Recently in How Tables are Made Category

One of the reasons we love our location in central North Carolina is the great weather. Even now, in early Spring, we often get warm, sunny afternoons which allow our artisans to move some of their work outside. In this photo Brian details the edge of a boat-shaped glass conference table with an angle grinder.

Your conference table top can be built in a single piece, or in multiple sections. The decision is based on several factors:

Table size: Stoneline Designs builds conference tables up to 30 feet long. However, 10' is the maximum size top (116" for shaped glass) that we can fabricate and ship in one piece. A conference table top larger than 10' must be in multiple pieces.

Access: If a 10' table top will be made in one piece, all access points must be carefully measured: doorways, elevator, stairwell, tight corners, etc. Remember that the top will be a few inches longer when crated. If any access point is not large enough, the top should be made in multiple pieces.

Design: A single piece top has a smooth, professional appearance. On the other hand, we incorporate the breaks in a multiple piece top into the design for a sophisticated look. Some tables even have different finishes or materials for different sections of the top. Either approach makes an attractive table, depending on the look you are going for in your conference room.

Power/Wiring: A round wiring grommet can be installed in any conference table top, whether single or multiple pieces. A wiring trough runs along the center of the table, and requires the top to be built in multiple sections.

Seating: We plan the break between top sections to fall between chairs, for more comfortable seating. For example, a 10' table will typically seat 10: 4 along each side and 1 on each end. We would divide a 10' top into 2- 5' sections so that the break occurs between the 2 center chairs. A 12.5' table could be made in 2 or 3 sections, depending on whether the table would seat 4 or 5 on each side. We use this same principle for dividing larger tops as well. With careful planning a conference table can be designed so that no chair is placed in front of a pedestal or break in the top, even up to 30' long.

Before shipping a custom designed table, our artisans assemble the table and make any adjustments necessary to make sure all the parts fit together perfectly.

For this oval conference table with brushed steel base and granite top, the process took artisans Rob, Bart, Mace and Brian almost three hours. Now watch it happen in thirty seconds! Press "play" to begin the slide show:

 

This modern conference table is from Stoneline Designs' Tangent line. It was custom built for a large church in Baltimore, Maryland.  The Tangent line combines a steel and aluminum base with either a glass or stone top.  This customer chose our beautiful Absolute Black Granite table top with 4 integrated data/wiring ports.

One of the fun thing about being at Stoneline is getting to see beautiful tables take shape from raw materials. Yesterday, our artisan Bart (with help from Mace) cut a boat shaped granite conference table top, 66" wide x 16' long, from three pieces of absolute black granite. 

Spring has arrived in North Carolina, and when weather permits, our artisans move some of their work outside. Here Mace uses a diamond drum to polish the wiring hole in a glass conference table top.

When the conference table is assembled, the hole will be fitted with a wiring grommet which houses power and data jacks under a removable cover. Most wiring grommets are flanged to cover the edge of the hole, and sit up on top of the table. Stoneline uses a grommet without a flange which is set flush with the tabletop surface, leaving the edge of the hole exposed. We hand polish and edge detail the hole, creating a focal point in the design of the table.

Running water reduces friction as Mace works, and tape protects the glass table top in case the diamond drum slips.

In this photo, Stoneline artisan Dave continues work on the desk he and Chuck glued up a few days before. Dave uses a chisel and sandpaper to remove imperfections like dried glue marks, and make the tiny adjustments necessary to be sure every inch of the desk meets our quality standard. He will spend many hours on this step of building the desk.

In wood furniture construction "gluing up" is the crucial step when all the parts come together and the finished piece takes shape. In these photos, watch as Stoneline artisans Dave and Chuck glue up a Cessina desk.

This Cessina desk in maple has just been glued up. Stoneline artisans Dave and Chuck measure every angle of the desk before the glue dries, to make sure the desk has been properly fitted together. The desk will be finished with a Wenge stain.

The Stoneline Designs team receives a shipment of granite for upcoming conference table orders. In this photo Brian, Rob and Mace guide a granite slab off the truck while Bart drives the forklift. 

In this photo, Stoneline Designs artisan Mace sands the beveled edge of a granite conference table. Running water reduces heat from friction, and keeps the sander from clogging with debris. The water appears cloudy due to debris rinsing away from the sanding surface.This granite will be used as part of a multiple piece conference table top, held together with a T-bar in between each piece of granite. Mace stops frequently and measures the bevel against the T-bar, to make sure the edge of the bevel and the edge of the T-bar line up perfectly. This takes time, but ensures a perfect fit and seamless appearance to the finished conference table.

Our responsibility to you doesn't end when your conference table is made. We expertly crate and palletize your table for safe transport to your door.

The wiring grommet is our most popular option for adding wiring/power to a conference table. A 4" hole is cut into the table top, and fitted with a wiring grommet including 2 power and 2 phone/data jacks. The grommet includes a removable cap and is positioned over the pedestal so that wires can be concealed within the pedestal.