Plans
I geared up today to finish the table that was started three years ago. I began by reviewing all of the original plans. Starting with the book “The Furniture of Gustav Stickley” by Joseph J. Bavaro & Thomas L. Mossman.
This book is a great Stickley starter book for furniture making.
I modified the original table by making it shorter in length. My old style drawings…..
I also wanted to try a few new things in SketchUp that I had learned over at the Fine Woodworking Design Click Build Blog
Here is my rendering complete with a Sketchy Lined watermark
I also tried tying some scenes together in an animation. We will see if I can get it to post here.
If not here is the link
Erasing the Past
All of the parts have been in storage in my office for a long time. I originally sanded the base parts to 400 but they have gotten some damage, and I have discovered that I like to finish the oak at 220 so back they go.
I took a closer look at the through tenon and noticed I have some clean up to do. But I also thought, clever me, I put a dowel through the end of the tenon to prevent slitting before mortising. It is only visible from the underside. Someone must have told me to do that.
My buddy Juan came over and we muscled the table top into the shop. It is so heavy at 1 1/2” x 42” x 78”. 
Some genius (me) had stained the entire top by using it before it was finished.
Cereal bowl stain.
Water stains and my pencil marks for sanding.
It took an entire album (Vampire Weekend) to sand the top to 80 grit. I went cross grain slowly, then with the grain, and then hand sanded lightly.
Halfway.
One side
Inspecting with light.
The flip side was not as messed up, so it only took about 2/3 of an album (Radiohead – In Rainbows).
It has the main piece of wood from Grandpa's Box
Great knots, so we will have to decide which side to use…. Hmm..
This side has a nice pattern write up the middle but the other side has better ray flecks.
Next time.. More grits and I visit a professional finisher to see how he does it.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
10 comments so far
Bigbuck
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877 posts in 149 days
posted 100 days ago
Cool, thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to see it once it is assembled
-- Glenn, New Mexico
teenagewoodworker
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2032 posts in 254 days
posted 100 days ago
cool. really nice animation too! thanks for the post.
tenontim
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918 posts in 230 days
posted 100 days ago
This is a nice sturdy table, John. I made one 84” x 38” for my wife. Finished it natural. Wife is not too keen on the dark furniture.
-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com
moonroc
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43 posts in 173 days
posted 100 days ago
Beautiful table. I think it will be around for a couple hundred years. Don’t forget to sign and date it.
-- Richard http://www.LearnFineCrafts.com
Chris
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1231 posts in 477 days
posted 99 days ago
Very nice John; Can’t wait to see the finished product. I’m still trying to get a hang of SketchUp.
-- Chris
Dorje
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1745 posts in 482 days
posted 99 days ago
Looks like you’re up to completing the lost and (not so) forgotton pieces these days. I commend you for that! I’m just getting around to finishing a little table I started last summer.
That’s gonna be a heck of a dining table!
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
DaveR
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139 posts in 206 days
posted 98 days ago
Nice table John.
May I make a suggestion regarding your SketchUp drawing with the watermark background? Under the Shadow settings, uncheck On Ground to get rid of that shadow. You’ll still keep the shadows on the table but you’ll then be able to see the entire line drawing behind it.
Keep up the good work.
-- "Duck snored."
sven
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1 post in 95 days
posted 95 days ago
Love your table.
Why did you put the dowl into the end?
“I put a dowel through the end of the tenon to prevent slitting before mortising. It is only visible from the underside. Someone must have told me to do that.”
Can you elaborate?
Any one have any expiriance with Brasilian Mahogany, I got some from a friend who could not use it.
He had got it for wood flooring with toung and grove, but it warped and was unusable for flooring..
Now I want too try to make it into a table….
Sven
gizmodyne
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1479 posts in 575 days
posted 95 days ago
I put the dowel in the end so that when I mortised or hammered in the loose tenon, there was extra reinforcement.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
Kipster
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1069 posts in 238 days
posted 95 days ago
Beautiful table I can;t wait till it is completed. Thanks for sharing.
-- Kip Northern Illinois ( If you don't know where your goin any road will take you there) George Harrison