A&C Coffee-Table Build Pics – Part Two

[Mike Allen1010]

This is part two of a white oak Arts and Crafts/Greene & Greene inspired coffee table and building for our oldest son. There is a separate post with the initial build pics.

Here is cutting door components to size.
317244

Re-sawing panels for the door – hoping to book match the panels for corresponding doors.
I start the re-saw with the back saw along layout lines and then switch to the heavy artillery to saw the corners. Finally I use a bow saw to finish the middle. I seem to always struggle with the bow saw; problem is blade gets twisted from one end to the other which causes it to bind, however it is lighter and easier to push.
317245317246317247

Finish panels turned out okay – should clean up with minimal planing.
317248

Re-sawing is heavy work for me – here’s a key new shop accessory.

317249



Cutting Tennons for door rails. Because I want nice straight shoulders that will fit tightly and give a final square assembly, I pare a relieve chip along the layout line to guide the saw.

317250

Sawing Tennon cheeks goes easier for me with a fairly large/course rip saw. There are 4 doors in the table and so lots of tennons to cut. I start on the corners with the work piece angled in the vice and then straighten it up to saw down to the shoulder line.

317251

[Mike Allen1010]

Because there’s a groove plowed in the other side of the rails for the panel, it was easier for me just to saw the shoulders all from one side.
317252317253

Here are completed panels.
317254


Last step of the Tennons is sawing the haunch. Here is the finished rails and a decent fit.
317255317256317257317258


I’m adding a cloud lift detail to the top rails which I also included on the bottom rails that join the carcass together.
317259

[Mike Allen1010]

317261


Here’s the finished door. I tried to match the figure/grain on door rails/styles to “frame” the panel. I’m not really sure what it look like until the finish is added.
317262

Here’s some pictures with the doors and drawer fronts fitted to the respective openings. Final fitting of these parts always takes longer than I think. I use the blue painters tape to highlight the reference corner so I don’t end up planing the wrong edge and making the fit worse – which still occasionally happens!
317263317264317265317266


I would appreciate some advice about door/drawer pulls: I’m trying to decide between recessed ring pulls which I think are fairly typical with this style, or maybe making some Rosewood pulls – kinda more Greene & Greene. I’m not sure if I can find recessed ring pulls narrow enough for the door stiles (they’re about 1½ “wide). On the other hand the Rosewood pulls would extend out from the surface of the table. Even though the top overhangs the table carcass by 3 inches on all sides, kinda concerned that Rosewood pulls would be vulnerable to getting kicked/broken. What do you think I should do?


The tabletop is done (pics in earlier post). Now all I have to do is build the drawers. I’m thinking about putting a small “hidden” drawer directly under the table top through the top rail on one side. In all the furniture I’ve built for our Boys, the “hidden compartments” are still their favorite parts. We’ll see if I have the energy to include one here.

Thanks for looking. If there’s interest, I’ll post pictures for the rest of the build as I more forward.

All the best, Mike

[Joe Bailey]

Thanks for looking. If there’s interest, I’ll post pictures for the rest of the build as I more forward.


Oh, there's interest alright!

Thanks for doing this, and really nice work, btw.

[Brian Holcombe]

Wonderful work Mike! I like seeing the visible joinery details such as the dovetails on the drawer blades.

[Kent A Bathurst]

317266


Question: The stretchers from front to back inside the cse -- - it looks like they are attached bu screwing blocks to the front and back rails, then the stretchers screwed to the blocks -- is that how you did this?

ON the hardware -- -

More commonly, on the cabinet doors flanking central drawers on a sideboard [which is the basic design of what you have done, even tho you are actually making a coffee table] you will see surface-mounted pulls, not recessed.

These pulls vary in widths, but you can definitely get them below 1-1/2". Some are point-up triangles, some are circular, some are just a drop - a hunk of bronze a couple inches long. Yes - they will protrude. Not much. As you say, they will be behind the top's overhang. I don't think they will be that vulnerable, but if you use surface-mound bronze, it can fight back - you'll know you hit it, and learn.

A couple quick examples..........many out there - -Arts + Crafts Cabinet Hardware is what I searched for...

https://www.oakparkhome-hardware.com/Interior_Hardware/Cabinet_Hardware/Mission_Style_Cabinet_Hardware/30416

http://www.rockler.com/arts-crafts-collection-dark-copper-stickley-pull-7-8-x-2-3-8

[Mike Allen1010]

Thanks Brian and Joe, I appreciate the feedback. It's nice to know folks are interested in the posts.

Kent, thanks for the links to hardware!!

