The contemporary hall table is a true statement piece in the home–and consequently a real opportunity for the contemporary woodworker to shine. As one of the first objects a guest sees when they walk into your house, a well-designed and expertly crafted hall table can impress and delight friends and family. Simple elements like a graceful, curved apron and meticulous grain selection can elevate the humble table to a work of beauty, and the process of making the table can push your woodworking skills to new heights! In this class Erik will walk students through the design and construction of a contemporary hall table. The class will start with the ever-important discussion of grain selection—how and when to use flat sawn, quarter sawn, or book matched boards and how different grain orientations can affect the visual flow of a piece. Students will then explore intermediate techniques such as mortise and tenon joinery, working with curved components, and laminating. A combination of simple machinery and hand tools will be employed. Discussions such as whether to employ hand planes or sanders for surface prep and routers versus hand planes for edge profiling will be had along the way. Finally, Erik will discuss his various finishing techniques and what makes the most sense in a professional shop as well as your home shop. Students will not only leave with a beautiful hall table, but the confidence and skill set to take on more advanced projects.