John Buchanan Custom Tables and Demi-Lune

[drcollie]

Those are veneered units in the last two photos, it would cost a small fortune to make them out of solids, more than anyone here would want to pay. The underlying wood is usually poplar, as its very stable and easy to work with. However it looks terrible when stained so you never see it as a primary wood unless its painted.

[Asomer]

Those are veneered units in the last two photos, it would cost a small fortune to make them out of solids, more than anyone here would want to pay. The underlying wood is usually poplar, as its very stable and easy to work with. However it looks terrible when stained so you never see it as a primary wood unless its painted.

Yes, I figured veneers & Kevin states that John properly veneered his demilune. Veneers are deff a-ok, as long as they're done properly. I wish Kevin gave a bit more in his description of what all John used for that demilune...He only mentions the use of walnut veneers. I don't think he said what the base wood was or where John sourced the brass sabots from?

[Asomer]

Oh, yes, my Mammaw and Pappaw kept the rifle and pistol nearby because of the gators and cottonmouths. I clearly remember the times they had to use those guns. Their backyard was at times, quite the danger zone! And, sometimes just thinking about all the times we went water skiing in that...Yikes!

TXCajun

TXCajun, I'm sure you know all too well how all the young ppl in Texas love to float the Guadalupe River...well LOL, not me!! I've heard too many tales of the moccasins/cottonmouths swimming right on by for me to ever venture in that river...esp, after a heavy rain!!

[Kevin]

If memory serves, the demi-lune doors were constructed from eastern pine, covered with a under layer of veneer (I forgot the wood), and the next layer John used is the beautiful 3/32" veneer you see in the pictures. There are two types of walnut veneer, some of it was hand cut by John from a piece of walnut timber and the other walnut veneer John purchased about 15 years ago. As for the brass, Duane would know best but I suspect it may be from England since all of the brass was cast and none of it was stamped.

TXCajun and Asomer, as for TX Hill Country rivers, I prefer the Comal River over the Guadalupe River...spent my youth swimming in the refreshing springs bubbling up at the Comal's headwaters.

[Asomer]

If memory serves, the demi-lune doors were constructed from eastern pine, covered with a under layer of veneer (I forgot the wood), and the next layer John used is the beautiful 3/32" veneer you see in the pictures. There are two types of walnut veneer, some of it was hand cut by John from a piece of walnut timber and the other walnut veneer John purchased about 15 years ago. As for the brass, Duane would know best but I suspect it may be from England since all of the brass was cast and none of it was stamped.

TXCajun and Asomer, as for TX Hill Country rivers, I prefer the Comal River over the Guadalupe River...spent my youth swimming in the refreshing springs bubbling up at the Comal's headwaters.

Ah thank you, Kevin!! Lol, I was wondering if you were getting notifications this thread got revived & if you'd jump in to elaborate on the demilune. It is absolutely beautiful & I really love the veneers & finish he chose for it. How did you go about deciding to go the custom route, if you don't mind my asking? Were you not finding exactly what you were looking for in production furniture, or were you specifically wanting artisan, benchmade pieces?

I'm stuck in between those 2: I'm not seeing anything yet that's exactly what I want, even in antique/vintage pieces(taking a cue from organic-smallhome,) & with all the education I've now received on the forum since joining, I know I'd appreciate the craftsmanship & artistry in having something uniquely made for me more.

Lol, I've been in our lakes down here before(my last name is Somerville, so Lake Somerville was probably the first, then LBJ, Livingston & of course, since I'm only 30 minutes away, Lake Conroe.) But I refuse to do the rivers! No snakes...I saw that scene in Lonesome Dove & I'll pass haha

[Kevin]

Another thing about maple, there are soft and hard species. About 28 years ago, I built a rustic 60 x 30 trestle table from 10/4 Rock maple timber as an engagement present for my wife. She loved its beautiful amber tones. I learned an expensive lesson, hard maple requires very sharp tools and constant resharpening of your tools. I chewed up two sets of newly sharpened blades on a commercial planer just planing the timbers for the table tops. The bill for resharpening the blades was an unexpected expense and the project took a lot longer to complete than I imagined.

If you want to see a wide selection of hardwoods, go visit the large hardwood lumber company in the Heights area of Houston (700 E 5th 1/2 St, Houston). It is still one of the few places in the Houston area to buy specialty lumber.

[Asomer]

Another thing about maple, there are soft and hard species. About 28 years ago, I built a rustic 60 x 30 trestle table from 10/4 Rock maple timber as an engagement present for my wife. She loved its beautiful amber tones. I learned an expensive lesson, hard maple requires very sharp tools and constant resharpening of your tools. I chewed up two sets of newly sharpened blades on a commercial planer just planing the timbers for the table tops. The bill for resharpening the blades was an unexpected expense and the project took a lot longer to complete than I imagined.

If you want to see a wide selection of hardwoods, go visit the large hardwood lumber company in the Heights area of Houston (700 E 5th 1/2 St, Houston). It is still one of the few places in the Houston area to buy specialty lumber.

