Industrial Steampunk Coffee Table

1854
4

I enjoy making steampunk inspired furniture out of reclaimed materials. It is truly amazing to me how much beauty and character can be found in such things. I am inspired by the potential in materials that most people would throw away. This coffee table is made from reclaimed wood stickers of various thicknesses that had been used in a railyard, antique wheels and casters, and some new mild steel. The boards on the top are all varieties of hardwood that I milled down to a uniform 1.5 inch thickness. The boards on the bottom came from the same railyard but are not hardwood. I whitewashed them and weathered them a bit for a nice contrast with the top. The sheet metal and bits of copper are scraps that have been kicking around in my scrap pile waiting for a rainy day. That rainy day (weeks, months) came in the form of COVID-19. Each of my pieces has a serial # like a VIN that indicates the date of completion and alphanumeric sequence that tells the type of piece and the number of that piece in the series. This one is CT4 (coffee table # 4). On the serial # tag I also put the word “HOPE,” which is a good thing for all of us to have in the world right now.

DeadwoodCreations

Another beautiful piece Justin. Your work has an elegance to it that makes it unique.

Jack

((Bowing in your presence))

Ok, on this emEaster day, which came first: the idea or the components? What was the initial inspiration?

I love your style. Although I don’t consider myself a creative person, I am definitely a “wannabe”. I have a hard time throwing things out because I can see that it can have or should have a second life as something else!
When I saved the metal frames from a cloth gazebo, later saying that I wanted to turn them into an arbor, Rick just shook his head and helped me build it. When it was almost done, he said “oh, I can see what you were picturing!”
:)

Back to you … what came first, the idea for the table or one of the components that spoke to you saying “turn me into a table”??

Toxins Out, Nature In - body/mind/spirit

The inspiration for each piece I make often comes together over time. Sometimes as I’m making one piece, I visualize a slightly different direction and I file that away and ponder it and other ideas as I work. That was the case with this one. It is a version of the last coffee table I made but with a beefier, heavier, more mechanical look. The idea for the metal, riveted look came to me when my neighbor showed up with a truckload of hardwood stickers. Because they weren’t very wide, they ended up being pretty narrow boards which I thought would look good held in place with the metal rails and shiny screws. The wheels themselves also helped shaped the design of the table. The big cart wheels weigh 17 lbs. each and the casters are also heavy at about 10 lbs, each. I loved the heavy, durable feel of the wheels and wanted to make the whole thing massively solid. I estimate it weighs one 200 lbs.

DeadwoodCreations

Love the story

200 pounds, oh my

Toxins Out, Nature In - body/mind/spirit