We have a very unique table. We got it from Madeline’s mom, Maxine, many years ago.

It was a coffee table brought back from Venezuela by Maxine and Ted in the 60s.

It’s not just a regular coffee table, it is huge. It’s made for a crosscut piece of Honduran Mahogany that is approx 3 1/2″ thick by 4’/ 5′ oval diameter. It’s a very impressive piece. The legs are made from branches of same type of tree that have been turned down on the end to make a dowel that fits into a drilled hole on the underside of the table.

A thick coat of clear urethane had been applied to the top years before. Over time the coating had started to yellow and crack. That caused us to put the table in storage.

Wanting to once again put it in service Madeline contacted a furniture restorer in Austin. I loaded it on a trailer and took it to get an estimate. The guy quoted over $3000 to strip and refinish it. That wasn’t exactly what we were expecting. As I headed home with it, she called and said she found a guy that would do it cheap. So I headed that way, which out out in the country east of Hutto.

I went across a real rough railroad crossing. Even though the table was strapped down, it took a little jump. and When I looked back the legs had all snapped off. A complete disaster.

I turned around and just headed for home. I assured her that I would fix it. I didn’t know how but I figured I could do something.

She was having none of it. She just wanted it stored away. Out of site. The more I talked about it the more resistant she became.

She had a trip planned to China that was coming up. When I hauled her to the airport, and I made a stop at the speciality wood shop and bought all kinds of tools and materials. I got home and managed to get the table up on a pair of sawhorses in the garage and went to work.

A couple of weeks later when she returned the table was setting in it’s new home in our living room, looking better than the day it was brand new.

With all the newly purchased tools I decided I would put them to work. That’s when I started doing Intarsia Woodworking. From there I bought a CNC ShopBot, a computerized CD carving machine and many other shop tools over the years. Then I got into laser engraving, to help compliment my other wood working, which then got me started into laser work on all kinds of other mediums as well.

Then I got tired of doing it all so much so I started writing more stories and doing less wood working.

I actually didn’t have a hobby until about 2010. So all this happened in the past dozen years. Prior to that I operated my construction business and helped to raise a family as my hobby.