Tavern Table Finished

[Sean Hughto]

I posted about this build over the last several weeks: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?213081-Tavern-Table-Project

I finally took some shots with the finishes applied. I used Old Fashioned milk paint (federal blue with some black added to arrive at something close to navy) toped with BLO. I used some amber and aged maple TransTint on the maple top before some natural Watco and Mylands wax. I liked the original's wear, so I did what I could to recreate it by taking back some of the paint with scotch bright pads /steel wool/ etc. I wanted to invite use - feet on the stretchers and no worries about minor dings and such - this is not a show piece in my mind, but a useful little table to be used no better than it might be in a tavern. As a reminder, here is the inspiration - it appears to have been painted black:
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3803/12091367183_65132ac6fb_z.jpg

Mine:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7418/13491034343_5a5b030d9e_c.jpg

height is 25 1/4"
splay is around 8 degrees in both directions

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2911/13491285834_7c2b1842c6_c.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3671/13490915205_4e423cd7e0_c.jpg

oval measures 32" x 22 3/4"

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/13491017013_a03ca76089_c.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3742/13490902025_f744220577.jpg

Thanks for looking! Glad to answer any questions.

[Brian Holcombe]

gorgeous! Time for a drink.

[Paul Saffold]

That came out really nice, Sean. Thanks for the write up and all the pictures of the build.
Paul

[Judson Green]

That's really sweet, that's for sharing Sean.

[Steve Voigt]

Very nice! I like the rub-through effect on the turnings.

[Mel Fulks]

Nicely done . Great form to move around, especially outdoors when one has time to rest.

[Eric Schubert]

Very nice table, Sean! And the finish looks great. It certainly gives it a bit of an aged appearance and makes one want to use it, not just look at it.

When will you have the stools finished? :D

[Prashun Patel]

That is beautiful like always.

[bob blakeborough]

Wicked awesome!!!

[Jim Koepke]

Inspiring piece toward others making one.

Very nice.

jtk

[Sean Hughto]

You all are very nice and encouraging. I appreciate it.

As with any project there are plenty of things that I'd do a little differently next time. But overall, I pretty much achieved my vision.

If anyone really does want to build their own, I'm happy to provide detailed measurements of the apron pieces and stretchers and anything else that might help. The longest part of this project for me was mocking up different apron/stretcher lengths, different sized ovals, and trying different splays until I got sizings that I liked and thought went together well. The other tough part was the mortises, tenons and shoulders - lots of trial and error to get good fits as I can't do the math to figure it out on the front side!

[Sean Hughto]

By the way, I'm guessing there are many who are too nice to say so, but I'm glad to hear any critiques too. I expect there are some who would have favored leaving the maple top un-dyed and dislike used/distressed/whatever finishes, and that kind of thing. It's okay with me if anyone wants to talk about those things in this thread too. This is just for me, and mine, so I suited us. The wear one of these got in a year at a tavern wouldn't accrue on my example in my lifetime, so if I like the look of used, I had to do some using on the front end ...

[Ryan Mooney]

This is just for me, and mine, so I suited us. The wear one of these got in a year at a tavern wouldn't accrue on my example in my lifetime, so if I like the look of used, I had to do some using on the front end ...

Hehe, yeah I don't think you'd get two people to agree on a finish no matter what it was most of the time :D Personally I'd have gone with a more natural finish (and varied even more from the original - but I'm not much of a stickler for style either) - but that would be just to suit me and yours looks good in context as well :cool: I sort of like the lighter stretchers on the original a little better, although I think pre-wearing the paint off of the top yours helped the "heavy feel" a bit because of the lighter color on top so it sort of balances out. With a more unmarred finish I suspect that they looked a bit "thick". Having the comparison is interesting to see where the eye likes to land.

Overall I'd agree with the peanut gallery that its a really sweet little table and is definitely well made. Thanks for detailing the more interesting bits of the build along the way, certainly provided some good food for thought and helps understand how some of the choices were made along the way.

[Stew Hagerty]

That looks great Sean. What a nice little table. You really did an excellent job of recreating the "Tavern Worn" effect without making it look beat up. Great project!

[Tom McMahon]

Sean, Great table, the only thing I I would change is the top, I would have chemically aged it instead of dye, the dye caused the grain to reverse, chemically aging would color without the reversal.

[Tom McMahon]

285981A similar piece chemically aged

[Joe Bailey]

... I'm glad to hear any critiques too.

First off, I think it's more than admirable that you have invited criticism -- far too many posters want only to be praised, and are offended if it is tempered in any way.

The piece is awesome! -- more so, knowing some of the trials involved in getting the splays correct.

