This client wanted a six foot diameter dining room table with a three foot diameter lazy susan in the center.

Walnut veneer was selected, with quartersawn walnut for the starburst pattern on the lazy susan, and a walnut burl band separating the eating area from the lazy susan.

The pedestal base had four curved sides with similar quartersawn walnut veneer. For strength the structural base was a square plywood column inside the curved sides. The feet were also veneer over curved plywood over a plywood form, bolted to the column. The apron was bent plywood with a matching veneer.

The lazy susan is slightly above the height of the table, and can be removed if necessary to clean spills. The eating surface of the table was built in two halves so that it could be delivered and moved more easily

The starburst pattern on the lazy susan was made from 36 precisely cut pieces of veneer, taped together before being attached to the top as a unit.

Once the veneer is glued to the plywood backing (with solid walnut edges), the tape is removed, and you can see the starburst. After this step, the bearing (1000 pound rated load) is attached, and the edge is trimmed round using the final bearing to rotate the lazy susan at the cutter, so the edge will be precisely aligned when the final lazy susan is rotated.

A similar process was used to tape together the pieces for the outside (but with about 60 pieces of veneer, since the circumference was larger). The quartersawn walnut provided a very straight grain pattern, but only in very narrow pieces of veneer. The burl band was taped separately, then both the burl and the radial pieces were cut (using a custom made template) so they could be joined before being glued to the tabletop. Like the lazy susan, the top was trimmed round after the veneer was attached.

Since someone might step on the feet, the braces were left in place... this is the underside of the feet before the veneer was applied and the edges trimmed. Then adjustable feet were added at each corner of the big foot (total of 8 felt feet touch the floor, two per large foot)

This interesting glass-top table, with exquisite craftsmanship, was exhibited at the 2010 "Texas Furnituremaker's Show" in Kerrville. Someone came up behind me and asked what I thought of it. I said "not much room for my long legs if I were sitting at that table." Well, he said, "maybe it could be an entry table." Not many houses I have seen have room for an entry table the size of a dining room table. Turns out it was the craftsman that I had just insulted! He would be glad to sell you the table for $8,222.