This muninga
wood had been in various basements for close to thirty years, brought home
from Africa long ago. Finally, the owners decided to have something
made and I was the beneficiary. A dining table, sideboard (buffet)
and 10 chairs were designed and planned. There was no doubt the wood
was well cured. As I planed the old rough surface a beautiful grain
appeared, almost identical in flat cut face view and side cut. There
was great variation in color though, from red to gray to brown. I
chose two similar woods for the inlay, but with enough difference they'd
stand out and help to unify the vari-colored wood. Each inlay on the
table had to match perfectly for the leaves to line up.
There was little room for mistakes. This was not a wood I could go buy more at the local lumber yard. I kept every scrap on hand. I made actual size drawings and pasted them on the planed boards, adjusting for most efficient cuts and best aesthetics. The table design called for inward pointing legs to support the wide span when
fully extended with all three leaves. I made those third legs intersect, one finger on one leg sliding neatly between two fingers on the other, creating the heart side view. A carefully positioned pattern kept the inlays lined up so all leaves were interchangeable.
