First Woodworking Project - Dining Room Table

[Duncan Ellis]

I thought I'd put up a few pictures of my first woodworking project. It's a dining room table. The top is quartersawn red oak, approximately 1 1/2 thick. I cheated a little on the base, starting with banister newel posts and corbels, and then cutting them down to size. The stretcher fits to the newel post with a mortise and tenon joint. Finish is general finishes antique walnut stain and arm-r-seal. Took me about 2 months to complete, but I took a lot of pauses while researching the next step or waiting for a new tool to arrive.

Learned a lot on this project. I'm already working on building a matching bench.

Duncan

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[jack duren]

Table turned out nice. I would change the corbels to something a little more to the design... Keep an eye on the breadboard...

[Jim Becker]

That's a really beautiful table, Duncan!

[Duncan Ellis]

That's a really beautiful table, Duncan!

Thanks Jim, and thanks for all your advice in my other thread getting my shop setup.

Duncan

[Joe A Faulkner]

Congratulations Duncan. Most of us start with a cutting board or a step stool or a picture frame. Kudos for taking on such an ambitious and highly visible project. Not a day goes by in our house that the kitchen table isn't utilized. May you enjoy lots of great times at that table. Nice job!

[eugene thomas]

boy sure started out with big project... looks really nice.

[Chris Hachet]

Came out amazingly well. It is a wonder anyone buys store bought furniture when one can build something that looks as nice as this...!

[Rob Matarazzo]

That's pretty awesome. My first woodworking project looked more like this.

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[Mike Henderson]

Wow, looks great. Most of us would be happy to do that well - and it would not be our first project!

Mike

[Ken Higginbotham]

Ditto - really nice!

[Von Bickley]

Beautiful table..... You do great work.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Very, very nice! It certainly a much grander first project with better results than mine!

[Bobby O'Neal]

Very nice work!

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

Beautiful table!

zll

[Andrew Hughes]

Nice table and some great looking quartered red oak.I like the long straight lines on the top.

[George Bokros]

Nice work. You should be very proud.

[Patrick Walsh]

First project!

You are putting 90% of woodworkers to shame.

My first project was some scrap 2x4 i nailed to my grandparents basement floor wheni was like 3 ;)

All kidding aside i dont remember my first project but im sure it was a mess by comparison to yours...

[Mike Ontko]

That's pretty awesome. My first woodworking project looked more like this.

351776

I like it! Sometimes simple joinery methods can be the most effective. Is that just a straight TO finish? :)


Duncan - nice work on the table! That's pretty ambitious for a first project.

[Duncan Ellis]

Thanks everyone. I stumbled back on this thread by accident and saw it had a bunch of replies. I guess I need to look at my subscription settings.

I've been working on a matching bench. I also built the torsion box that the bench is sitting on in the pictures. I'm working on building it a base. Right now it's just on two saw horses. While I'm very new to woodworking, having just started setting up my shop last October, I'm a reasonably experienced metal fabricator.

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[Duncan Ellis]

One of my more recent metalworking projects. Also wanted to say I wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything close to the level of that table if it hadn't been for this site. Countless hours searching, and looking at other member projects and discussion threads gave me the confidence and know-how to move forward.

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[William Fretwell]

Like the table a lot.

[Brian Brightwell]

Sure doesn't look like a first project. Good work.

[Rick Moyer]

Nice job on the table, and I'd bet some race teams would be jealous of the tool cart, too!