the resources, my personal project during the class was ambitious - not in its size - but how it exclusively used the tools I didn't have access to in my home shop. The result is a beautiful solid tabletop that blends 3 hardwood species to create a parquet floor effect. Coincidentally as I was giving the surface a finish coat my coworker came over to photograph some of my work. Here's an action shot with the near final product.
The top features cherry, oak, and jatoba - cut from three very small lengths of 2" thick rough boards. These were then jointed and planed to give square and level pieces. They were then cut into 2" strips and then cross-cut further into shorter lengths for the parquet effect. Finally once the puzzle pieces were complete, each strip is biscuit jointed on both sides to complete the solid wood top. It weighs nearly 60 pounds.
The final steps at the SCCC woodshop were to smooth all the joints with their 24" planer. The entire top could be leveled precisely with just a few passes removing 1/32" from either side. Then a quick pass through the 48" belt sander (yes, 4 foot capacity) and the finish is perfectly smooth. These machines are each about $20K - quite out of the question for the start-up woodworking operation.
Taking it home I rounded all the edges with a 1/4" roundover bit on the router, and the top was ready for assembly. The base is a recycled pedestal from a curbside throwaway that served as our dining table since we moved in last October. To my surprise, the rust that blotched the chrome legs was easily removed with my palm sander. Using a fine grit (almost buffering quality sandpaper) not only was the rust stripped away but much of the original luster restored. It practically looks brand new.
I turned a lot of heads in that classroom. There were skeptical folks who asked why I wanted such a variation in the wood color. The darker jatoba really stood out from the subtle oak and cherry. Although I'd never tried it before, I knew that each species would react a little differently by applying the stain, and it worked. The result is striking.
