| Project by Christian Easley | posted 567 days ago | 1208 views | 6 times favorited | 38 comments | ![]() |
![]() |
My very first table I created in my woods class for College. I learned a lot….
- Dont stain Maple
- Bent laminations
- Dowel Joinery
- and more
tell me what you think
In some of the photos you might notice at the of the dowell joints I had some difficulty sanding the surface….please dont make fun of me. I know what to do now and would like to make this table again only better.
Thanks for the feedback LJ is a website I’ve been looking for, for a long time.
































38 comments so far
darryl
home | projects | blog
1393 posts in 1222 days
posted 567 days ago
I’m not seeing anything that could cause you to be made fun of.
It’s a great looking table with an elegant design.
can’t wait to see your next one!
-- www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com
Chris
home | projects | blog
1469 posts in 887 days
posted 567 days ago
Christian,
I seriously doubt you will have people make fun of you here. Generally you will find most folks to be encouraging and helpful.
This is a real nice looking piece of work; it has a nice modern airy “feel” to it. Not to mention it’s one more table than I have made…. :)
Also, why the comment on not staining Maple?
-- Chris
Christian Easley
home | projects | blog
9 posts in 567 days
posted 567 days ago
In my personal opinion from what I have seen with my table and others from my class, I dont recommend staining maple. I feel it steals the good qualities of the maple. (Disclaimer: I am pretty new to staining dont take my opinion personal)
Peter O
home | projects | blog
1023 posts in 770 days
posted 567 days ago
This is a beautiful and unusual piece. Well done! Maple has a beautiful and subtle grain pattern that is easily obsucred by stain. I like it natural, too.
-- http://www.north40custom.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --
jockmike2
home | projects | blog
7325 posts in 1143 days
posted 567 days ago
Hey buddy I have a whole kitchen full of unstained maple cupboards and could’nt agree with you more, maple is a beautiful wood w/ or w/o stain I prefer, if anything, a very light stain just to enhance the grain. That table needs no apologizes. It is beautiful, original and stands on its own merit. Keep up the great work, I haven’t made a table that big either. mike
-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com
Betsy
home | projects | blog
2386 posts in 792 days
posted 567 days ago
I think the table is quite nice. Honestly though, the only one who really sees your “mistakes” is you. Unless it’s dramatic no one else will notice—- unless you point it out.
Nice job!
-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.
lew
home | projects | blog
4490 posts in 651 days
posted 567 days ago
Christian,
Beautiful Table!
Lew
brianinpa
home | projects | blog
1365 posts in 619 days
posted 567 days ago
I have to agree with you: “Don’t stain maple.” That is one beautiful table and the way I see it you do not have anything to be ashamed of with your first table. Keep up the great work.
-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.
Grumpy
home | projects | blog
14926 posts in 747 days
posted 567 days ago
Great design Christian. nicely finished.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
hisparadox
home | projects | blog
15 posts in 634 days
posted 567 days ago
I love the design of it
Kipster
home | projects | blog
1072 posts in 649 days
posted 567 days ago
I think your Table is well designed. Don’t think I could suggest any improvements.
You are off to a great start. So, relax and enjoy your craft.
-- Kip Northern Illinois ( If you don't know where your goin any road will take you there) George Harrison
Scott Bryan
home | projects | blog
20707 posts in 718 days
posted 567 days ago
Christian,
That is a beautiful table and I really like the construction and design. There is nothing but praise that should be said about the table.
Well done.
The only comment I would make is that I have stained maple. I used to be a Minwax Early American addict. I have stained several pieces of maple furniture that I refinished and they came out beautifully. But, for Christmas, I made my mother-in-law a microwave cabinet out of maple and used trans tint dyes on it because (1) Minwax has changed their formulation for the Early American product and (2) I wanted to match her existing cabinetry. The bottom line is I did not like the color and wished I had simply left it with a natural finish. But she was happy with it. So I would agree with you that maple is pretty enough to be left as a natural finish unless you have some compelling reason to try and stain it- realizing, of course, that it will be a challenge to do so.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
Roper
home | projects | blog
767 posts in 609 days
posted 567 days ago
nice table christian, for a first one you got it all right. what school are you in ? i just finished my second sem. at red rocks and i love it there.good luck bro.
-- Roper - Master of sawdust-
Brad_Nailor
home | projects | blog
1218 posts in 853 days
posted 567 days ago
I think it looks unusual and very cool! Nice work all around and yes..I have never had much luck getting maple to stain evenly…I think it looks just fine au natural!
-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"
Dusty56
home | projects | blog
3470 posts in 584 days
posted 567 days ago
I wish that I could be the one bragging that I had built this table ! Great job and don’t mess with Maple !!!(staining it )
-- 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 .
GaryK
home | projects | blog
9533 posts in 884 days
posted 567 days ago
Great looking table!
I wouldn’t stain maple, but I would dye it everytime I needed something darker or colored.
Dye works great!
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
TomK
home | projects | blog
504 posts in 770 days
posted 567 days ago
Thanks for sharing your project. It looks great!