Nice tip, thanks I wasn't aware laypeople could go into places like that. I think your pieces John made are really unique in that they're not all tiger maple & traditional in their style. They obviously incorporate traditional, classic elements, but in a more modern form. That's what initially got me interested in checking out going the custom route...as well as Duane continuously mentioning that so many ppl get scared off it thinking it'll be way more expensive than buying even well made production furniture. Several of the pictures of chests I've attached in this thread are by Jonathan Charles Furniture, whom Duane is a dealer for. I think they're pretty high up there price-wise...so, if John can replicate the look of your demilune by using similar veneers & finishes in a hall chest for about the same, or a little more cost; I'd much prefer having a piece made by him

[Kevin]

For me the decision was easy, when I moved to OK from WA, I needed some furniture. To make a long story short, I purchased production furniture that was no where near the quality that I was expecting and to add insult to injury, it was not manufactured in America. It was manufactured in China, shipped to the USA in pieces, unpacked, and then assembled by the furniture dealer. After that experience, I began researching furniture and started a "furniture savings account" to prepare for future purchases.

Duane recommended several books to read and study on early American furniture. I did my homework and right before I ordered the furniture, my wife decided that she did not like early American furniture and she wanted more curves instead of straight lines. I found the two tables on antique websites and scaled them down to fit our furniture. However, what I chose for the third piece was very wrong in so many ways. Wrong scale, it lacked visual mass, etc..

Duane came to the rescue and made several recommendations concerning pieces that had the proper scale and visual mass. The Demi-Lune was high on Duane's list of recommendations. Even with my highly inflated expectations, John's furniture blew them away due to his craftsmanship and eye for tiny details.

[Asomer]

For me the decision was easy, when I moved to OK from WA, I needed some furniture. To make a long story short, I purchased production furniture that was no where near the quality that I was expecting and to add insult to injury, it was not manufactured in America. It was manufactured in China, shipped to the USA in pieces, unpacked, and then assembled by the furniture dealer. After that experience, I began researching furniture and started a "furniture savings account" to prepare for future purchases.

Duane recommended several books to read and study on early American furniture. I did my homework and right before I ordered the furniture, my wife decided that she did not like early American furniture and she wanted more curves instead of straight lines. I found the two tables on antique websites and scaled them down to fit our furniture. However, what I chose for the third piece was very wrong in so many ways. Wrong scale, it lacked visual mass, etc..

Duane came to the rescue and made several recommendations concerning pieces that had the proper scale and visual mass. The Demi-Lune was high on Duane's list of recommendations. Even with my highly inflated expectations, John's furniture blew them away due to his craftsmanship and eye for tiny details.

Lol, well I'm with you on the furniture savings account! I've learned the hard way in my 15+ years since having credit cards, that charging a whole house full of furniture in 1 go, that'll prob not even still have several years later while STILL paying on it isn't something I want to do again! Besides, my dad's always trying to convince me to pay cash for anything I'm able to, even if it means I have to forgo instant gratification & wait a few months. In the end, I'll have what I want & no debt to go along with it

Did you have to wait awhile for your pieces after ordering them? I know John's a one man show, & he takes his time but it's very much worth it in the end. I'm really interested in pursuing this chest. And, I don't mind what secondary base woods are used, as long as they're structurally sound. It sounds like pine as a secondary wood can cut back on the cost of doing the chest in solid mahogany. I'm just not too well versed in building wood case goods from the ground up & that's where I need the input on what to ask for & specify.

Is your search for furniture & decision to use John with Duane's input on a thread here in the forum so I can read how you guys came about with the design, woods to be used, etc? Or, did you just submit a quote request privately to Duane, doing it all via PM/email/phone?

I've read the thread Duane posted some years ago regarding ordering custom work. He spoke about having an open mind & allowing the artist to create your vision, etc...but I don't recall seeing steps to take once all that is checked off. Lol, I have NO clue how to select woods or anything remotely like that. I just know the size & scale of what I'm looking for & various elements I'd like to see in the piece. Oh and, that I'd prefer it be American made & unique.

I must be like your wife, because I don't particularly care for American traditional furniture either. I certainly appreciate it for its beauty & craftsmanship; it's just not my thing. I prefer more streamlined designs & European traditional pieces: Regency, Directoire, & Biedermier being my most favored styles. Transitional is kinda a wonky word to use, because I've seen transitional pieces & I think they're pretty awful! Lol, they all somewhat look alike, with no finesse or inherent individualism in them at all. Lol so, I'm not into the transitional look either. I'd describe my style as minimalist meets industrial meets Old World classic. I enjoy mixing pieces in different styles from different periods...it keeps things interesting

[Jenny]

There's something very rewarding about paying for a furniture purchase in cash rather than credit. I've been saving up piece by piece and when I finally get one, it really feels like I earned it. However, I am very impressed by people who commission custom pieces. I don't know if I'd be able to bear the strain of letting someone create something with a few thousand dollars that I might not end up loving. The temptation to control every little detail would be too much. But of course, when it's done right it's amazing - love the Demilune!