# Myrtle Anniversary Shaker Table



## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*The Beginning*

Wood is the traditional present to celebrate 5 years of happy marriage. With this inspiration I've decided to make for us a family dinning table in the same style as the shaker trestle I built in 2008.









The timber (from Boutique Timbers) is Tasmania Myrtle (Nothofagus Cunninghamii). I have 6 1" boards of fiddle back, and 6 2" slabs (with faults) to make the project from.


















The overall style will be the same as the 2008 Blackbutt table. The size is slightly larger 1m x 2m (cf: 1.8m x 0.9m). The legs will be slightly wider, but the same height. The some complex difference is in the top. Because the centre boards are only 20mm machined, I will be edging the top with 40mm stock and have cross braces underneath. (Don't worry I've considered wood expansion.)










I haven't decided on chairs or table. I would love shaker chairs, but lack a lath and time. The main complaints I hear about the 2008 table are the lack of backs on the benches. Still pondering.


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *The Beginning*
> 
> Wood is the traditional present to celebrate 5 years of happy marriage. With this inspiration I've decided to make for us a family dinning table in the same style as the shaker trestle I built in 2008.
> 
> ...


I am looking forward to seeing the fiddleback in that myrtle.. and will be watching as you progress with the build…
thanks.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

DoctorDan said:


> *The Beginning*
> 
> Wood is the traditional present to celebrate 5 years of happy marriage. With this inspiration I've decided to make for us a family dinning table in the same style as the shaker trestle I built in 2008.
> 
> ...


That looks good.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Getting Dressed in the Morning*

The first step in furniture construction involves transforming the rough timber (cut in a paddock from a fallen tree and then air dried) into flat and square timber. This process is called 'dressing' the timber or because it is often done by machine 'machining'.

Takings rough timber…









... and making it flat and four square.









For the technique I use to dress timber check out the blog - Getting Dressed in the Morning @ The Love Of Wood.


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Getting Dressed in the Morning*
> 
> The first step in furniture construction involves transforming the rough timber (cut in a paddock from a fallen tree and then air dried) into flat and square timber. This process is called 'dressing' the timber or because it is often done by machine 'machining'.
> 
> ...


Good start!


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Sticking Together - Glue Up Tips*

*Gluing Tips*
1. Always do a dry a fit. Always. Put everything together without glue and make sure it fits firmly with out a slight tap or pressure.
2. Have all your clamps, cawls, and protective scraps at the ready.
3. You can always use more clamps (usually you'll need a clamp at least every 30cm.)
4. Understand your glue. Wood glues (eg. PVA) absorb into the wood and cross link. Zero gap is good for these glues. Epoxies can bridge small gaps and act as space fillers. Hide glue is warm water soluble which has advantages and disadvantages.
5. Glue up in stages. By gluing small sections together, and then joining those sections, you'll reduce the amount of wet glue surface at any one time and reduce the number of clamps needed.

*Shaker Table*
Have a look at the glue up stage of my current build the shaker inspired table @ the love of wood.

As always comments and suggestions welcome.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Ewww Pretty*

The center pieces for the Shaker Table is fiddleback (an alternating grain pattern) Tasmania Myrtle (Nothofagus Cunninghamii). Although, I've had the timber for 12 months, only now that it's dressed I can start to appreciate the colours and grain. In these photos I've splashed the table with some methylated spirits to show how the timber would looked like oiled.

Timber sourced from Boutique Timbers.


















We've had some debate at the Woodwork Forums about pro's and con's of staining that white patch (see here). I'm going to wait until it's flattened and review it then. I'm very hesitant to change it.


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## Eagle1 (Jan 4, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *Ewww Pretty*
> 
> The center pieces for the Shaker Table is fiddleback (an alternating grain pattern) Tasmania Myrtle (Nothofagus Cunninghamii). Although, I've had the timber for 12 months, only now that it's dressed I can start to appreciate the colours and grain. In these photos I've splashed the table with some methylated spirits to show how the timber would looked like oiled.
> 
> ...


Looks like you got a great start..


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Ewww Pretty*
> 
> The center pieces for the Shaker Table is fiddleback (an alternating grain pattern) Tasmania Myrtle (Nothofagus Cunninghamii). Although, I've had the timber for 12 months, only now that it's dressed I can start to appreciate the colours and grain. In these photos I've splashed the table with some methylated spirits to show how the timber would looked like oiled.
> 
> ...


