The glue dries for about 24 hours and then I can undo all of the clamps. This glue dries like glass so the squeeze out has to be cut off.

I put the lamination on my workbench and draw a line that I will follow on the bandsaw

This is advanced stuff so no one should attempt to do this sort of acrobatic cutting.

Off to the jointer to clean up the bandsaw marks. I have cut off the excess glue so it should be much nicer to the knives in the jointer.

To the table saw for the final acrobatics. To make the other edge glue free and parallel to the band sawed and jointed edge

The bent lamination will always be open at the ends. I make sure to leave lots of material to be cut off. That way the part I need is perfect.

Here you can see that the lamination lines are almost invisible.

I need to prepare the other curve and I will be able to shift gears to the joinery of the legs and stretchers.

The ends of the stretchers need to be cut to length. I am leaving enough room to cut integral tenons on either end. this will be explained in detail in a later post.

Now the other end needs to be cut to length.

Time to start to think about making the legs! I love this stage of the project. Soon, very soon, I will be able to flip the table over and see it for the first time.

Coffee Table Commission
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10

By Nico Yektai -
New York based designer/maker Nico Yektai opened the doors to his Hamptons studio in 1995 after completing the MFA program at the School For American Craft at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The rigorous technical training complimented his background in Art History, which he studied, at Hobart College in Geneva NY. Yektai has synthesized this background into a singular style that has gained him national attention. Visit nicoyektai.com for more information