07-07-2016, 10:07 PM
It's been a while since I've done a major build-along thread. In fact, it's been a while since I've done a major furniture build at all. But that's changing right now. Our current dining room table was built a long time ago by one of my wife's relatives, and while it's something of a family heirloom, it's seen better days. It shakes every time one of the little kids bumps it, and the top is nothing like level. The leaves are all warped and don't stay together anymore.
So I'm building a replacement. My kids hate our current table's apron, and the legs are kind of in the way when we have guests. Also, the current table is just a little too small. The leaves are removable, but I can't remember the last time we needed to shrink the table down. So here were my directives:
1. Trestle-style legs.
2. Solid top, hardwood, no apron
3. Big enough to seat 10 people comfortably (our family is now at 7)
Last week I happened to acquire just enough cherry boards from a friend to build the table. The wood had been exposed to a little too much weather, so I had to cut around a lot of defects, but the price was right.
I was still able to get some pretty wide boards out of this stuff. The chalk line was my friend. (And yes, I treated it all for bugs. Borax is also my friend.)
Actually, there was one beam in the stash that was cedar, not cherry. It had a big wane edge and a lot of sapwood, but it was enough that I was able to rip it in half and edge-glue the pieces to make my central beam.
I wish I could share the scent with you as well as the image. My whole dining room smelled like cedar shavings for hours!
And my favorite game: Find the Glue Line!
Well, there were a couple little gaps in the joint, but nothing too detrimental to overall stability. And it's not like anybody will see it under the table anyway, right?
I spent a good bit of time shaping the feet and stretchers for the trestles.
This was the fun part, though I had to get a little creative in order to work around a couple big defects. I just managed to do it without sacrificing the shape I had in mind.
First make the radius with a drill. I was silly enough to try this with a bit and brace the first time around. My 1 1/2" bit is NOT made for hardwoods. I gave up and used the drill press, and my elbows thank me.
After the drill press and the band saw, it was hand work. Rasps and files for the convex work. A spokeshave (and a file) for the bullnose work getting into the radius. It worked pretty well, overall. I used a spokeshave for the chamfers, except on those tight, convex curves where half-round file was called for.
More progress to come this weekend. Planing down the boards for the top and getting them jointed and edge-glued is going to be... interesting.
So I'm building a replacement. My kids hate our current table's apron, and the legs are kind of in the way when we have guests. Also, the current table is just a little too small. The leaves are removable, but I can't remember the last time we needed to shrink the table down. So here were my directives:
1. Trestle-style legs.
2. Solid top, hardwood, no apron
3. Big enough to seat 10 people comfortably (our family is now at 7)
Last week I happened to acquire just enough cherry boards from a friend to build the table. The wood had been exposed to a little too much weather, so I had to cut around a lot of defects, but the price was right.
I was still able to get some pretty wide boards out of this stuff. The chalk line was my friend. (And yes, I treated it all for bugs. Borax is also my friend.)
Actually, there was one beam in the stash that was cedar, not cherry. It had a big wane edge and a lot of sapwood, but it was enough that I was able to rip it in half and edge-glue the pieces to make my central beam.
I wish I could share the scent with you as well as the image. My whole dining room smelled like cedar shavings for hours!
And my favorite game: Find the Glue Line!
Well, there were a couple little gaps in the joint, but nothing too detrimental to overall stability. And it's not like anybody will see it under the table anyway, right?
I spent a good bit of time shaping the feet and stretchers for the trestles.
This was the fun part, though I had to get a little creative in order to work around a couple big defects. I just managed to do it without sacrificing the shape I had in mind.
First make the radius with a drill. I was silly enough to try this with a bit and brace the first time around. My 1 1/2" bit is NOT made for hardwoods. I gave up and used the drill press, and my elbows thank me.
After the drill press and the band saw, it was hand work. Rasps and files for the convex work. A spokeshave (and a file) for the bullnose work getting into the radius. It worked pretty well, overall. I used a spokeshave for the chamfers, except on those tight, convex curves where half-round file was called for.
More progress to come this weekend. Planing down the boards for the top and getting them jointed and edge-glued is going to be... interesting.
Steve S.
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Tradition cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labour.
- T. S. Eliot
Tutorials and Build-Alongs at The Literary Workshop
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Tradition cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labour.
- T. S. Eliot
Tutorials and Build-Alongs at The Literary Workshop
