| Dining Table |
| As a woodworker I think I can build anything. Well of course I can, with the right tools, skills, money and time (I have some of all, but not enough of any). Every time my wife and I discuss furnishings for our house I say "I'll make that or one of those" (sound familiar?) So when we discussed a dining room table I said I'll build one. That was 2 summers ago (2001). We host Thanksgiving at our house for the whole family (about 15+ people) and let's just say I didn't get around to making a table for last year turkey day. We used some folding tables. It worked but wasn't exactly what my wife had in mind. This summer came along and my wife was again looking for a table. Again I said I'll build one. She said OK, sure you will. There was a BUT this time. If it is not ready by Thanksgiving I am buying whatever table I want and spending whatever money I want. Well that threat was incentive enough to get moving. Here is the table ready to eat turkey this year (2002). Thanks to all those at Woodnet who helped me get through this great first table project. Please come by someday and have a bite to eat sitting at the table with me. |
| Here is the table top as it is being glued up. I used biscuits and yellow glue to join the boards. About 11 4" boards make up the top. Top is 45x84. That is my daughter testing out the top as a seat. |
| The table is made of Alder. Top is 5/4, legs are laminated 3" square with a taper on two sides. Aprons are 3/4, attached to the legs with mortise and tenon joints. All wood was bought rough and and surfaced by me. |
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| Here are the legs. On the left of the left picture is the table saw jig I made to taper the legs. The legs+jig were over 3.25 inches and my TS (Jet CS) could only cut 3". I had to use a hand saw to finish the cuts. The jig was made by me. It runs the square leg through at the correct angle for the taper. Took me a lot of tries and scraps to get it setup right. |
| This is my finishing room ;), (1/3 of my garage walled off with tarps). I hung the legs and finished them and let them hang to dry. As you can see I share the garage with bikes, toys, my wifes car (when I don't need "my finish room", etc.) My car nevedr makes it into the garage. |
| I decided to stain and then assemble. I had to match the table to chairs we bought. That was a hard task. I planned to spray the finish using Transtint dye. I mixed and matched and got the color Iwanted. I began to spray and I had terrible problems with blotching. I applied a conditioner first but still blotchy. I had to do something different. I used a gel stain, Bartley's Jet Mahogony mixed with some trasnstint dye (reddish brown). Got my color and minimized the blotching. I then sprayed a waterbased acrylic finish. Got fine results on the legs and aprons. On the large table top and bottom I had a tough time getting a smooth coating. There were many rough spots that sanding would not cure. I tried all sorts of sanding and still no success. I decided to sand the waterbase finish and go with an oil varnish. A bit of a thicker finish but it went on nicely and I got the smooth finish. |
| The top was attached to the legs with Z clips in grooves in the aprons made with a biscuit joiner. |
| The inner corner of the legs had a 45 degree bevel routed to accept the hanger bolt. |
| The corner braces were attached to the legs with hanger bolts and to the aprons with screws |