The bevel lies in the details: Sofa Table IV

[Derek Cohen]

Earlier posts on the Sofa Table build may be found here:


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...bleAprons.html
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...able-Legs.html
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...IEndRails.html


We are at the stage where the legs are to be completed and the base will be glued up.


Now Bill will nag me to death if I do not provide more detail this time around, so blame him for the extra photos. 


The first item on the agenda was to add a curve to the front of the legs that paralleled the table top bow, and continued that from the apron. Two legs had been completed near the beginning of the build. This was premature as I lost a parallel side when the legs were required to be planed on the bench or held in a vise. As a result, the other two legs were left until this stage.


Here is an unshaped leg (on the left) and a shaped leg (on the right) ..





The curve was drawn in using a template of the top ...








The curve was continued down the leg. In all, it removed 5mm.





The waste was removed with a handplane. 


Once the curves were added, the legs needed to be tapered on the inside. The aim here was to create the illusion that the legs were slightly splayed. They are, in fact, 90 degrees on the outside, since the added curve is constant down the legs.


The width of the leg at this stage is 40mm. It will remain this width down to 5mm below the apron, and then taper to 25mm at the foot, thus ...





Here the bevel is drawn in and the line may be seen where it ends below the apron ...





As with other waste removal, I found it easier to use shorter planes, first a jack and then a #3 than a long plane, such as a jointer ....





Once this was completed, the legs were essentially shaped, and the next task was to, firstly, smooth everything perfectly ...





... and, secondly, to freehand a 2mm bevel to all edges (all sides of the legs and the lower edge of the apron) ...





The reason for the 2mm bevel was that the shadow line juncture of the apron and legs is 2mm. The bevel on the legs will blend into the sides of the apron, thus ...





All parts were dissembled and finished in 2 coats of Ubeaut White Shellac. This is an unwaxed concentrated shellac (diluted 50:50 in denatured alcohol/methylated spirits) which adds the very lightest touch of amber to the pale Hard Maple. It brings out detail and seals the wood. Then 3 coats of General Finishes Satin water-based poly were wiped on-and-off. The GF provides a finish that will retain the pale colour of the wood, and avoid the yellowing that occurs with oil-based finishes. This is the process I used when finishing the Hard Maple doors and drawers in the recent kitchen built, and the sofa table is intended to be an associated piece. 


The finishing process for the kitchen is here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...20Rebuild.html


Before glueing up, it was necessary to add slots for buttons, to later fasten the top to the apron. The issue was this: the buttons needed to be less than 10mm in height, which was the thickness of the dovetailed rail for the drawer (the rail alongside a piece of scrap) ...








... otherwise the long drawer that was to run from the side of the table would catch on the buttons.

[Derek Cohen]

I decided to use my new Domino DF500 to cut 5mm slots that were placed 4mm below the surface, and then use 5mm dominos as buttons ...








All done! Finally, to the glue up, and ...


Here is a side view of the legs, showing the taper (and the continuous bow) ..





This is the inside of the table, with the drawer blades ...





And, lastly, a shot of the front elevation at this stage ...





Next, building the drawer.


Regards from Perth


Derek

[hbmcc]

Hi, Derek. You are building finishing a table, and I am still depositing sheared branches into our veg. disposal bin.... from one forsythia.


The last photo-- I know it is an illusion, or camera distortion, but even when tapered long-legged tables always appear to toe-in. The side view is ok. For me, there is a nagging need to build in a 1 to 2 degree splay in the whole leg, along with the tapers. Or, to ad stretchers or shelf near the base.

Depending on the top overhang, the continuous curve in the base frame might be missed. The bevels (chamfers) look good. They will soften the shadow line.

Anxious to see the top! So hurry!

[Harold O.]

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...bleAprons.html
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...able-Legs.html
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...IEndRails.html


Why I am a plywood hack.
[see above]

[BillMcD]

The view from the side looks like an antelope, deer, giraffe or other fast-running, long-limbed animal.  It has life to it and looks like if you spook it, it'll bound off and out of sight in a few quick leaps.  It's hard to make things look that lively.  Nice design and great execution.

Between the Domino buttons and the table top, do you fill the gap with washers, a glued on shim, something else?  Or do you just screw them in until tight enough without binding them with downward/upward force?  This is a clever use of that insidious tool.  I want to copy the idea but am not sure how you complete the assembly.  Thanks.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Bill

Thanks for the kind words.

Regarding the domini buttons, I plan to add a couple of washers as a shim, with just enough length to create a little spring to pull the top down. 

Regards from Perth

Derek

[TomFromStLouis]

This is coming along nicely, as expected. The real benefit of such a detailed build thread is the focusing of attention on details as the title suggests. And your design sense of adding subtle curves is a great lesson for us all.

The Domino button idea is pretty slick I must admit.

I do not see anything to keep the drawer from tilting once pulled half way out, that is, no rails above the sides. I see this often enough and wonder why a piece with this much thought and care would ignore such a refinement. No penalty Derek, but I presume you have thought about this?

[Derek Cohen]

I do not see anything to keep the drawer from tilting once pulled half way out, that is, no rails above the sides. I see this often enough and wonder why a piece with this much thought and care would ignore such a refinement. No penalty Derek, but I presume you have thought about this?

Tom, it's already done!


The Domino buttons, which you like, double to prevent the drawer tilting. Re-read my post above. I did not comment on it, so it was not obvious. The drawer will fit immediately below the Domino buttons. The drawer will be about 2/3 the length of the aprons (to have extension), so there are enough buttons to ensure that it will not tilt as it is pulled out.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Rob Young]

I decided to use my new Domino DF500 to cut 5mm slots that were placed 4mm below the surface, and then use 5mm dominos as buttons ...


Regards from Perth


Derek

That is pretty clever.

[hbmcc]

SNIP>

The Domino buttons, which you like, double to prevent the drawer tilting. Re-read my post above. I did not comment on it, so it was not obvious. The drawer will fit immediately below the Domino buttons. The drawer will be about 2/3 the length of the aprons (to have extension), so there are enough buttons to ensure that it will not tilt as it is pulled out.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I would still have concerns with the back end of the drawer side tilting up and hitting the first domino-kicker, albeit,  a slight 'nick' given clearance. But with a cavity that long, you could terminate the drawer proper some distance forward of the end of the sides, and minimize the tilt-up. I have also seen you do tapered/chamfered ends of the side. 

In all, a cool way to achieve the bare bones
'skeleton' look. Neat. 

Thanks for sharing and stimulating crispy brain structure.