Very nice wood. You will have a beautiful table top. I like the variation in color that comes from wood - light patches add interest.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Breadboards*

Last week I've made some solid progress on the top. I have all four braces now installed and made headway on the breadboards. The breadboards need some fine tuning to get a good fit. I don't want to make them too lose so I'm waiting for a bit of time to re-sharpen the plane for some trial and error.




























I've uploaded pics to the blog of the steps involved.

Part 1 - The Design
Part 2 - The Mortises
Part 3 - The Tenons
Asutralian Woodwork Forums


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## schloemoe (May 10, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *Breadboards*
> 
> Last week I've made some solid progress on the top. I have all four braces now installed and made headway on the breadboards. The breadboards need some fine tuning to get a good fit. I don't want to make them too lose so I'm waiting for a bit of time to re-sharpen the plane for some trial and error.
> 
> ...


Going to be nice when it's done….................................Schloemoe


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Square Peg in a Round Hole (aka. Making Dowel)*

As a little indulgence I'm going to use ebony dowel (disopyros sp.) for the joinery in the Anniversary Table. I purchased this small piece from Trend Timbers at the Sydney Wood Show which today I started forming into dowel.

In the past I've used a small lathe to produce dowel for a similar purchase (see rosewood turnings.) Although you can purchase high quality dowel plates, it's actually not too hard to make your own. Today I'm going to use a shop made dowel plate from a tip from Hendrik Varju (from Passion for Wood.)










Simply take a spare metal bracket, a high quality drill bit, and drill the size you want. In this case ~10.5mm.










Being careful not to waste wood, I cut 11×11mm pieces. (The missing section was the test piece.)










Next you need to whittle or shave the piece to rough shape taking off the corners.










The dowel plate makes the final shape as you move the piece gently through with a big hammer.










Three down… seven to go. As always I'm happy to hear any comments or suggestions.

More pics and details at the blog.


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## schloemoe (May 10, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *Square Peg in a Round Hole (aka. Making Dowel)*
> 
> As a little indulgence I'm going to use ebony dowel (disopyros sp.) for the joinery in the Anniversary Table. I purchased this small piece from Trend Timbers at the Sydney Wood Show which today I started forming into dowel.
> 
> ...


Sure seems like a lot of work but I'll bet the end result is worth it….............................Schloemoe


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Flat Top*

Breadboards attached…









Dowels In Situ…

















Table Flattened…









Ready for sanding…

More info on the blog.


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## dub560 (Jun 4, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *Flat Top*
> 
> Breadboards attached…
> 
> ...


looks good so far eh?


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Flat Top*
> 
> Breadboards attached…
> 
> ...


Gotta love that Myrtle…. so sweet….


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Sneak Peak: The tabletop after a coat of oil...*


























Flattening the top by hand with a Stanley no 7 resulted in some mild tear out. Switching to abrasives, I used a belt sander (120grit) and a random orbit sander (120 to 1200 grit.) At around 600 grit I coated the top with a diluted coat of UBeaut White Shellac which acts as a pore sealer and allows the oil to penetrate more easily. The oil of choice for this job is Organoil Hard Bunishing Oil is a tung oil based product (see Stu's Shed.) Only a thin coat is needed, the excess rubbed off at 30min, and then with micromesh wet dry sanded moist at 1500 grit. Another thin coat, and burnishing to 3200 is the plan.

Prior to this a trimmer router with a 1/8" CMT bit rounded the edges, and a saw/rasp/sand paper rounded the corners to 20c piece radius.

The timber is fiddleback Tasmanian Myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii) from Boutique Timbers with Ebony dowel (Diospyros sp.) from Trend Timbers.


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## Marc5 (Apr 1, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Sneak Peak: The tabletop after a coat of oil...*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sweet top!


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## Robb (Aug 18, 2007)

DoctorDan said:


> *Sneak Peak: The tabletop after a coat of oil...*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That myrtle is gorgeous! I wasn't sure what it was; it almost looked like figured cherry to me. I can't wait to see it with all the finish on. Keep up the good work.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Woe is me... Curved Legs Aren't Simple*

Woe is me.

I can't decide on the legs. The ideal plan would be to steam bend, or laminate the legs.

The short grain weakness is the problem…

If I laminate I don't think I could to the tight curve of the foot and would need to attach a foot… which would be obvious.