I'm not sure I understand your question but will do my best: the vertical dividers that separate the drawers from the doors are housed in simple "tongue and groove" style rabbit in the table bottom. On the top, their captured in pieces with grooves plowed the same width as the dividers. These pieces are screwed to blocks that are in turn screwed to the top rails on the front and back of the carcass. The vertical dividers float in these grooved so they can expand \contract w/ humidity changes. I'm certainly no expert so it's possible it will self destruct over time - it wouldn't be the first time my lack of design expertise has bit me in the butt.

Cheers, Mike

[paul cottingham]

Very keen to follow this. Thanks for posting.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Thanks Brian and Joe, I appreciate the feedback. It's nice to know folks are interested in the posts.

Kent, thanks for the links to hardware!!

I'm not sure I understand your question but will do my best: the vertical dividers that separate the drawers from the doors are housed in simple "tongue and groove" style rabbit in the table bottom. On the top, their captured in pieces with grooves plowed the same width as the dividers. These pieces are screwed to blocks that are in turn screwed to the top rails on the front and back of the carcass. The vertical dividers float in these grooved so they can expand \contract w/ humidity changes. I'm certainly no expert so it's possible it will self destruct over time - it wouldn't be the first time my lack of design expertise has bit me in the butt.

Cheers, Mike

HTH with the hdwre sources.....there are others...surprised to see that Rockler had decent stuff

your explanation of the construction answered my question.....it was the "These pieces are screwed to blocks that are in turn screwed to the top rails....." that I was asking about. I understood the why and whats, and you confirmed the hows that I asked about. Sounds good. I would do that myself - rather than fooling with M+T or DT joints there.....

Keep those cards and letters coming - good stuff - thanks.

[Christopher Charles]

Hello Mike,

Thanks for sharing--i missed the first installment and had to go back :)

on hardware, a combination of ring pulls for the drawers and longer pulls for the doors could be an option.

Will look forward to more, your builds continue to be among my favorite posts, as I always pick up a little something with each, not to mention inspiration.

Cheers,
Chris C.

[Mike Allen1010]

[QUOTE=Kent A Bathurst

your explanation of the construction answered my question.....it was the "These pieces are screwed to blocks that are in turn screwed to the top rails....." that I was asking about. I understood the why and whats, and you confirmed the hows that I asked about. Sounds good. I would do that myself - rather than fooling with M+T or DT joints there.....

Kent, I originally planned to join the vertical dividers to the table top with rabbits and dado in the table top bottom. In fact, I already cut the dado in the underside of the table top, but when it came to glue up of the carcass there were too many moving pieces for me. I went with this construction simply because it made carcass glue up easier.

Now LOTS of dovetails for the 6 drawers.

I'll have to do some hardware research. Thanks for the suggestions!

Best, Mike

[Brian Holcombe]

I think the Greene and Greene style wooden pulls would be right at home, but in oak with ebony pegs rather than rosewood.

[Mike Allen1010]

Thanks a lot Brian, Chris and Kent, for the feedback on drawer/door pulls.

I haven't had a lot of time to explore the options but am struggling with the choice between metal versus wooden poles. I tried to paste in pictures of a couple examples I'm thinking about but couldn't seem to make it work. If I go wooden, the reason I was thinking about Rosewood versus ebony is: I've already used Rosewood to cover dowels pegging some of the M and T joints, particularly visible on the dowels through the breadboard ends to the tabletop. I'm hoping it will look decent against the white Oak. I suck at finishing so If past experience is any guide, odds are I'll probably end up muddying the contrast anyway when I apply the finish.

Ultimately the choice will require sign off by the LOML. Apparently she thinks she has veto power on hardware choices, and more or less I guess she does:)!

Best, Mike:

[Christopher Charles]

I have some full strength ammonia if you wanted to drive to idaho to fume it traditional style...

[Don Slaughter]

Beautiful piece of heirloom furniture, Mike! The cloud lifts are great. You should bring this to the SDFWA meeting on the 29th and put it on the 'BRAG' table. Great job...design, execution...and, I'm sure the finish will be beautiful, too. Really good to be thinking about pulls....I recently did the same kind of exploration of ideas and came up with some Krenov style pulls made of manzanita. I did it on some box lids I made for my plow plane and router plane.
Can't wait to see the finished product!
good luck,
Don

[Mike Allen1010]

[QUOTE=Don Slaughter;2444103] You should bring this to the SDFWA meeting on the 29th and put it on the 'BRAG' table.

Hey Don great to hear from you!

I'm really flattered by your suggestion, but I'm way too old, fat and lazy to move this coffee table anywhere but out of the garage and upstairs– This White Oak is heavy!

All the best, Mike