Native Cherry Bookcase
This very large bookcase (2000mm W x 2750mm H) was commissioned by very good friends of mine. They own and live on their vineyard (Heartland) in the Hunter Valley. Their home is constructed with rammed earth walls and recycled railway bridge supports as beams. I was asked to make a large bookcase that would blend in with the home. This is the first such project I have attempted. The 30mm thick slabs of Native Cherry, a rainforest Lilli Pilly (Syzygium sp.) were only lightly sanded so the saw marks remained. The natural front edges of the slabs were retained as a feature. Each shelf was individually recessed into the uprights (See next photo). The bookcase was partially prefabricated in my workshop before being transported and assembled on site. The item was finished with exterior quality tung oil base furniture oil.
|
Shelf Close-up
The slabs used in this project were cut from the log when it was still slightly green. The slabs, therefore warped slightly as they dried. I selected the flattest and widest slabs for the uprights. Rather than put the shelves through a thicknesser and lose some of their dimension, I elected to individually recess each shelf into the uprights. A curved mortice was cut with a router and finished by hand to exactly match each shelf. The result was worth the effort considering I was bottom of my grade eight class in woodwork. Needless to say I concentrated on science.
|