One of the more unique and enjoyable jobs that has come through my shop is this deer hoof coffee table.
It all starts with a pile of wood “in the rough”. The picture below is a combination of walnut and cherry that will be used on a few jobs.
Designing this table started with an idea form an interior designer that was working on a very unique space. After a full scale drawing was completed and a leg pattern was made, I built a quick, rough, mock up out of poplar. The picture below shows the poplar mock up, leg pattern, and walnut leg blanks that are mortised for the rails. The walnut legs also show some initial shaping to establish the overall shape.
All four legs are shaped uniformly before any detail is carved.
I carve each hoof next and then carved the back side of each leg.
Below shows the carved hoof, transition knee block, applied bead along the rail and molded top.
The client wanted a darker finish with a hand planed, lightly distressed finish.
