Tamo Ash: A Rare and Beautiful Find
SPECIES FEATURED IN THIS ARTICLE: Tamo Ash, Figured Cherry
FIND INFORMATION ON THIS AND ADDITIONAL SPECIES AT WWW.IWPAWOOD.ORG
When building a custom Learjet, the interior designer/builders buy large lots of veneer, enough to finish a vessel with a sufficient amount left over to cover warranty replacements. Builders are often required to keep the veneer for 10 years following a delivery, but after that they can sell it off.
“Japanese Tamo Ash is very rare, and I was lucky to find some left over from a Learjet interior design,” said Bruce Bradford of Cary, North Carolina. “The Tamo Ash veneer was so thin that holding it up to the light, you could literally see light shining through it.”
Working with the Tamo Ash veneer was challenging. “It was extremely fragile. Cutting it to the right size was tricky because of the wild grain patterns and its tendency to crack,” Bradford said. “Gluing the delicate veneer to the substrate could only be done with low bleed-though veneer glue using a vacuum press. And the other challenge was adding the finish. I lost count of how many coats of urethane I put down, but it was probably more than 12.”
The Tamo Ash sideboard was a follow-on project to a living room suite Bradford built in 2021. “My wife said she didn’t like the rectangular coffee table in our living room, so that gave me an excuse to build something,” Bradford explained. “I decided to use up the left over Tamo Ash from the living room suite to make a sideboard. The front and top are Tamo Ash veneer; the inside of the cabinet and the sides are figured Cherry veneer.”
The concept for the sideboard had been in Bradford’s head for some time. He perused pictures on the internet and then merged them into a design of his own that complemented the existing suite of furniture. The base was inspired by the living room pieces and made from 2" thick solid figured Cherry. The handles and interior of the cabinet are also highly figured Cherry. The figured cherry veneer for the side panels and inside of the cabinet was not easy to come by, but Bradford eventually found a supplier who used 7" wide pieces and painstakingly assembled them into two 4’x8’ sheets of veneer with a paper back.
THE LIVING ROOM SUITE BRADFORD BUILT IN 2021 INCLUDES TWO SIDE TABLES MADE OF TAMO ASH. HE THEN USED THE LEFTOVER MATERIALS TO MAKE A SIDEBOARD. THE FRONT AND TOP ARE TAMO ASH VENEER; THE INSIDE OF THE CABINET AND THE SIDES ARE FIGURED CHERRY VENEER.
Bradford describes himself as a hobby woodworker. He does not sell his work or take commissions, and he is entirely self-taught. But since retiring as a senior executive for an imaging company, he has spent many enjoyable hours in his wood shop, crafting jewelry boxes, cutting boards, frames, backgammon boards, stools, and various furniture pieces, including a live-edge dining table.
He has worked with a variety of exotics, including Brazilian Rosewood, Bocote, African Mahogany, Sapele, Ebony, Zebrawood, and Purpleheart. But Cherry and Maple are still his go-to species.
“I am an engineer at heart. I like to design things,” said Bradford. “Wood is such a fun and fascinating medium. I love shopping for wood even when I do not have a specific project in mind. Sometimes finding a unique figure of grain or color of wood inspires a project, and other times a project inspires me to find a specific grain or species of wood.”
Frequently asked questions
Why is Japanese Tamo Ash veneer so difficult to source?+
Japanese Tamo Ash is very rare. Bruce Bradford obtained his supply as leftover material from a Learjet interior design project, since custom Learjet builders buy large veneer lots and can sell the excess after a required 10-year retention period.
What makes Tamo Ash veneer challenging to work with?+
Tamo Ash veneer is extremely fragile and so thin that light can shine through it. Its wild grain patterns make it prone to cracking when cut, and it must be glued to a substrate using low bleed-through veneer glue in a vacuum press.
How many coats of finish does Tamo Ash veneer require?+
Bradford applied more than 12 coats of urethane to finish the Tamo Ash veneer, though he lost count of the exact number.
What woods were used in Bradford's Tamo Ash sideboard?+
The front and top of the sideboard are Tamo Ash veneer, while the sides and interior of the cabinet are figured Cherry veneer. The base is made from 2-inch-thick solid figured Cherry, and the handles are also highly figured Cherry.
How was the figured Cherry veneer for the sideboard assembled?+
Bradford found a supplier who took 7-inch-wide pieces of figured Cherry and painstakingly assembled them into two 4'x8' sheets of paper-backed veneer.
What inspired Bradford to build the Tamo Ash sideboard?+
After his wife expressed dislike for their rectangular living room coffee table, Bradford decided to use leftover Tamo Ash from a 2021 living room suite to build a complementary sideboard. He merged internet design ideas with elements from the existing furniture suite.