| Project by Bob O'Brien | posted 85 days ago | 268 views | 1 time favorited | 9 comments | ![]() |
This is the first serious project to come out of my shop after spending months just setting it up and building things like storage carts. I designed the table in SketchUp (see image with transparency turned on), which allowed me to work out the joinery in detail. As an architect, I have been a SketchUp user for years, so this was a failrly easy transition.
The table has 1-1/2-inch two-sided tapered legs, a 3/4-inch top with pegged, mortise-and-tenon breadboard ends, and 3/4-inch aprons. To add detail to the aprons, I wanted to place three 3/4-inch square holes at the midpoint of each side. I first considered cutting these out with mortise chisels, but then decided instead to avoid the end grain in the holes by building up the rails with the 3/4-inch strip surrounding the holes made of cherry with the grain running vertically. The holes were not cut, but assembled using a jig. To reinforce the end-grain glue joint that was inevitable in this assembly, I screwed the pieces together from the top. The strength of the rails is not really compromised because, like any beam, the stress is greatest at the top and bottom and least at the center. I think the grain reversal gives an interesting visual texture that would have been missing if I had cut the holes in a single board.
The fabrication was accomplished with a combination of power and hand tools. I cut the mortises with a router and chisels; cut the tenons and tapered the legs on the table saw, fine tuning with hand planes; and did all of the sanding with a Festool Rotex orbital sander. For the finish I used Minwax Clear Satin Wipe-On Poly, which after 4 coats produced a tough, smooth finish.
I plan to continue to develop this design with other tables, perhaps working next on a coffee table version.
-- Bob
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9 comments so far
lew
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1232 posts in 236 days
posted 85 days ago
Great looking table!
Lew
Dusty56
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1156 posts in 169 days
posted 85 days ago
nice table …how about a close up of the holes that aren’t holes , please ?
-- Dusty56@comcast.net
tenontim
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913 posts in 225 days
posted 85 days ago
Very clean design, Bob, nice lines to it. Look forward to seeing the rest of the series of this design. Thanks for the post.
-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com
Greg Wurst
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412 posts in 313 days
posted 85 days ago
Great job! That’s a very nice table.
CharlieM1958
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4169 posts in 699 days
posted 85 days ago
Very elegant and detail-rich table, Bob. Great work!
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
ND2ELK
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2458 posts in 254 days
posted 84 days ago
Hi Bob
Exquisite detail and design. You did a beautiful job on this table. Thanks for posting.
God Bless
tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
trifern
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3967 posts in 248 days
posted 84 days ago
Very nice end table. Thank you for sharing.
-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.
daveintexas
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203 posts in 357 days
posted 83 days ago
That is a nice design. Very clean.
-- MISSION FURNITURE-My mission is to build furniture
DAN
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3187 posts in 463 days
posted 28 days ago
Good work Bob ! Looking forward to your next project posting. Very crisp design.
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