Coffee Table

hello Scott, welcome to LJ’s ! Like your table design. Ever get any compliments ?

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

thanks for your kind words Dan…quite a few people who have passed through the house compliment the table…i am not so sure it is the design, but the gorgeous figured maple…i have track lighting above it which at night gives a real 3 dimensional quality.

Another very nice piece. I too really like the design and the woods.

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

Really interesting design. It manages somehow to look modern and traditional at the same time, if that makes any sense.

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

this was really my first foray into using handtools for the bulk of the work. I did use a thickness planer and table saw (i hope that isn’t cheating) no sandpaper used. jointing and smoothing done with hand planes, tongue and groove done with shoulder plane. ebony plugs shaped with spoke shave.

What a great looking coffee table, i like the design.

-- Andy Stark

Hi Scott, welcome aboard. I am only new to LJ’s as well. A great family of fellow woodworkers. Very nice piece of furniture.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

looks good….........................

I was really anxious to see your work, and now it pays off! This is a great design. Really good taste.

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

Beautiful….now, my wife wants one too.

-- I'll see you on the Dark Side of the Moon

Excellent stuff Scott!

Rob

-- http://www.damnfinefurniture.com

Scott your work is impressive and to think that you can sing too.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

Great job! Nice contrasts in wood.

Gary

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

i appreciate all of your kind feedback; it helps my confidence as a young woodworker.

Time to pontificate, re. the concern about “cheating.” In my extremely humble opinion, a large measure of woodworking is using the right tool for the right job. If it works for you, it was the right tool, and there is no question of “cheating,” which seems to me to be a rather meaningless concept in this context. Now, if you were making something out of particleboard and claiming it was “solid wood,” that would be a different matter. I would consider that “cheating.” Using particleboard and being up front about it, however, would not be “cheating.” I believe that particleboard and other “man made” materials have a number of extremely valuable uses, such as sheathing and under-flooring, but I also think that many manufacturers try to make them do jobs for which they were never intended. I get kind of ambivalent about plywood. It’s sort of man made, but it’s also great stuff for shelves and such. I finally concluded after a short study of Gustav Stickley’s “philosophy” that he would not have objected to good quality plywood if used in appropriate ways (e.g., shelves and some carcases). He definitely had no problem with materials other than quartersawn white oak: he even recommended pine and redwood where they might be cheaper than white oak, and where a bulkier yet lighter “look” was desired. He made no bones about the fact that he selected white oak because it was the least expensive material available. (He also thought it very funny that part of the reason he managed to help develop the Arts and Crafts style was because he couldn’t afford the equipment to make a “fancier” product when he set up his first factory. Necessity in that case was the mother not only of invention, but of creativity.) Oh, yeah. Did I mention it is beautiful work? I get sidetracked easily. (No!)

-- Hibernicvs

Nice work! great colors!

-- I love this site !

I like the philosophy of “if ti works, use it” .. no apologies.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

That came out nice. It’s quite appealing to look at, especially in it’s functional place.

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

Beautiful piece, & great craftsmanship.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

The wood is beautiful, but don’t let it take all the credit. The table looks great and I’d put it in my living room for sure.

-- Jason, AL

I am glad this came out of the archives so I could see ti. Nice work.

WOW! Nice job! I am saving this one to “Ideas” folder.

Chesapeake Bob

-- Chesapeake Bob, Southern Maryland

When I was first getting started in my woodworking hobby, I had a good friend who was a very talented carpenter, and an even more talented woodcraftsman, watch over me and comment on my efforts. As a rank novice, his critiques and his advice were very important to me. When I told him I was hand cutting my dovetails he nearly fell on the floor in mirth and dismay. “Why waste the time? You can set a whole box with a router and jig in less time than it takes to sharpen a chisel.” He was right. I explained that I was in no hurry, and that it gave me time to think the job through when I used hand tools. But I took what he said to heart. When it made no sense either esthetically, or mechanically to use a hand tool, when I could use something powered, I try to use the power tool. Of course I still drive all my screws by hand a refuse to buy one of those expensive battery thingys. So what I’m saying is, it is not cheating to use power tools where power tools are right. It is not better to use hand tools when it makes no sense. It’s about fun, pleasure, results, and, yes, ecenomics as well.

BTW. Very impressive work young man. Very impressive indeed!

-- Whatever