Looking for some plans . . .

[Wayne Jolly]

My 10 year old grand daughter is always telling me "The Internet is your friend", but not today. At least not so far. I have been googling all morning looking for some plans for a chairside table (or chest if you prefer) to go between two recliners. What I am looking for is something like this: http://www.ashleyfurniturehomestore.com/Catalog/product.aspx?group=&category=&id=T127-565&spi=0&ref=search-t . This is pretty close to what I am looking for, but I would need to change the materials, all of the dimensions, and the pull-out tray to a shallow drawer to hold the 30 or 40 remote control units we have. The rear part of the table top lifts to expose a power strip for charging, and the back is a recessed magazine rack. I will pay for a good plan if it is close enough to what I want.

I could design it using Sketchup, but my Sketchup skills are elementary at best, and it would probably take me longer to make the plan than to build it. I might have enough ability to modify something as long as the mods aren't too extreme. I have used Sketchup a few times, and drew up most of the plan for my router table with it, but it took me a long time. it is so infrequent I use it that I forget most of what I learn.

Any help is appreciated,

Thanks,

Wayne


P.S. I guess I could also draw it up by hand, which I am guessing is what I will have to do anyway. But this is the computer age after all.

[Kevin Godshall]

You'll never really find "exactly" what you're looking for, so sometimes you have to take "close enough" and modify it as you see fit. Many times, with online plans, especially free ones, the construction methods aren't the way I like them, so I take a picture or dimensions and then figure out my own building style and go from there. Take your link for example: I would use those rough dimensions, modify them to fit my needs, and then just build it. Nothing complicated about it, once you get your numbers figured out, and how you want your joinery to fit.

When using online searches, the most critical thing is to figure out what to ask for. In your case, you could try "end table" or "accent table" or "night stand", or whatever. You have to keep trying until you find items that are fitting your requirement.

I found this plan online, that is close (maybe): http://www.thedesignconfidential.com/2012/08/free-diy-furniture-plans-build-pottery-barn-kids-inspired-juliette-side-table Add a door and tweak it a bit, and I think you're in the ball park.

[Wayne Jolly]

Thanks for the reply Keven -

Yeah, I knew that I wouldn't be able to find "exactly" what I want and was just looking for something close that wouldn't take a whole lot of time to modify. A little while ago I ordered some plans for a Big Screen TV console, but was moderately dissatisfied with a few things. The overall look was fine, but the dimensions needed to be a couple of inches deeper, and I really didn't care for their construction techniques. Far too many pocket holes where I think a mortise and tenon would have been more appropriate. I just don't see how a few pocket screws could be adequate for case construction or other structural components. Face frames, ok. But that's just me.

Anyway, I haven't tried "accent table", but I have tried several things like "chairside table", "end table", and "night stand", but still haven't found anything close enough. I have decided to break out Sketchup and try to design my own. That is really about the only way to come up with a design that is "exactly" what I want. I have forgotten quite a bit, but it seems to be coming back to me faster this time. That ain't sayin' a whole lot though. :D Too many "senior moments".

Thanks again,

Wayne

[Kent A Bathurst]

Wayne - you can always go back to a rock and a burnt stick for design.

Actually, graph paper and a straight edge. You can knock out the cabinet pretty quickly. Build and dry-assemble that, then measure and make a drawer, drawer runners, and door.

I have done that before. I have also just said "screw this noise" and started machining lumber, moving through the components in a judiscious sequence so that each group can be sized from the previous group[s].

I did this the first time because it dawned on me - I had gotten skilled enough at recovering from every type of mistake possible, that I could simply start going and treat the entire project as a series of mistakes. :D :D

[Buck Williams]

Wayne - you can always go back to a rock and a burnt stick for design.

Actually, graph paper and a straight edge. You can knock out the cabinet pretty quickly. Build and dry-assemble that, then measure and make a drawer, drawer runners, and door.

I have done that before. I have also just said "screw this noise" and started machining lumber, moving through the components in a judiscious sequence so that each group can be sized from the previous group[s].

I did this the first time because it dawned on me - I had gotten skilled enough at recovering from every type of mistake possible, that I could simply start going and treat the entire project as a series of mistakes. :D :D

I can relate to that last sentence, most of what I've leaned is the result of digging myself out of a hole that I've created. I agree with the start building a box method and see how it all eventually fits together in some cases.

[Dave Richards]

Wayne, this could be a good project for you to learn and improve your SketchUp skills. Even if you first rough out your ideas on paper, you could detail it in SketchUp. I could help you.

