FOR SALE: Figured Cherry Table Set – August 2023

As I imagine is true for many woodworkers, I have long been a hoarder of wood. On one hand, this is a great thing, as I always have an ample supply of unique, high quality lumber around, in a great variety of species and sizes to suit all kinds of different projects that may come along. The downside is that I never have enough space to store it all, so finding what I need, and keeping it all organized (and out of my way in my workshop) is a constant challenge.

In my attempts to maintain some semblance of order, and something of a mental inventory of what I do have on hand, I periodically try to go through all of my wood supply to see what I might either use, or maybe even cull out if I am feeling particularly frustrated by all the unsorted odds and ends that are left lying around, but that I have been too miserly to part with. For just one example, I just recently needed some quartersawn white oak to make some acoustic guitar side sets, and had a vague recollection that I had salvaged some oak flooring from a remodeling project that I worked on in Pacific Heights in San Francisco nearly thirty years ago. Yep, I still had them, after having moved them across the country, and out of my way probably dozens of times while they waited patiently to be put to use. A nice thing about wood is that if it is properly dried and stored, it will last indefinitely—it has no expiration date. In any case, it ended up being worthwhile, as it was some very nicely figured oak, and just what I needed, but I also recently parted with a number of stacks of cutoffs and scraps that I had carried around for that long or longer before finally giving up.

One of the primary competitors for space within my lumber storage room over the years has been finished pieces of furniture, which ideally have to be accessible for when a sale takes place, but most importantly, need to be well-protected so that they are not inadvertently damaged while in close proximity to multiple stacks of rough-sawn lumber. So, to finally get around to the purpose of this post, nearly ten years ago I had built a matching set of cherry tables, using some of the finest figured cherry I have ever seen. As I was quite busy at the time with other work, I did not end up selling the tables, and they ended up wrapped and stored in the back of my wood storage area. It was only in my most recent attempt at shifting things around to create more useable space that I finally pulled them out and am at long last again putting them up for sale.

The design was a prototype that I based upon a single image I had seen and saved from a Fine Woodworking magazine dating back to the 70s or 80s, and which in a recent search I have not been able to find again. As the image was small, and not very detailed, I had to fill in the blanks with my own concept of what these tables wanted to be, and after all this time I remain very pleased with how these turned out. So with my thanks to the unknown craftsman who provided the initial inspiration, here are the basic specs: (2) matching tables in solid cherry, each with a low shelf; the finish is hand-applied polyurethane, lightly applied so as to preserve the tactile feel and natural look of the wood itself. The dimensions of each are 24″ long x 18.75″ wide x 31″ tall.

The price is $1900 each, or $3600 for the set (which is how I would prefer to sell them). Local delivery (within 100 miles of 13864) is possible for an additional fee. Shipping is also possible, with crating, shipping, and insurance to be calculated at the time of sale. Feel free to inquire with any questions you may have, or if you would like to purchase one or both of these unique designs, as it is long past time that I found these a good home…and of course I need the space.

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