If I steam bent and then laminate I could make all the curves… but I can't think of a mould to do it…

It is possible to do all of this… but I only have 4 days to do it… no steaming gear…. and no success on the first mould…



















At this rate… I may end up cutting it from straight grain solid timber… drilling up the leg and inserted an unglued steel rod… that'll fix it… but it ain't classy.


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Woe is me... Curved Legs Aren't Simple*
> 
> Woe is me.
> 
> ...


Certainly a dilemma….


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Woe is me... Curved Legs Aren't Simple*
> 
> Woe is me.
> 
> ...


Nice design!

An idea would be to layer up thinner pieces with grain running at different directions. Maybe three layers. The two outer layers could be a thin slab with grain running horizontal as in your picture. The center layer could be much thicker and consist of two pieces meeting in the center - each running parallel to curve of the leg.

Just a thought.


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## DenverDave (Aug 6, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *Woe is me... Curved Legs Aren't Simple*
> 
> Woe is me.
> 
> ...


Looks like a beautiful table. How about making the curved piece out of two boards glued together in a "V" shape?


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Shaker Bench Design*










I'd like some feed back on some bench design modification. I'm attempting to remake this traditional shaker table and bench with back support. The design calls for a flat bench, parallel to the floor. I've sloped mine slightly (20mm over the 300mm width.) I'm also using thicker material 40mm cf. 16mm.


























Any feedback will be welcome.

SketchUp Examples
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=15b3111c1611c2e5738e43095496b061&prevstart=0








http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=f8d42c0e415ca0b738e43095496b061&prevstart=0








http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=fe47a607ef75f2f9310af74324aae27f&prevstart=0


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## jlsmith5963 (Mar 26, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Shaker Bench Design*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Daniel

Based on the way they lived the Shakers made sure their designs were light so they could be easily moved about (or lifted to be stored hung on the wall). Thus, physical lightness of form (which results in visual lightness) is an essential aspect of the Shaker aesthetic. Using thicker material will effect the 'line' of the form and the ease of it's use (physically moving it). While you are certainly free to do as you wish, the thicker, heavier dimensions aren't consistent with the Shakers notion of form and practicality.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*The Legs (Thanks for the Tip DenverDave)*

The legs. I've debated the leg long and hard. Thought of steam bending, bent lamination, straight grain timber, and combinations of the above. In the end I decided to join two pieces to maximize long grain strength… which of course means a joint in the middle.










After making a template, rough cutting and machining the piece, I then used a jigsaw to cut a closer but still rough outline of the leg.










Using a chisel, a marking knife and some patients I outlined my cuts.










































And then started making some cuts…


















Which made me a tail…









...and some pins…









With a bit of glue I got a rather nice joint.

















Though, like all wood workers I'm my own worse critic. There are some gabs in the joint and between the two pieces. Some will need filling, some may need to be made a 'feature' of to correct. (Eg. one side as a 1-2mm gap on the face side, this may be replaced with a strip of timber mrytle or perhaps ebony.)

For those wondering about how the vertical leg piece will attach. I plan to use two small wedged m&t joints either side of the sliding dovetail.


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## dub560 (Jun 4, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *The Legs (Thanks for the Tip DenverDave)*
> 
> The legs. I've debated the leg long and hard. Thought of steam bending, bent lamination, straight grain timber, and combinations of the above. In the end I decided to join two pieces to maximize long grain strength… which of course means a joint in the middle.
> 
> ...


that's some badass hand skills you got there man. keep them pictures coming


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## Cozmo35 (Feb 1, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *The Legs (Thanks for the Tip DenverDave)*
> 
> The legs. I've debated the leg long and hard. Thought of steam bending, bent lamination, straight grain timber, and combinations of the above. In the end I decided to join two pieces to maximize long grain strength… which of course means a joint in the middle.
> 
> ...


Daniel, great job on the legs! I do inlay from time to time and there are almost always imperfections that need to be dealt with. I use the dust from my belt sander that accumulates when sanding the same type of wood that needs the gaps filled. I mix some wood glue to make a paste. Fill the gaps and sand it. Keep repeating this process and the gaps will fill to where they are undetectable by even the "worse critic"...aka - You.