[John TenEyck]

That's a pretty simple plywood sided box, face frame, and molding around the bottom. The only slightly unusual component is the curved drawer front, though it wouldn't need to be. That should be pretty easy to develop a design for on a sheet of paper over a cup of coffee. Seriously, you don't need plans, develop your own.

John

[Wayne Jolly]

Thanks all,

The case isn't quite a simple plywood box. If it was I would have already been making a few mistakes and figuring ways to fix them. :D Part of the back (maybe the whole back) is recessed for magazine storage, and part of the top is recessed for a "power center" that contains a power strip and has a hinged lid, so there are a couple of things that need to be planned into it. I have already used Sketchup to create the base cabinet plan. While drawing it up I found out that some of the ideas I had just would not work out the way I wanted them to, and there are still a couple of things I may want to reconsider, but by-and-large it is done. I have the drawer boxes done as well. Now I need to work on the drawer fronts and this is where some new Sketchup skill might be necessary. One of the things I want to try out is a raised panel door look.

Dave - You have generously offered me your assistance before, and I just let it go. That was a year or two ago when I was trying to figure out dovetails. I think I got that one with the help of YouTube and other tutorials, but now I need to figure out how to draw a recess around an inside curve so YouTube here I come.

Thanks all,

Wayne

[Dave Richards]

Dave - You have generously offered me your assistance before, and I just let it go. That was a year or two ago when I was trying to figure out dovetails. I think I got that one with the help of YouTube and other tutorials, but now I need to figure out how to draw a recess around an inside curve so YouTube here I come.

Thanks all,

Wayne

Understood. Good luck, then.

What recess around what inside curve?

[Kent A Bathurst]

if all else fails...

What recess around what inside curve?

Exactly - drawer front flat on the inside, curved on the outside. Your DT joints just got easier, too.

[Lee Schierer]

Since Ashley was kind enough to provide the dimensions you can scale your sketchup plan using the photo they also provided. Print the photo on a piece of paper as large as you can and still have it clear. Get a scale (ruler) graduated in 1/32" and measure one aspect of the photo, such as the overall height. Then using the given height and ratios determine the size of any other vertical dimension on the piece. Repeat this with the width and depth. You can duplicate almost any item with this method. WIth a bit of cabinet structure knowledge from an good cabinet plan or book you can build a very nearly identical item that will be sturdy.

[Dave Richards]

Lee, that's more work than you need to do if using SketchUp. There's no need to print out the image and use a ruler. It can all be done in SketchUp. Or you can print it out if you feel better about it.;)

[Myk Rian]

and I really didn't care for their construction techniques. Far too many pocket holes where I think a mortise and tenon would have been more appropriate. I just don't see how a few pocket screws could be adequate for case construction or other structural components. Face frames, ok. But that's just me.
Me too. I wish they were never invented. They take the skill out of building something, and I refuse to use them. But I don't want to start an argument about it here.

When I build something I'll get the idea in my head, maybe draw up a basic picture, and go for it.

[Wayne Jolly]

In the link I attached in my original post, the unit shown just shows what features I think I would like to have in this table and not necessarily the style. If I was going to buy something, it would most likely be that even though the size is all wrong. But since I can build my own, there are many many more possibilities. The recessed back, and the power center are two of the things that I really think I want. The back, sides, and top are ok since this piece will be going between two chairs and will therefore not be too visible. And to be honest, the top won't be visible either because within hours if it being placed into position, it will be piled with . . . stuff and will never again see the light of day. :-(

So that leaves the front. In the link it shows a pull-out drink tray, and a door to a compartment I think. It might be a drawer though. I want to see about changing that to a shallow drawer (maybe 3 inches deep and big enough to hold those 30-40 remote controls. Below that, another drawer that would utilize the remaing space. One of the designs I want to visualize is the drawer fronts looking like a pair of side-by-side raised panel cathedral doors. I did something similar to this with some bedside tables I built years ago, and I thought it looked good. So the inside groove on a curve would be the groove that goes around the top part of the cathedral arch, which actually turned out to be pretty easy thanks to one of Daves tutorials I found on the Internet. The cope and stick profiles themselves are fairly easy to do individually as well, except where the cope and stick meet on the bottom of the ends of the rails. Everything seems to fall apart there, and occassionally that is literal. Right now I have reached the point where I could use what I have done, but when all of the pieces are separated there are missing lines, hollow faces, and it sometimes seems like Sketchup is just messin with me because there seems to be a few extra lines. But it's cold outside and almost warm inside, so I have some time to keep working on this.

Dave - I have used your tutorial on the Fine Woodworking site which has been very helpful. You mentioned using "weld" which I did not have, but it did not seem necessary. Does Weld do something special?

Myk - So it's not just me. YESSSS!!!!!!!!! (fist pump)