Woodworkers Gallery: Tony Belbeck
Hobbyist woodworker Tony Belbeck built a bar worthy of handing down as an heirloom.
The bar consists of 13 pieces, connected to each other with screws and dowels to complete a transportable unit measuring 84″H X 78″D X 118″ L. It is made of solid walnut and maple, walnut and maple veneers, Hungarian ply, and wiggle board. The doors, trim, bar top and rails are in solid walnut, and the plywood framing trimmed with solid maple. The dark cherry finish was applied by ‘Dave95v6’, a fellow member of the Canadian Woodworking forum.
The curved surfaces are comprised of two to three layers of ¼” wiggle board laminated together, veneered on both sides with a paper backed maple veneer using contact cement, and topped with a solid walnut trim. The curved doors also have a hardwood trim to give rigidity and strength, and to allow acceptance for the hinges.
The bar top is made from a double layer of ¾” plywood glued and screwed flat, with a book matched walnut veneer top. It has an acrylic ‘mirror coat’ finish. The Elephant bar rail was coved (top side) on the table saw including the solid round corners.
The back bar mimics the front bar in design, complete with rosettes made on the drill press and expanded with a router and template guides. The fluted pilasters are made with a ½” round nose bit and sit on 7″ plinth blocks. The cupboards doors are a five piece solid walnut raised panel construction, complete with European hinges.
Because glass moulds are very costly to make Tony designed the upper showcase around the curve of the bent glass doors. The canopy is built in two sections. There is a hidden seam down the middle among the raised panel rails, and held tightly together with six counter bolts. The subtle lighting inside the canopy illuminates the stained glass and really brings out that old English pub feeling.
