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Jellyfish Table #3: Legs and Base

Blog entry by Blake posted 132 days ago 504 reads 1 time favorited 19 comments Add to Favorites Watch
« Part 2: Getting Started... I found my Lumber! Part 3 of Jellyfish Table series Part 4: Making The Oval »

LAMINATING THE LEGS

When I left off I had cut most of the strips. That was a very tedious job and I broke it up over several days (over 80 total).

I finally got to the point where I could start bending my laminations. Here is the “dry” trial run:

Here are the strips laid out to apply the glue. I had to mix the special glue made for laminations:

And here is the first glued up leg in the form:

After about three days I had all eight legs. Some of them are still wrapped in the plastic that keeps them from sticking to the form:

My gluing form doubled as a jig for positioning the legs on my Radial Arm Saw bench to trim the ends. This ensures that each leg is exactly the same height and the feet are flat on the floor.

I ran them through the planer to clean up the faces:

Then I used my spindle sander to clean up the sides:

THE OCTAGON

The “Octagon” is the structure underneath the tabletop that the legs attach to.

I set my saw to the magic number 22.5 deg to cut the eight sides. It came out perfectly the first time, I guess I got lucky.

Then I set up my “tenon sled” on the tablesaw with a single dado blade and cut the slots for the keys:

I planed some maple stock to make the keys:

And cut them to length:

Here is the Octagon all glued up:

This thickness sander is new to my shop and this is the first time I had a chance to really use it. It worked great for cleaning up glue and truing the top and bottom of the Octagon.

My first sneak peak at the base of the table!

The joint between the legs and the Octagon needs to be very strong, since they are only connected in one place. So I plan on cutting a curved slot on each side of the Octagon to accept each leg.

I made a pattern/jig for my router to rout out the channels. This allowed each channel to be in exactly the same location and same angle so I don’t have a wobbly table:

Here is the leg set into the channel:

The finished Octagon with leg channels:

The legs glued and clamped to the Octagon… I plan on adding either dowels or screws to each joint for extra reinforcement later:

I couldn’t resist…

Now All I need to do is make the bent-lamination Oval-shaped apron, and dye/finish the table top.

About 19.5 more hours. Total building time so far: 28.5 hours

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com


19 comments so far

View kevinw's profile

kevinw

63 posts in 617 days


posted 132 days ago

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

-- Kevin, Blue Springs, MO

View lew's profile

lew

4405 posts in 633 days


posted 132 days ago

COOL!!!

As I read the previous posts, I was wondering how you were going to clamp the parts together- Nice!!

Clamping techniques always give me trouble- thanks for the ideas.

Lew

View jcees's profile

jcees

545 posts in 677 days


posted 132 days ago

Boffo Blake-man! And very nicely documented too I might add. It’s a beautiful thing.

always,
J.C.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

View CaptainSkully's profile

CaptainSkully

432 posts in 436 days


posted 132 days ago

That’s so cool! I almost got seasick…

-- You can't control the wind, but you can trim your sails

View Karson's profile

Karson

25271 posts in 1278 days


posted 132 days ago

Blake A great job and very inventive in the creation.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View mtnwild's profile

mtnwild

1979 posts in 405 days


posted 132 days ago

You make it look easy. Very cool, thanks…................

-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.

View Rustic's profile

Rustic

1220 posts in 474 days


posted 132 days ago

lookin great

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

View bowyer's profile

bowyer

342 posts in 274 days


posted 132 days ago

Your blog is very informative and easy to follow, thank you! The table is going to look great

Rick

-- If at first you don't succeed...Don't try skydiving

View Damian Penney's profile

Damian Penney

1022 posts in 869 days


posted 131 days ago

I’m constantly impressed by how efficiently you turn out these pieces. Great table, and great blog.

-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5588 posts in 977 days


posted 131 days ago

SNAP!

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View pommy's profile

pommy

892 posts in 569 days


posted 131 days ago

Blake looking very cool nice to see the process from SU to this stage can’t wait to see the top go on and the finishing process

Andy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

View scott shangraw's profile

scott shangraw

408 posts in 947 days


posted 131 days ago

Looks great Blake.Cool design can’t wait to see final project!!!

-- Scott NM,http://www.shangrilawoodworks.com

View Beginningwoodworker's profile

Beginningwoodworker

3857 posts in 551 days


posted 131 days ago

This is going to be a cool table!

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

View Zuki's profile

Zuki

1218 posts in 955 days


posted 131 days ago

Reminds me of War of the Worlds.

You do great work Blake.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

View matt garcia's profile

matt garcia

678 posts in 550 days


posted 131 days ago

Yeah, War of the Worlds!! That is one unique design!!

-- Matt, Houston Texas

View a1Jim's profile

a1Jim

15538 posts in 455 days


posted 131 days ago

Hey Blake
Cool design.great build.Outstanding photos and blog can’t wait for more.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

View bfd's profile

bfd

413 posts in 685 days


posted 131 days ago

Blake those laminations are amazing It blows my mind that the legs look as if they are floating in water and wouldn’t be able to support the load that it carries. I mean this in a great way as it almost gives the illusion that the table is suspended ….exactly like the “legs” of a true jelly fish. Even in the photo when the legs are upside down it reminds me of seeweed gently floating in a current. This is just Awesome Blake.

-- Brian, Folsom, CA http://www.brianfullerdesigns.com

View majeagle1's profile

majeagle1

417 posts in 374 days


posted 130 days ago

Absolutely great blog Blake…........... the details, information and creativity are your normal “top of the line”
thanks so much. After watching your process I may now have to try some bent lamination…........
You mentioned special glue…... what is your formula / product and what makes it special?

-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/

View blackcherry's profile

blackcherry

711 posts in 701 days


posted 130 days ago

This is definitely a creative design but where the Miles music, I think it would go nicely with the leg design…LOL as always Blake great craftsmanship and looking forward to seeing the end results…Blkcherry

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