-- If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it's free! PJ O'Rourke
bfd
home | projects | blog
419 posts in 703 days
posted 567 days ago
Hi Christian,
This is a great looking table man! I really like the form. Like yourself I personally don’t stain maple. its closed grain doesn’t take stain evenly. I do agree with Gary, however, if you are going to color maple your best bet is with a dye.
-- Brian, Folsom, CA http://www.brianfullerdesigns.com
bake
home | projects | blog
41 posts in 573 days
posted 567 days ago
really classy. like the liteweight feel it has.
-- The only thing wrong with instant gratification is that it's not fast enough.
MSRiverdog
home | projects | blog
39 posts in 632 days
posted 567 days ago
I’ve stained Maple a few timesto bring out grain but only high figured stuff. I like the design and the dowels coming through makes the piece more interesting. It gives me a couple ideas.
-- http://www.riverviewwoodworking.com
sjdickey
home | projects | blog
64 posts in 694 days
posted 567 days ago
Very nice table. I like the design. Hope you got an “A”!
BarryW
home | projects | blog
872 posts in 802 days
posted 567 days ago
great design…I guess if I were going to be rough…and critique it roughly…like a professor or teacher might…well, I don’t have enough experience at this to do that. I do some dumb things in my shop and make mistakes…mistakes I’m learning from. You’re in college….years younger than I…and learning from pros…I have to teach myself using books and this kind of website. But I would be interested in hearing back from you what your profs said about it…what the pros noticed or nitpicked…that might teach me and others here something we wouldn’t have seen.
-- /\/\/\ BarryW /\/\/\ Stay so busy you don't have time to die.
lazyfiremaninTN
home | projects | blog
528 posts in 849 days
posted 567 days ago
At least you didn’t paint walnut.
This looks great and keep up the good work.
-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"
Douglas Bordner
home | projects | blog
3424 posts in 960 days
posted 567 days ago
Oh jeez, Adrian – Deb will never be free of her one walnut peccadillo.
Christian, I like what I am seeing.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
Karson
home | projects | blog
25802 posts in 1296 days
posted 567 days ago
The table is great. Nice design.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
Boon
home | projects | blog
65 posts in 715 days
posted 567 days ago
awesome table, im totally stealing this design!
-- www.jonboon.info - more crap coming soon!
moshel
home | projects | blog
478 posts in 580 days
posted 567 days ago
very nice! i liked the way the bent part is connected to the leg! very nice and very strong.
as every one else said – only the maker can see the faults…
-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...
jcees
home | projects | blog
552 posts in 695 days
posted 567 days ago
Nice work, Christian. You’re like most of us, we know where our mistakes are and we get better at hiding them as time goes on. Keep it up. Great design.
always,
J.C.
-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein
jjohn
home | projects | blog
391 posts in 610 days
posted 567 days ago
I see nothing here that you have to apologize for. Great first attempt. How that you have learned how to correct the sanding the next one will be even better. I know you had to have gotten a good grade for this project. Very nicely done.
Also…That’s not what we are all about here. I never see anyone making fun (Hurtful) with another persons efforts. We too had to make mistakes to learn how to do it better next time.
-- JJohn
Todd A. Clippinger
home | projects | blog
5648 posts in 995 days
posted 566 days ago
This is an incredibly ambitious first project.
Don’t worry about the technical aspect of fit and finish too much. You had a lot going on for a first table and I think that you did a great job.
The proportions and balance look good. The visual appeal is extremely high. This is a great piece.
One idea begets another. You have created this table and I have no doubt that it has inspired more ideas. They may be variations on this theme or complimentary pieces. Your skills will improve with each project as well, I have no doubt.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
motthunter
home | projects | blog
2079 posts in 695 days
posted 566 days ago
really looks great
-- making sawdust....
Blake
home | projects | blog
2760 posts in 770 days
posted 566 days ago
This is really a nice table. I agree… I never stain any hardwoods. The natural color of the wood is beautiful enough. I let it speak for itself.
-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com
Jon3
home | projects | blog
439 posts in 1001 days
posted 566 days ago
Very nice design. Don’t worry about people mocking you, we’re pretty relaxed here.
I have to agree, Maple can be really attractive unstained. There are some interesting ways in which you can make grain patterns more pronounced though, especially when there’s good figure.
Billp
home | projects | blog
330 posts in 1096 days
posted 566 days ago
That is a great design and nice execution. Seems like every thing I make something I make a new mistake, but that’s how we learn.
-- Billp
Mark Shymanski
home | projects | blog
1555 posts in 609 days
posted 566 days ago
Great piece, interesting comment about staining maple. Its good to see that others like the look of maple as it is.
-- ...it's rennovation time!!!
matt garcia
home | projects | blog
722 posts in 568 days
posted 565 days ago
I love it. Looks very challenging, but you know me, I love joinery!! I don’t like to stain either.
-- Matt, Houston Texas
mzmac
home | projects | blog
76 posts in 563 days
posted 562 days ago
There is nothing to make fun of. This table is a solid build. Well executed
ND2ELK
home | projects | blog
6205 posts in 670 days
posted 561 days ago
After being a furniture designer for over 35 years, I cannot see anything wrong with your table. Your design is good and I always have like a natural finish. You did a beautiful job on this table. Thanks for posting.
God Bless
tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa