| Project by poroskywood | posted 252 days ago | 1269 views | 10 times favorited | 17 comments | ![]() |
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This was my second attempt at a coffee table. The first was basic. This one I wanted to incorporate a drawer and try using a different finish besides my usual water based poly.
The table was made from some curly Cherry I had been saving in my personal stock pile and the drawer from some left over curly Maple, from my eBay store inventory.
The construction was basic, biscuit join the top, tapered legs four sides on the table saw with a homemade T track and hold down jig. I used dowels for my M&T joint and reinforced them using my Handy Dandy Kreg pocket hole jig. One note about that: I glued up the dowels then locked it together with the pocket hole screws, which eliminated clamping and drying time and gave me extra confidence in handling it as far as strength, I just kept on working and with in an hour I had the legs, top and sides assembled.
I wanted to use a center mount slide on the bottom of the drawer, but it would have made the depth of the drawer less than 2”. I gained a 1/2” by using side mount slides, but was disappointed when the bulky slides took away from my curly box sides.
With advice from the lumberjocks forum I was excited to try a different finish (for me) I applied about 4 wet coats of Watco Danish oil Natural over a 24 hr period. I let it cure all week and then applied 3 coats of Minwax wipe on poly sanding from 320 to 2400 in between coats. I don’t know if that was necessary or not, but I think the finish for my first time came out great. I’ll have a lot more confidence in future projects to try different finish techniques.
Thanks for all the help. Next I’ll try a raised panel toy box for my two boys. I have some ideas and I’m sure I’ll need more advice. Thanks
-- There's many a slip betwixt a cup and a lip.--Scott

































17 comments so far
3fingerpat
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922 posts in 568 days
posted 252 days ago
Great job, it looks fantastic, love that curly wood.
-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"
jeh412
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131 posts in 275 days
posted 252 days ago
The wood is gorgeous! Very nice job on the table … the curly maple in the drawer in an unexpected bonus! I really like Watco products and usually top coat with lacquer or poly, just to give it a harder finish.
-- John, co-owner Sawdust 'n Stitches
stanley2
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278 posts in 695 days
posted 252 days ago
Scott – the finish on your curly cherry is terrific. You are braver than I, as I would have been worried about blotching. It’s beautiful.
-- Phil in British Columbia
ND2ELK
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6238 posts in 674 days
posted 252 days ago
Nice looking table. Love the wood pattern. Thanks for posting.
God Bless
tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
GaryK
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9555 posts in 888 days
posted 252 days ago
Man, that is one fantastic looking table. Great drawer.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
kolwdwrkr
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2262 posts in 490 days
posted 252 days ago
This table looks great. Things I would have done: make drawer front flush, use cheaper material for drawer, forgo pocket screws, and skip the guides and make my own runners. Something about attatching a KV guide to the side of curly maple gives me the eeby jeebies. It’s beautiful none the less.
-- ~ Inspiring those who inspire me ~
Blake
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2768 posts in 774 days
posted 252 days ago
This is gorgeous. I love curly cherry. Really nice job and clean lines.
-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com
CharlieM1958
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7697 posts in 1118 days
posted 252 days ago
Great lumber and a great job of putting it all together.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
poroskywood
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198 posts in 264 days
posted 252 days ago
Thanks everybody! It feels great to receive accolades from other woodworkers. My wife says “Thats nice” and its over. With my spiral head jointer and planer machining was easy and the sanding was minimal, although I made extra sure I cleaned off all the glue, a lesson from my first try. Since this was my first attempt at a drawer I was not sure how to go about making my own slides. Any suggestions on how to make a drawer slide for a project like this? I’m saving for a Leigh D4, then I would have went flush with the drawer and dovetailed in the Maple. It is a nice surprise when you open up the drawer, Hello Hello what do we have here? I planed the drawer bottom down to 1/4” and made it like a floating panel, leaving some room for expansion. I gave the table to my Dad and his wife Kate for their Rec Room to replace a dinged up pine table my Dad hated. Kate slipped me some cash on the side and Brandy and I took our son Nick to see Elmo and friends today with it. So it all worked out in the end.
-- There's many a slip betwixt a cup and a lip.--Scott
angelis
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48 posts in 808 days
posted 252 days ago
Great looking table, the wood selection really catches the eye.
Karson
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25873 posts in 1300 days
posted 252 days ago
That is some beautiful wood that you’ve selected. The presentation makes it really standout.
A great looking job.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
Garys
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16 posts in 291 days
posted 251 days ago
i like how that came out.. if you want to try another pretty neat oil based finish try Velvet oil..really brings out the figure in wood.good job
Dusty56
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3518 posts in 588 days
posted 242 days ago
GORGEOUS ! What are the dimensions , please ? I was expecting to see Cherry drawer glides and I think you could still add them to your piece and get rid of the metal ones . Perhaps a wooden handle would also add to the looks and blend in more with the beauty of the drawer front . Hardware is always an issue as I’ve found out over the years . Do you ever come across any “Flame Birch” in your sawmill business ?
How often do you get Tap Hole Maple ? http://lumberjocks.com/projects/15557
I’d like to see how your project comes out …..Karson found some antique taps on Ebay if you’re interested.
-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .
poroskywood
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198 posts in 264 days
posted 242 days ago
Thanks Dusty, The table is 27”wide x 46”long x 19”tall. I’m not really sure how to go about making decent wood glides. If I could see a picture or get some advice I would try them on my next project. I would prefer them, but am also concerned about the the drawer pinching or sticking. I just don’t have any experience in the matter.
-- There's many a slip betwixt a cup and a lip.--Scott
McLeanVA
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148 posts in 334 days
posted 209 days ago
Scott, I agree with all of the other comments. This table is awesome. I am about to finish my first real project which is a cherry nightstand. I’m almost to the finishing stage. I’ve read a few threads about the benefits of Watco Danish Oil. Did you use “natural” or tinted oil?
Again, great work. Very inspirational.
-- Measure, cut, curse, repeat.
a1Jim
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17211 posts in 477 days
posted 198 days ago
That’s blow your socks off beautiful
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com
Art
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26 posts in 103 days
posted 86 days ago
Wow, you do awesome work dude. The cutting boards are so nice I’d hate to cut on them!!
-- Arthur T., Pringle Braai Furniture, South Africa, atrfrmusa@yahoo.co.uk. A lion leaves its skin when it dies....