Knotty Dave’s Fine Woodworking
“This story is about the craft that shaped my shop — the values, the long nights, the tables that taught me something, and the moments where woodworking still surprises me. And below it is the gallery that proves every word: solid‑wood builds, rift‑cut veneers, starburst patterns, conical pedestals, rough turning stages, and finished pieces that glow under 2K poly. It’s the philosophy and the work, side by side — the why and the how of Knotty Dave’s Fine Woodworking.”
Read time: 3 minutes
It’s been a long time since I opened the shop, and it’s not what it was or what I thought it would be. I’ve grown, times change, and opportunity sculpts the shape of the shop. But the mission stays the same. I want to create. First and foremost, woodworking. It has captivated me since I was a kid and still does. And it’s in those moments when I push past the existing envelope, beyond my comfort zone, that skill grows.
Elm & Maple Games Table — Starburst Veneer Top & Turned Pedestal
A handcrafted games table built for late‑night cards and conversation. The turned maple pedestal supports a solid elm racetrack, and the top features an intricate starburst veneer pattern made from walnut, maple, red oak, and white oak. Each species adds contrast and depth, creating a geometric centrepiece designed for fun, durability, and heirloom‑level craft. Built to be unique — a one‑off piece you’ll never find in a store, made with intention, precision, and the kind of detail only a custom shop can deliver.
I really like building tables for dining rooms—solid wood, inlayed veneer patterns, or a combination of the two. Turned table pedestals look incredible. These tables are hand‑built, pedestals traditionally turned, one‑off designs you won’t find in a store. A table is the centre of a room, the first place the eye lands when you walk into the space. It needs to be focal. It needs a glow that fits the room. It invites; it calls to people, come sit down. If it does that, mission accomplished.
Let’s walk. Step into a room—could be your room, my room, or any room that needs a table. Through the kitchen and around the corner, you feel the smoothness of the hardwood under your socks. We turn the corner. The lights are dim. A spotlight gently floods the elm tabletop with a warm glow; its dark colour and texture meet your eye like velvet in a dream. It’s the main character in a play. The presence of the room. It lives here, and it invites you to sit.
A crystal vase stands in that light, the striking colour of the flowers meeting your eyes with bold confidence. A single fallen petal rests on the wood, its soft texture striking against the rugged grain of the elm—a contrast of nature and polished craft. A fire is in the hearth; its warm flames dance through the crystal in a way only refracted light in cut crystal can, reflecting off the sheen of the table and the finish that protects it.
Solid Maple Laundry Table — Stained Finish & 2K Poly Clear Coat
A solid maple laundry table built for real‑world use — strong legs, slatted lower shelf, and four functional drawers. The maple is stained for warmth and finished with a 2K polyurethane clear coat for durability and long‑term protection. Not every table is meant for dining rooms or gathering spaces; some are built to work hard, stay clean, and last decades. This one is crafted with the same intentional detail as your centrepieces.
Finally, we sit down. Your foot taps the solid pedestal. Its robust heft can’t be ignored. You test its weight. It’s real. It’s solid and there for you. With purpose. Every detail intentional. It feels like home. You brush your hand across the top, the sheen impossible to ignore, and you start to wonder how the table came to be. It feels perfect.
This is why I like tables. Every detail intentional. Every sheen a perfect polish. Built to last lifetimes. This is the foundation where memories of a generation—an age—will be made. It all starts with an idea and a vision made real.
That is how I see woodworking. It’s the profession as I believe it should be—building dreams and shaping worlds that need to be lived in. I’ve built far more than tables, but tables remain my favourite. No matter the piece, when it’s done right, it’s born from design, from a dream, from an idea. It’s a conversation between the owner and the maker, and then another between the maker and the material. If a piece is to have soul—if it’s ever going to take a breath—then my job is done. I can earn a paycheque anywhere; I do this because I want to. That’s why my pieces have a voice. They can welcome you home. They can say good morning. This craft is the life I choose, the passion I follow, the world I stand by.
“Below is the work behind the story — the rough stages, the glue‑ups, the laminations, and the finished tables that carry the voice of Knotty Dave’s Fine Woodworking.”
