It all starts with rough lumber, and the typical milling processes; jointing 1 face, jointing 1 edge, plane opposite face and rip to width. Repeat. With this particular piece there was the added step of re-sawing material, which is simply cutting one thick piece of lumber on the band saw into 2 or 3 thinner pieces, resulting in a greater yield from each board foot. Once all the work pieces are roughly milled to proper thickness, they are allowed to acclimate in the shop for about a week. This gives the wood time to equalize in moisture content and release any internal stresses that may be present.
The first component of this piece that I construct is the pedestal. Turning is not an element that has been present in much of my recent work, so this process took a little while since I was being extra careful. Once I got the feel for the tools again, it was just like riding a bike. I start by putting the blank in the lathe and just turning it 
perfectly round. I then creating an exact profile of the pedestal on a piece of 1/8″ hardboard, which shows all of the diameters and where each major profile transition occurs. At each of these transitions, I use the parting tool and a pair of calipers to sneak up on the final diameter. After this step, the piece is a cylinder with 1/8″ grooves cut to specific diameters along its 
length (see the pictures, it will make more sense). Next, I work the piece to blend all of the differing diameters into the desired shape, using the transitional points as a guide. Once the shape is acceptable, its on to sanding, and lots of it! Even without having turned in a while I was quite pleased with the outcome!
I next worked the legs. These are made from 3/4″ material and cut out on the small bandsaw . I make a template of the leg shape out of some 1/4″ plywood and clean it up to meet the desired shape. I then trace the shape on to the stock 3 times, then head to the bandsaw. I cut them out slightly over 
sized then flush trim them at the router table with a template that I previously made to match the profile. These will later receive final clean up with hand tools.
Thats all for now. Next we’ll cut the joinery for the legs!
-NWB
