LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Project Information

I just finished off building this hall table for my own home as a functional piece AND to be used to illustrate certain joinery methods and design principles to my prospective clients.

Dimensions: 1350mm wide x 300mm deep x 850mm high
Material: Redgum legs and highly figured drawer fronts. Tasmanian Oak rails and drawer guides. Myrtle top with Redgum bowties.

The design was based around 'making use of a terrible live edge slab' which was well and truly bowed and sun checked on one side with some minor through and through checks. The slab was also quite narrow, only being a max width of 280mm on one end and about 250mm on the other. So I designed the piece to have the lower frame being wider than the top. I think it looks pretty cool and definitely unique.

Due to the severe bow in the top board, I cut it in two which reduces the bow dramatically. Then I wanted the top to be floating and I also wanted two drawers. So a little messing around with Sketchup and the design sprung to life as if it was always meant to be.

Employing the use of sliding dovetails, mortice and tenon, breadboard ends, bowties, through and half blind dovetails, this hall table was brought to life over the course of about 2 months between other projects and working full time.

I filmed the building for my YouTube channel "Kuffys Woodwork". Feel free to take a look.


View on YouTube

Thanks for looking and let me know what you think.

Gallery

Comments

· Registered
Joined
·
20,030 Posts
Very nice work. Should get attention.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
134 Posts
Nicely done.
I really like the floating effect you achieved here.
And congrats on nice crisp joinery.
A sign of ability and PATIENCE !!!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
4 Posts
Thanks guys. I am happy with it and now I have a single piece to explain to clients what a dovetailed drawer is, what sliding dovetails are, what is a dust panel, what I mean when I say undercut bevel on the top etc. It beats having to quickly grab a couple of pieces of scrap timber and wave my hands in the air trying to explain something which they care little about :D Though knowing my luck, someone will want to buy it in the near future (I don't know why that feels like a bad thing????)
 

· Registered
Joined
·
0 Posts
Beautiful mate.
 

· Banned
Joined
·
18,919 Posts
all I can say is-I LOVE IT!peace my friend.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
665 Posts
If you're gonna do all this work, why force it with "making use of a terrible live edge slab"?

Doesn't make any sense to me.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
4 Posts
If you re gonna do all this work, why force it with "making use of a terrible live edge slab"?

Doesn t make any sense to me.

- gargey
I work with what I have. Others are quick to put anything which involves "slightly" more work into the too hard basket and walk away. I say "slightly" because even if the slab was top grade, dead straight with no defects, I would have had to do everything except for filling the underside sun checking with epoxy which took me all of 10 minutes…and the bowties would have looked funny if I was one of "those guys" which installs bowties for the sake of it rather than ONLY using them to tie two pieces together structurally or to stabilise through and through checks. The option for that slab if it wasn't suitable for this project is to send it straight into the chipper, for which I would deserve a solid uppercut to the chin for being wasteful due to a lack of creativity, skill and effort.
 

· Banned
Joined
·
18,919 Posts
well said kuffy one mans firewood is another mans beautiful furniture.and as I said I think this is beautiful,but to each his own.keep em comin bro.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
4 Posts
Thanks Pottz. I've gotta get out into the garage now as I can hear the neighbours beginning to stir so it is time to make sure they are well and truly awake. First job, 300mm wide planing through the thicknesser :D
 

· Banned
Joined
·
18,919 Posts
have you talked with rob castle hes from your neck of the woods,if not check him out,he'll keep ypu entertained-peace bud.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
665 Posts
I think you took my comment the wrong way, a little bit. I don't mean that you shouldn't have put in the effort. I mean that you could have chosen an optimal piece of wood for the purpose, rather than forcing that one (which is how I understand the situation from how you described it).

And if you did choose a different slab or boards for the top, it doesn't mean you'd have to waste that one. You could rip it into some boards or something.

I work with what I have. Others are quick to put anything which involves "slightly" more work into the too hard basket and walk away. I say "slightly" because even if the slab was top grade, dead straight with no defects, I would have had to do everything except for filling the underside sun checking with epoxy which took me all of 10 minutes…and the bowties would have looked funny if I was one of "those guys" which installs bowties for the sake of it rather than ONLY using them to tie two pieces together structurally or to stabilise through and through checks. The option for that slab if it wasn t suitable for this project is to send it straight into the chipper, for which I would deserve a solid uppercut to the chin for being wasteful due to a lack of creativity, skill and effort.
- Kuffy
 

· Registered
Joined
·
2,242 Posts
Very nice job on this floating table
 
Top