Red Oak Round Table — Rift‑Cut Cone Pedestal & Tapered Solid Top
A hand‑built red oak round table with a solid top tapered underneath for a lighter visual profile. The pedestal is rift‑cut and coned so the focus stays on the sculpted shape rather than a busy grain pattern. Clean lines, balanced geometry, and a finish that highlights the intentional design — a modern table built with traditional craft values.
Walnut Veneer Table — 12‑Foot Rift‑Cut Geometric Pattern
A 12‑foot walnut table with a rift‑cut veneer pattern designed for clean geometry and zero grain distraction. The entire top is built to highlight the pattern itself — sharp lines, balanced triangles, and long uninterrupted symmetry. Rift‑cut walnut keeps the focus on the design instead of a busy grain, and the panel is shown here just before finishing, where the depth and warmth of the walnut will come alive.
60" Walnut Breakfast Table — Rift‑Cut Starburst Veneer & Bent‑Laminated Edge
A 60‑inch round breakfast table in rift‑cut walnut with a starburst veneer pattern that draws the eye to the centre. The solid walnut edge is a bent lamination for strength and perfect curvature. Finished with stain, glaze, and a 2K polyurethane clear coat, the surface has depth, clarity, and a polished sheen that highlights the radial grain. A modern centrepiece built with traditional craft values.
10' Walnut Dining Table — Dual Conical Pedestals & 2K Poly Finish
A 10‑foot walnut dining table with two conical pedestal bases, built for balance, presence, and modern elegance. The walnut is stained for depth and finished with a 2K polyurethane clear coat for clarity and long‑term durability. The dual pedestals anchor the table visually and structurally, giving the oval top a grounded, sculptural feel. A centrepiece built for large rooms, gatherings, and decades of use.
12' Maple Dining Table — Five‑Point Star Pedestals & Brass Inlay
A 12‑foot solid maple dining table with two five‑point star pedestals featuring brass‑colored inlay. The maple top is stained dark for depth and sealed with a 2K polyurethane clear coat for clarity and long‑term durability. The star bases give the table a sculptural, architectural presence, turning a functional piece into a statement build. A modern large‑format table crafted with precision and bold design.
Solid Elm Pedestal — Rough Turn, Sawdust & Early Shape
A solid elm pedestal in its rough turning stage — sawdust thick on the lathe, early curves taking shape, and the raw geometry emerging before sanding and polish. This pedestal was turned from a laminated elm blank in two parts, upper and lower, before being joined and refined. The grit matters: it shows the craft before the finish, the work before the sheen, and the moment where a shaped block becomes the foundation of a handcrafted games table.
Red Oak Oval Table — Rough Construction Stage & Solid‑Wood Glue‑Up
This is the oval red oak table from earlier, shown here in its rough construction stage — boards freshly milled, laid out, and still carrying the realness of the shop. No polish, no finish, just solid red oak in the middle of becoming something. These early photos matter because they show the truth behind the build: the glue‑ups, the grain choices, the layout decisions, and the work that happens long before the table gets its taper, its cone pedestal, and its final sheen. It’s the part of the story most people never see.
Bent Lamination — Circular Glue‑Up for Walnut Starburst Table
This is the bent lamination for the walnut starburst table shown earlier — the glue still wet, oozing from the seams, clamps pulling the curve tight. It’s a circular lamination that has to become an endless, seamless ring before it gets its deep profile later in the build. This stage is pure craft: pressure, timing, alignment, and trust in the geometry. Bent lamination is one of the most advanced skills in the shop, and seeing it raw like this shows the real work behind the finished starburst table.
Where the Work Continues
If you want to see how all of this shows up in the real world, step into the galleries. The Cabinetry story carries the built‑ins, mantels, rails, and heritage pieces that shape a home. The Heirloom Furniture Builds story holds the tables, pedestals, and solid‑wood work built for families and for decades. Together they’re the continuation of this page — the shop in motion, the craft in practice, and the proof of everything written here.
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Written by David Flather, Red Seal cabinetmaker and founder of Knotty Dave’s Fine Woodworking — a Manitoba shop rooted in heritage restoration, storytelling, and real craft.
All photos shot by David Flather — in the shop, on the road, and in the places where craft and story meet.
Related stories: KNOTTY DAVE, HEIRLOOM FURNITURE BUILDS, CABINETRY
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