The top for this piece came from one magnificent board of cherry, which was then resawn and bookmatched.

Detail of the drawer. All dovetails are cut by hand, and the Texas Ebony Knob mortised, not screwed, into the drawer front. Native Olive is used for the drawer bottom to give it a nice scent when opened.

Stretchers are held in place with socketed tenons, and protrude slightly through the cross-rail.

After several mockups, the client and I agreed that the best way to avoid a large overhang for the tabletop would be for the legs to actually come through the top itself. The "notches" are softened slightly, and a gap around the legs allows the solid wood top to move as it needs to.

Although consisting of relatively few parts, the table's six-legged design requires about a half dozen different jigs and over two months of work to complete. The top was resawn entirely from one large, 10' board to ensure consistent grain and color.

Detail of lower stretcher assembly. Both the upper and lower stretchers and joined with a "triple-lap joint," which - I am told - was originally found in classic Chinese furniture.

Each individual piece is shaped by hand before final assembly. This is the sort of work that cannot be done by machine. (Plus, I like doing it.)

Detail of Apron/Leg Assembly. As the curved aprons are meeting each leg at 60 degrees (instead of the usual 45 or 90), this joint alone requires the use of four separate jigs, and constitutes most of the work that goes into this piece.