Aztec coffee table

March 10, 2026 by

Federico Solutions, Myrko Federico

Aztec coffee table — 2.5D carved sun calendar (solid oak)

Field: Woodworking / 2.5D CNC carving / Symbolic design

Period: 2018

Client: Personal project — artistic creation

Dimensions: 120 x 70 cm

Background

In 2018, before I had even decided to move to Mexico, I designed and built a one-of-a-kind coffee table featuring the Aztec calendar (Piedra del Sol) carved in 2.5D bas-relief into a solid oak top.

This project is a paradox:

I was making Mexico before I moved there
A creative connection to a culture I was not yet living
An unconscious premonition: 2 years later, I settled in Mexico for good

Technical goal:

Create a multi-purpose table: low (living room) + high (eating or working while sitting on the sofa)
Special height: comfortable for working on a laptop from the sofa (without straining your back)
Complex 2.5D carving: full Aztec calendar + surrounding symbols

Total time: 60 hours (30 h CNC + 30 h hand finishing)

Challenge

Technical challenge:

2.5D carving: highly detailed Aztec calendar (concentric circles, glyphs, symbols)
3D → CNC conversion: the 3D model had to be turned into compatible toolpaths
Solid oak top: a hardwood that requires optimized CNC toolpaths
Protective glass: a milled rebate to hold a glass panel (no eating directly on the carving)
Artistic finishing: bringing out the relief with stain and patina

Aesthetic challenge:

Central Aztec calendar: deep carving, details preserved
Aztec symbols around it (deities, glyphs)
Antique patina: aged look, accentuated relief
Lower shelf: visible structure, clean aesthetic

Solution

Phase 1: 3D design

Modeling the Aztec calendar:

Iconographic research: Piedra del Sol (Sun Stone)
Complete 3D model: concentric circles, Aztec glyphs, central symbols
Adaptation for 2.5D carving (bas-relief)

Software used:

Vectric: converting the 3D model → CNC toolpaths
Optimizing pass depths
Toolpath simulation (avoiding collisions)

Phase 2: CNC fabrication (30 h)

Carving the oak top:

CNC machining with Mach3 (controller)
2.5D carving: gradual relief (variable depths)
30 hours of machining: central calendar + surrounding symbols
Solid oak: a hardwood, slow but precise to machine

Table structure:

Legs made and assembled
Lower shelf added (storage, reinforcement)
Special height: neither too low nor too high (comfortable laptop use from the sofa)

Phase 3: Milling the glass rebate

Protecting the top:

Milled rebate around the edge of the top
Exact dimensions to hold a glass panel
The glass sits in the rebate (flush)
Reason: no eating directly on the carving (protection + hygiene)

Phase 4: Hand finishing (30 h)

Stain & patina:

Black/dark gray stain applied into the carving
Wiped off to leave the color in the recesses
Antique patina: aged look, stronger contrast between relief and recesses
Natural wood stands out light, carving stays dark

Sanding & finishing:

Fine sanding of the top
Protective varnish (several coats)
Fitting the glass into the rebate
Final assembly

Result

Deliverable:

120 x 70 cm solid oak coffee table
Aztec calendar carved in 2.5D (30 h CNC)
Surrounding Aztec symbols
Antique patina (aged look)
Protective glass in a milled rebate
Multi-purpose height: living room + comfortable work

Total time: 60 hours

30 h CNC (carving)
30 h hand finishing (stain, patina, assembly)

Personal impact:

A creative connection to Mexico before living there
Personal art project (not commercial)
Technical showcase: complex 2.5D carving
A time paradox: I was making Mexico in 2018, and I have lived there since 2020

This project demonstrates: