LumberJocks
DAILY DEALS Pen Press/Drilling Jig  |  Makita Makita Recon LCT203W 10.8 Volt Lithium Ion Impact Driver 2 Pc Kit

Arts and Crafts Table

Project by Andy posted 804 days ago 1612 views 14 times favorited 30 comments Add to Favorites Watch

I designed this table using several elements from both Arts and Crafts and Mission styles. I made this for my son Michael’s 10th Anniversary and wanted something to mark it as a milestone.It is about 48” w x 22”d and 30”h and is used as a computer desk.It is Quarter Sawn White Oak, stained with Dalys Old English wiping stain and is finished with Minwax wipe on poly. It has 12 through mortise and tenons which are then wedged with Walnut.The breadboard ends fit over tenons and are screwed through the edge into dowells that are set into the tenons on the ends of the top.They have the edge and end caps in the Greene and Greene style. These work very well to allow for seasonal movement and still conceal the joints.The legs are comprised of four mitered pieces wrapped around a core. This shows fleck on all four sides. As you can see,I inset Walnut squares, some on angle, as accents. The bottom stretcher has three individual tenons at each end, and they were the most painstaking part of the project.There is a single drawer that sets into the front rail and it is all from a single board,and the handle is made from antler.Also,there is a concealed box that pulls down when you reach up under the table top and grap a hidden leather strap.The box swings down on spring loaded hinges that pull it back into postition when you give it a nudge.

-- " If I can make it,so can you" Andy in Oregon


30 comments so far

View Max's profile (online now)

Max

14484 posts in 1169 days


posted 804 days ago

Very beautiful table. I really like the accents that you have used on the table. Excellent craftsmanship.

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

View Damian Penney's profile

Damian Penney

1030 posts in 887 days


posted 804 days ago

Really nice work.

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

View mot's profile

mot

4903 posts in 932 days


posted 804 days ago

Beautiful work!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

View che's profile

che

123 posts in 922 days


posted 804 days ago

Looks Great. I would be very interested in how you did the secret box.

-- Che.

View Andy's profile

Andy

571 posts in 804 days


posted 804 days ago

Thank you all for posting such nice comments!
@Che-The hidden box is very simple,in this case it is about 4”W x 6”L x 3”D.It sets just under the top like a drawer would, but drops downward by reaching up and pulling on a strap I made from leather off of an old boot.The hardware is an Amerock hinge used for mounting a rack for cookbooks on the underside of an upper cabinet.It lets the box drop and move to the front, but a tipout tray hinge would work also.

-- " If I can make it,so can you" Andy in Oregon

View Dano's profile

Dano

217 posts in 928 days


posted 804 days ago

Beautiful, please post more pics!

-- Dan in Central Oklahoma, Able to turn good wood into saw dust in the blink of an eye!

View spoon's profile

spoon

5 posts in 818 days


posted 804 days ago

Great table, i like your details and choice in wood. Is that white or red oak, I always have a hard time telling if I can’t smell it. how did you decide on the “inlays” for your mortise work?

-- --Spoon

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

7657 posts in 1114 days


posted 804 days ago

Beautiful detail work, Andy!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View Robb's profile

Robb

356 posts in 830 days


posted 804 days ago

Fantastic, great job! I’d echo what’s been said above – I’d love to see some more pictures when you have time.

-- Robb

View Jeff's profile

Jeff

996 posts in 990 days


posted 804 days ago

Very nice. Can’t wait to see the other pics. Question: For your inlay accents, what was the process to clean them up? Planes or power sanding? Thanks.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

View Greg Mitchell's profile

Greg Mitchell

1383 posts in 965 days


posted 804 days ago

Beautiful table Andy. I love the detail work you did on it. Nice color also.

-- Greg Mitchell--Lowell, AR--gdamitchell@sbcglobal.net

View Bob Babcock's profile

Bob Babcock

1808 posts in 982 days


posted 804 days ago

Very, very nice. Can’t wait for more. Love the detail.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

View David's profile

David

1982 posts in 1035 days


posted 804 days ago

Andy -

Very nice clean work! Quite the teaser to only post one detail photo :-) !

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

View Don's profile

Don

2590 posts in 1073 days


posted 804 days ago

Wish we could see more of this. Your work is outstanding, James.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/

View Mark A. DeCou's profile

Mark A. DeCou

1537 posts in 1302 days


posted 804 days ago

beautiful looking so far. I am only able to see one photo, but what I have seen looks great. I like the use of walnut and quartersawn oak together, I have used that combination several times myself.

good posting,
Mark

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com

View dennis mitchell's profile

dennis mitchell

3790 posts in 1210 days


posted 803 days ago

View Chip's profile

Chip

1058 posts in 989 days


posted 802 days ago

More great work Andy. Your attention to detail is really wonderful. Looking forward to seeing more of your pieces and thanks for posting this.

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.

