Welcome to Medullary Ray

A jewelry box from the heart by Instar Design   This jewelry box was specifically designed for my client, searching for the perfect 5th year anniversary gift for his wife. He wanted tons of storage while remaining a countertop piece, a keltic reference, and the sensual box legs which I have had repeated requests for throughout the years. He shared examples with me of boxes he liked for storage but the design fell short in his eyes.  I came up with an overall concept and the piece evolved as I began collecting the materials for end panels, face frame, the legs and lid. I have never made this leg design so tall and I love them! Plenty of surface for that Claro Walnut to boast of it's red, cream and burnt sienna coloring. I also found a board of  Maple  for this project at Gilmer Wood Company   located in the industrial neighborhood in NW Portland. This Figured Maple was like butter. It milled, carved and sanded in such an effortless way. I have neve...

Stunning Slab Dining Table 10'6" Guanacaste Parota dining table.  Stunning Parota Dining Table designed and built by Jacquelyn Smith of Instar.Design I build the solid wood base and beam of this Trestle Table from Shedua. The trestle style table is an extremely solid design.  Before the finish I do a test set up and fit. I am fortunate to have a fork lift and hoist to aid in moving around these large slabs! Some of my slab tops weigh from 220 to 385lbs! That's a lot of weight especially when the size is 42" x 10'6". Fortunately I used to build buildings so I have first hand knowledge of lifting beams and making things much larger than myself. I am also ever so grateful for the several people in my shop building who have come to the rescue over the years helping me get the slab turned over or into and out of a truck!  This striped beauty is Quarter-sawn Shedua. The deep dark streaks and golden highlights are a perfect match for Guana...

One Parota slab remains for sale or commission. Milling services available upon request. Here's a video of my last Parota dining table that I just shipped: this video on Instagram There are similar qualities of grain and color with the Parota I have used. All have been amazing to work with and ended up being fantastic tables. Like all wood each board, each tree varies according to what has happened in it's life. It is fascinating to discover each piece! A true trestle table. Everything is made to fit together seamlessly for a short install and a long life.  Contact me if you are interested in discussing a slab purchase or a table commission. I have been building for over 36 years creating spaces and furniture for clients all over America. Write to Jacquelyn at perfect45degree@gmail.com

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Perfect45Degree Installation day of one of my latest dine tables this year. 16' Guanacaste Parota slab dine table. What a beautiful piece of wood to work with! The muralist is still working on the ceiling above the table and the electrician has a light fixture to install. Yikes! All is well and worked out as planned! My client is still in the phases of finishing their new Vancouver home but special guests from around the world are due to visit so we install the table to help fill out the room!   We wanted to keep the live edge as an interesting element but straight cut the other three sides to work with the lines and shape of the room. Just sitting at this table is a treat!     The grain in this wood is phenomenal! It's like flying over the earth! Left: One of the base ends nearly ready to assemble. The base is built out of Shedua. Curved work is one of my true loves! Below: Building up th...

Looking for a beautiful Slab Dining Table? SOLD! I have two slabs coming from Costa Rica soon to be dining room tables. I made one table with this same wood, Guanacaste Parota last year and it was spectacular. Parota is stable, thick, and incredibly beautiful loaded with interesting grain patterns, color and figure. FOR SALE NOW, purchase directly through Paypal using your account or a credit card. Or buy through Etsy . . . https://www.etsy.com/listing/472979125/parota-slabs SOLD!   Here are a couple shots of my first Parota slab table with finish being applied: The surface of the Parota Slab with Waterlox finish: The shot above shows the heartwood at top and Sap wood at bottom. In this case the Sap wood was very solid and looks like Ivory with a spalted feather like pattern! This really helped make this table a beauty!  http://perfect45degree.blogspot.com/2015/10/parota-dine-table.html Please contact me if you are interested in having a ta...

Design your Music Box with me! A recent music box custom designed for an anniversary gift this season! This music box is beautiful, thoughtful and personal with superb sound quality. The movement plays Canon in D, which has three parts, by Johann Pachelbel. You can hear the music and see this box in action here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XOiwZJG2Kj8&feature=youtu.be A music box can be more than a box to hold the movement. You can incorporate a jewelry box or other container with the movement. There are so many possibilities here! I'd love to have a custom movement made with our bedtime lullaby (Durme, Durme) and give one to each child when they have their first born.  Made from American Cherry because acoustically this wood gives a very nice tone when combined with the music box movement. The Sankyo movement is fine tuned by  Better Music Boxes  to sound as precise as possible. On their site you can listen to the various move...

An example of elegance, simplicity and breathtaking beauty. The Parota slab comes from Costa Rica in the Guanacaste province . We had it shipped to my shop in Portland Oregon where I milled, sanded, and finished the slab. I designed and built the base after getting the slab in my shop. I wanted to see and feel the visual weight of it and make sure the wood I used in the base was compatible in color and grain. The base is made from Shedua, the one and only wood in my entire selection that had the correct matching! The base and slab fit perfectly and are solid as a rock! Exactly what I wanted for a 220lb slab.  Here are a few detail shots of the wood. I am still waiting for photos of the table complete in L.A. The slab has outstanding ribboning and below is a detail shot of the sap wood: Above is a test fit of the base to the top. There are rails that set inside the top which register it on center, fasten it and create a very strong bond between the base a...