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## DenverDave (Aug 6, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *The Legs (Thanks for the Tip DenverDave)*
> 
> The legs. I've debated the leg long and hard. Thought of steam bending, bent lamination, straight grain timber, and combinations of the above. In the end I decided to join two pieces to maximize long grain strength… which of course means a joint in the middle.
> 
> ...


Nice craftsmanship!


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

DoctorDan said:


> *The Legs (Thanks for the Tip DenverDave)*
> 
> The legs. I've debated the leg long and hard. Thought of steam bending, bent lamination, straight grain timber, and combinations of the above. In the end I decided to join two pieces to maximize long grain strength… which of course means a joint in the middle.
> 
> ...


Cool


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Ebony on my Curvy Legs...*


































Quick post to show the hand cut ebony inlay. 
After reading the latest FWW I'm inspired to make some ebony wedges for the stretcher which should match the vertical lines of the inlay.


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

DoctorDan said:


> *Ebony on my Curvy Legs...*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I like the it


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Ebony on my Curvy Legs...*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Comming along swimmingly…


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Tenon testing my new LN Saws*

As always in woodworking the first step is marking out. To form the tenon I needed to remove 6mm of material on each face, and 15mm at each edge. For this task I use a vesper marking knife, a veritas wheel guage, and a square. (See layout tips.)










The first cut is done with my 14" LN rip tenon saw to cut down each face.










Under the dust you can see I'm using a Bench Crafted vice in the sliding position to secure the piece. A simple tip from Derek Cohen  was to have the board at an angle away from me, changes the rake vs fiber angle, and greatly eased the sawing action.










Contrary to how this photos appears I do actually saw with my eyes open.










The next step, using the rip saw again, is to cut down each edge. 
To remove the waste material at the shoulder, I secured the piece with a bench dog and hold fast, and used a cross cut saw to cut down the shoulder.










And there we go. One tenon ready for a little tidying with a rabbet plane for a nice snug fit into the mortise.


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## lanwater (May 14, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *Tenon testing my new LN Saws*
> 
> As always in woodworking the first step is marking out. To form the tenon I needed to remove 6mm of material on each face, and 15mm at each edge. For this task I use a vesper marking knife, a veritas wheel guage, and a square. (See layout tips.)
> 
> ...


The tenon looks good. I also like the saw. 
The marks left on tenon are better than the one made with a dado stack.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*?Curve the upright?*










I've got the legs together now. I feel the upright is a little thick. I'm thinking of bowing the sides with a gentle curve of about 1-1.5cm in from each side. What are peoples thoughts? I thought to centre it or have it off centre opposite to where the stretcher tennon will come through.


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *?Curve the upright?*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


First look and I would agree..Need a little thinning..


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

DoctorDan said:


> *?Curve the upright?*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I agree also


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## Maggiepic (Aug 26, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *?Curve the upright?*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


3rd that opinion. It would blend well with the rest of the curves.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Leg Joinery*


























Here's some pictures of the joinery. All done by hand (except my coping saw blade broke and the jigsaw was closer than the store.) I had a bit of a blow out while chiseling from the top, still have the piece to go back in. I think I'll end up wedging all the tenons. You'll notice the two bottom ones are different sizes to allow for the sliding dovetail.


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Leg Joinery*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Coming along nicely.


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## Marc5 (Apr 1, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Leg Joinery*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looking good. Keep posting your progress.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Shaping the Bench Legs*

With the (near) completion of the Christmas Boxes I've had some time to work on the Anniversary Table. Over the past two days I've worked on shaping the blanks I prepared back in October. The two benches will have three solid legs. Each leg is made of ~40mm Tas. Mrytle. The back is formed by a straight taper and a gentle curve. The front has a gentle curve to match the table leg (seen in the background.) The detail is an ellipse found in traditional design.



















The boards behind the first picture will become the seat and the back rest. I am debating on including a stretched under the seat. In Shaker furniture this added strength to the 3/4" timber, but here it'll be purely aesthetic. I feel it shall balance the ellipse and the front curve to have a stretcher ~70mm from the front.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Shaping the Bench Legs*
> 
> With the (near) completion of the Christmas Boxes I've had some time to work on the Anniversary Table. Over the past two days I've worked on shaping the blanks I prepared back in October. The two benches will have three solid legs. Each leg is made of ~40mm Tas. Mrytle. The back is formed by a straight taper and a gentle curve. The front has a gentle curve to match the table leg (seen in the background.) The detail is an ellipse found in traditional design.
> 
> ...