View Andy's profile

Andy

571 posts in 804 days


posted 802 days ago

Thank you all!
@Spoon-I do a mock up with scrap cubes of the contrasting wood, using double face tape,and keep playing with the arrangement until it looks right.I like to add a detail that works with the overall feel of the piece, but still keep it pretty simple.I always try to find the easiest and most repeatable way to do something, but never make two of the same thing.I get bored quite easily.
SO…..these “inlays” are simply 1/2” and 3/4” mortises cut using a benchtop mortiser.I am sure others know about this, but I had never seen it done before and came up with this simple effective way to add embelishments.It is quite straight forward to do, just mark equally spaced layout lines and set the chisel square to the fence or at an angle for the diamonds,flipping the board end for end and edge for edge for each setting. Simple. Dampen the surface to help prevent tearing around the perimeter of the mortises.Make your square stock to fit tight and only glue the bottom.You dont want glue showing, or need to use putty.I have used this for accents in cutting boards also, sometimes overlapping one color over another,and at odd angles.I will post some more in the future.

-- " If I can make it,so can you" Andy in Oregon

View Todd Thomas 's profile (online now)

Todd Thomas

4831 posts in 345 days


posted 308 days ago

as other have said the attention to detail is great….very nice looking table

-- Todd, Oak Ridge, TN, Hello my name is Todd and I'm a Toolholic, I bought my last tool 10 days, no 4 days, oh heck I bought a tool on the way here! †

View moshel's profile

moshel

478 posts in 580 days


posted 264 days ago

I hate to repeat what other said but… Beautiful table, amazing work. The mitred legs are impeccable, etc, etc

-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...

View Billp's profile (online now)

Billp

330 posts in 1096 days


posted 64 days ago

Great work, I have an elementary question? How do you do the drawer out of one board, how do you make the cut?

-- Billp

View Andy's profile

Andy

571 posts in 804 days


posted 64 days ago

Thanks Bill.
You can use a scroll saw and drill a hole and cut out the drawer face,sand both edges minimally so as not to have any larger gap than needed.

In this desk,I simply ripped the top and bottom off of the table front,then cross cut the ends off,making the drawer front the desired length.Realign the top,bottom with the short end pieces and carefully glue it all together leaving the hole in the center for the front.Carefully sand all the interior edges of the opening,and then ease the edges a little to prevent dents and chipping of the leading edges.Sand the four sides of the drawer front,but only as needed,this is important to keep the gap very small.Ease its edges too.
But…the real tricky part is making and installing the box,so that the drawer front will slide in and out smoothly and still maintain an even reveal,flush out with the face,and not have any slop.
Thats something you will just have to work through and will make sense as you start doing it.

Tips:

Turn the table upside down on a bench so it is at a comfortable height.
Put small wedges around the drawer face to even up the reveal and to hold it in place.
Make your box smaller than the opening by a fair bit to allow for adjustment.
Shim up the box off of the underside of the top until it is centered on the front,top-bottom and side-side.
Double stick tape to the front and put 2 screws in.
Then make your side rails and attach your hardware.Attach this to the underside of the top.

I promise this will make more sense when you are actually doing it.

Have fun.

-- " If I can make it,so can you" Andy in Oregon

View SCOTSMAN's profile

SCOTSMAN

2244 posts in 481 days


posted 64 days ago

Very nicely done this is abeauty.Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

View Billp's profile (online now)

Billp

330 posts in 1096 days


posted 64 days ago

Thanks Andy

-- Billp

View Dennis Zongker's profile

Dennis Zongker

1017 posts in 488 days


posted 47 days ago

Hi Andy, This is a very nice piece!!!

I haven’t seen you around lately. You must be taking a break. Are your working on your next master piece.

-- Dennis Zongker

View a1Jim's profile

a1Jim

16910 posts in 473 days


posted 47 days ago

I must have missed this in the past, wonderful work andy just out and out great.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

View Andy's profile

Andy

571 posts in 804 days


posted 46 days ago

Thanks Dennis,yes I am actually playing around with another box design.I am not sure it is as cool as I envisioned,but is an idea I have had for some time and had to pursue it.

Thanks you Jim!

-- " If I can make it,so can you" Andy in Oregon

View darryl's profile

darryl

1393 posts in 1222 days


posted 46 days ago

that is a truly beautiful piece, great work!
your son and daughter-in-law must be thrilled!

-- www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com

View Andy's profile

Andy

571 posts in 804 days


posted 46 days ago

Thank you Darryl,they were very surprised and excited.

-- " If I can make it,so can you" Andy in Oregon

View OhVlyArtisan's profile

OhVlyArtisan

200 posts in 16 days


posted 13 hours ago

Very nice table

-- God grant me the serenity to accept "design changes" which I can not "fix".

You must be signed in to post the comments.

  • View all advertisers
  • Advertise with us

DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. LJ will not be held liable for the actions of any user.

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

HomeRefurbers.com

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

GardenTenders.com :: gardening showcase