The Finish
The final finish is when the transformation really happens.
Multiple coats of wiping varnish deepens the maple's natural warmth and highlights the grain that had been hiding just beneath the surface all along. It's one of my favorite moments in any build—the instant the wood seems to come alive.
By the time the last notes of Holding Space (Lizz Wright live in Berlin) faded from the speakers, the coffee table was well on its way from rough slab to finished piece.
LIVE EDGE MAPLE COFFEE TABLE I highly figured maple with a wipe on varnish finish I 42"W x 15"D x 15"H
Bringing Out the Figure
Sanding is where patience pays off. And boy, do I need patience.
Working through each grit, the rough milling marks slowly disappeared, replaced by a surface that revealed more and more character. Maple has a way of surprising you. What looks ordinary at first can suddenly come alive as the light catches the subtle curls, waves, and color variations hidden beneath the surface.
It's a little like listening to a jazz recording. The more attention you give it, the more details you notice. That's exactly why I'm listening to Travelogue by Danny Grissett while I work. It feels like the perfect soundtrack for slowing down, paying attention, and appreciating the details that reveal themselves with time.
From Live Edge Maple Slab to Coffee Table
Some projects just have the right soundtrack.
As I started transforming a live edge maple slab into a custom coffee table, Live at the Jazz Standard by George Colligan was playing in the shop. There's something about jazz that fits woodworking—the rhythm, the improvisation, and the attention to detail. Like building furniture, it's about knowing the fundamentals while leaving room to respond to what's in front of you.
This maple slab had plenty to say.
The grain flowed beautifully from end to end, with gentle curves along the live edges that only nature could create. Before making a single cut, I spent time studying the slab, turning it over, looking at the figure in different light, and deciding how to best showcase what decades of growth had already written into the wood.
Letting the Wood Lead
One lesson woodworking teaches over and over is that every board has its own personality. You can force it into a design, or you can let it guide the process.
As George Colligan's trio settled into another tune, I flattened the slab, carefully preserving the natural edges while creating a perfectly level surface. Small checks were stabilized to ensure the table would remain strong for years to come. Those cracks aren't flaws—they're reminders that this tree stood through changing seasons long before it became furniture.
Just starting out
I decided to start a blog about woodworking from a different angle: what truly drives you in the shop. For me, it's the music that sets the mood and keeps my hands moving. Some days I play mellow jazz, other days gritty blues or uplifting classic rock. I'll use these posts to show my current projects, share techniques and insights, and note the albums or artists I'm listening to while I work.