Behind the Scenes Series | Nautical Picnic Table | Part 3

October 16, 2024

This is the third and final installment of our first ever “behind the scenes” series. Today we’ll be taking a look at finishing up this monster of a project.

But first, below is a quick reminder of the client’s “must-haves”.

THE VISION

Client’s Must-Haves

Picnic Style Tables for shore home to accommodate about 20 people – must be sturdy and able to take a beating
Base of table needs to be high enough to fit tall people
Nautical Themed
Family loves playing games, so oversized inlayed tile gameboards of choice
Drawers to keep game pieces in when not in use
Benches wide enough to accommodate heavier people, must tuck in under table when not in use and be sturdy enough for little kids to be able to stand on without tipping over
No metal hardware that will rust from the salty air

THE FABRICATION

Custom Blended Stain
The client selected what we called a “rich golden oak”. We custom blended stains with paints to achieve this look and feel. We do this with just about every project. It’s rare that we use a stain right out of the can for anything we do, which is something that really sets us apart. We test it on the wood to ensure it color matches what we want.

Once we are satisfied with the hue, we get to work on staining the tables and the benches. While the staining of the tops is straightforward, the underbellies and the bases are time consuming to complete. With all of the intricate cuts and sculpting, along with the oar center brace we obviously needed to ensure that we don’t miss a single spot.

Once the staining was completed, we went on to oil each piece which really helps to make the grain pop, as well as adds a layer of protection. Once the oiling process was completed, we used a Marine Grade Seal to maximize weatherproofing protection.

After the sealing was completed, we installed the nautical rope pull handles on the drawers and did our final quality control check (this is done at various stages throughout the fabrication process as well). It was now time to get the project ready for transport for the final reveal.

THE REVEAL

It was finally time to reveal this truly one-of-a-kind set to our clients. We asked them to give us some time to unload and stage.

Finally, check out the way the benches tuck under and the table looks like it’s floating.

Thanks for taking the journey with us and we hope you enjoyed learning a bit about what it takes to go from concept to completion!