Dan: The Shaker benches are coming along nicely….I really like building Shaker furniture. It's my favorite type of all to build. Keep on keeping on with it….you'll get there…..lol.


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

DoctorDan said:


> *Shaping the Bench Legs*
> 
> With the (near) completion of the Christmas Boxes I've had some time to work on the Anniversary Table. Over the past two days I've worked on shaping the blanks I prepared back in October. The two benches will have three solid legs. Each leg is made of ~40mm Tas. Mrytle. The back is formed by a straight taper and a gentle curve. The front has a gentle curve to match the table leg (seen in the background.) The detail is an ellipse found in traditional design.
> 
> ...


Looking good mate..


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Nearly somewhere to sit...*

I was getting a bit worried that this 'woodworking blog' had very little actually 'woodworking'. However with better weather, a dust extractor back in action, and some free time; today I was able to get back to work on the Anniversary Shaker table. The two benches are nearly ready for sanding and finishing. The various sections will be glued and screwed together, with the screws covered in ebony plugs.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*So that's what it'll look like...*

The Anniversary table has been a long time in the coming. To check proportions and decide on final sizing and shaping I assembled the piece in our small courtyard. The shaker inspired modern table is a 2×1m trestle table with two benches capable of sitting eight comfortably.


















The benches will be assembled with long screws covered by ebony plugs - keeping the detail of the top.


















In the shaker design which uses 3/4" timber (cf. 1 1/2" timber in my piece) there is a stretcher beneath the benches to prevent racking and increase strength. Although this is not needed with the thicker timber I plan to add a smaller stretcher for aesthetics.

The top I've had completed and finished for nearly 6 months. Given the heat we've had lately the top has shrunk about 1.5cm across it's 1m width. The breadboards were designed for 2cm of movement so this isn't a problem (other than needing to tidy the breadboards).










































Since this last photo was taken I've shaped the stretcher supporting the two legs. In keeping with the rest of the piece. It now has a gentle curve thinning the mid section. The ends will be tightened with keyed m&t joints which need to be shaped and sanded.

Work in progress photos and details.


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## jeffbranch (Feb 20, 2011)

DoctorDan said:


> *So that's what it'll look like...*
> 
> The Anniversary table has been a long time in the coming. To check proportions and decide on final sizing and shaping I assembled the piece in our small courtyard. The shaker inspired modern table is a 2×1m trestle table with two benches capable of sitting eight comfortably.
> 
> ...


Beautiful work. I like the thick breadboard ends and the shape of the feet.


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## DoctorDan (Feb 22, 2010)

*Filling*

Link to the original blog post

The first thirty minutes of shop time I've had in 6 weeks was spent reviewing the pews. It gave me an opportunity to see the results of various filling experiments I tried on the project. (Of course it's recommended do technique 'experiments' on scraps prior to the actual project, but this time it's on the project.)

The first 'filling' job was the plugs to cover the screws. Made with the Veritas Snug Plug cutters from Indian Ebony these proved to be highly successful. (But ebony is not cheap). The plugs simply tap into to place and hold with glue. To finish simply flush trim and sand.

The first Epoxy experiment was done using the west system microfiber system. The microfiber in fine powder forms acts to thicken the glue and allow better filling properties. However, this also tinges the filler white… not such a good look.

Next up with have microfiber with fine saw dust. Allow I've had success with this technique in the past this time it made the filler appear heterogenous (ie. tinged white with flecks of reddy brown). Better but not there yet.

My final option was black oxide. This carbon like powder is designed to colour concrete and is dirt cheap. Used with or without microfiber it made a solid homogeous filling agent. Perfect… well if your wanted black any way.

Defects that were exposed to the element while the tree was standing often have a black edge. I presume this is related to oxidation within the wood. Filling these gaps with black filler is effective.

For other colours, such as to match the reddy brown, I would try even finer saw dust (such as that out of the sander) or turn to dyes and stains to turn that white tinge what ever tinge you want.

Epoxy has a significant advantage over water based fillers such as 'putty' - strength. Epoxy can seep into the defect, completely fill it, then set harder than wood, holding the defect together. This strength is essential to fill large defects and stablise burls.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

DoctorDan said:


> *Filling*
> 
> Link to the original blog post
> 
> ...


Good post but some decent photos would have made it even better.

Keep up the good work.

Be Careful!

Herb


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