My only comment is that I would like to see the top aged/worn in some way that is consistent with the wear on the rest of the piece (which by the way, is rather convincing).

[Mel Fulks]

Yeah ,it's aged enough . I think he knows that by the time a couple hundred of us have dropped in for a beer it will look
more used.

[Paul Saffold]

Tom, please explain chemical aging. Sounds interesting. Lye maybe?
Thanks, Paul

[Eric Schubert]

Yeah ,it's aged enough . I think he knows that by the time a couple hundred of us have dropped in for a beer it will look
more used.

I like where this is going... :cool:

[Ryan Griffey]

First off, I think it's more than admirable that you have invited criticism -- far too many posters want only to be praised, and are offended if it is tempered in any way.

The piece is awesome! -- more so, knowing some of the trials involved in getting the splays correct.

My only comment is that I would like to see the top aged/worn in some way that is consistent with the wear on the rest of the piece (which by the way, is rather convincing).

I agree with this and would continue the aging to the ball feet. These would be well worn. I think it's important to age the whole piece if you are going to age it.

Looks great though. Great hand tool project.

[Sean Hughto]

Yeah, I'm not much of a sophisticated finisher - I mostly use shellac and varnish and no stains or dyes or anything - so I was just kinda doing what I thought colorists did. I have no knowledge at all about chemical aging. So, specifically, to age maple a rich amber, what chemical or product or product specifically - for next time. Thanks!

[Sean Hughto]

The top is actually aged some, but it's not apparent in the pictures. It has scratches and dings, but I didn't want to go overboard. In person it actually sort of matches the wear on the legs better than it might appear here.

The ball feet are a strange - I don't know if I got too much milk paint on them or what, but I rubbed and rubbed those suckers and they mostly got shiney instead of worn like the original. The do have some rub through that's subtle. I decided I like the shiny blue balls so to speak, so I stopped without breaking out the 80 grit.

[Sean Hughto]

I like that a lot. Is that yours? Nice work. Can you describe the details of the aging process?

[Sean Hughto]

Come on by. We'll age it with a round or two!

[Patrick McCarthy]

Sean, gotta tell you I like it a LOT. Not as artsy as some of your others, but very nice. Patrick

[Tom McMahon]

The piece I posted was colored with aquafortis which is nitric acid and water, there are several other chemicals that will work depending on the wood used. Basically the mixture is applied, allowed to dry then heated with a heat gun. It chemically speeds up the aging process.Here is a link to a post I wrote about the process.
http://millcrek.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/new-project-8-finishing-up/

[Sean Hughto]

Wow, Tom, thanks! I have to build another pilgrim piece just to try that. This is why it's so great to share stuff here at the Creek!!

[Frederick Skelly]

This came out great Sean! I like the well-used look.
Fred

[Mike Cozad]

That is a fantastic little table! I think it looks naturally aged and not fabricated to look well used. Excellent work. What are rough dimensions H X L X W?

[Chris Griggs]

Sean, I love it! Absolutely love everything about it. Its the kind of piece that I look at and thing "Man, I would love to have that in my house"...I may very well bug you for the measurements some day. Thanks for documenting it. Excellent!!!

[Jim Matthews]

The multiplicity of angles has me baffled.

Sure, the finishing must be tricky -
but just getting all the pieces together?

Kudos

[george wilson]

It might be of interest to know that they did not use milk paint until the 19th. C.. All was oil based in the 18th.

Your table looks very nice indeed on all the turnings,etc.. Very nice lathe work !! Yes,the top could be more convincing in the finishing,but it is still a very nice table.

Ageing things can be as much trouble as making the item was to begin with. I have worked for years for a VERY picky customer with micrometer eyes. But,I've enjoyed the challenge of pleasing her. It is a pleasure when she examines the original piece she gave me and the repro,and has to ask "Which is the new one".

[Pat Barry]

Sean, very nice project. It must have been a bit distressing to you to as well, particularly when you did such a nice job fitting the aprons and legs. The only thing that's missing is about 100 years of split beer and grime. Very nice.

[Dave Beauchesne]

. The only thing that's missing is about 100 years of split beer and grime.

------ ' and tall stories ' !!

Very nice Sean - I would be proud to say I had built it.

Keep up the good work - -

Dave B

[Sean Hughto]

Thank you, George. I knew about the milk paint being inauthentic - probably learned it from you a while back, but I can't remember. Anyway, I knew I wanted the rub through and I'm comfortable with the milk paint - sure is tough stuff too. I've come to realize that I'm not really capable of the discipline needed to make a perfect reproduction. I'm always going to take turns towards what I want - blue instead of black - bigger and taller - heavier stretchers with a different groove detail and so forth. My fickle vanity ...