People And Their Hobbies

Matchstick Table Tops

An unusual and intriguing hobby of Neville and Lyneve Bloxham of 126 Harris Street is the making of coffee tables with match-stick top patterns.

After making the tables themselves thousands of used matches are incorporated in designs on the surface of the tables to create patterns of varying designs.

The matches are fired a box at a time, then blown out at once. After a vigorous shaking in a tin to remove the burnt out heads the sticks are stuck down with carpenter's glue to form the desired pattern on the table top. Nineteen matches form a square upon which all the designs are based and anywhere between two-and-a-half and six thousand matches are used, depending on the size of the table top. When completed the top is sanded down and varnished. Some of the tables have inlays and these are usually of Japanese oak or walnut veneer.