Chisel & Wood - Zach Burandt
Inspiration
The client said in one of our initial conversations that they wanted a "masterpiece.”
I still use a Ticonderoga number 2 pencil so I'll usually draw a 1:4 scale or 1:2 scale depending on the piece. The drawing is very detailed and becomes my primary point of reference for dimensions, angles, and execution decisions.
Once I get the slab in the shop, I'll lay it on a work table and just look at it, usually for an hour or two. This is actually one of my favorite parts of the entire process. Doing things like this recalibrates my inner-world to the beauty of a tree, an appreciation of its journey, and the opportunity I now have in front of me to bring it back to life in a new way.
Process
Because the client didn't have a hard deadline, we were able to take our time, and thoroughly work, talk and research together. If I had to put numbers on it, I would guess there were 20-30 total hours of client collaboration, 5-10 hours of researching/picking out the right slab, 60-80 hours of thinking/design work with all the structural/joinery details, dimensions, angles, etc. 20 hours of jig making, and then probably 150-ish hours of execution. This all took place slowly throughout the course of 3-4 months.
When I was approached about this piece, I was hesitant because it felt like it was right on the line between what I could confidently do and something that was above my current capacity. Since I would never say yes to something I didn't feel confident that I could make, I thought about it awhile and eventually said yes based on my ability to solve the necessary problems. Looking back, this piece has pretty dramatically increased my capacity in what I feel I can confidently say yes to in regards to future pieces which is pretty awesome.
Challenges
Anytime you're using trigonometry functions for the first time in 20+ yrs, you're in for a challenge. In order to find the correct bevel angle for the legs, we had to do some math that included using the cos and sin functions. Luckily, our math was right. The fun part was ordering a custom router bit with that exact degree bevel (18.4 degrees). Once we got the bit, those cuts were pretty simple compared to the mortise and tenons for the leg assemblies (how do you structurally make a sound joint that accommodates the beveled angle of the legs, and a double-mitred mortise + tenon?). If I had to guess, I would say I spent 5-10 hours just coming up with the solution for that joint.
About
More than any other piece I've made, this one had a lot of me invested in it as it was a primary part of my life for the better of 3-4 months. I'm proud of how honest the work was. If you were to flip it, and dissect it internally, you would find the same amount of detail/time spent in the hidden parts of this table as with the top. That subtle feeling of dignity you get when something was made with integrity is special to me and that's usually the aim/goal with every piece. The client's reaction is next in line to that.
Zach Burandt started Chisel & Wood out of an old friend’s workshop in Northern California. He then attended the Krenov School of Fine Woodworking in Fort Bragg, CA for a year to foster his new found passion for woodworking and support his career change. Zach spent the next 18 months building his dream workshop in Dadeville, Alabama where he continues to produce elegantly hand crafted furniture.
Check out more of Zach Burandt’s work here
Find where his 20’ slab came from