Sofa Table VI – all the way to completion

[Derek Cohen]

We begin the final session with the table top being glued up. The timber is West Australian Sheoak, and this promises to be something special. When finished, it is a rose gold in colour, darkening over time to a rose-gold-brown.

https://s19.postimg.org/qv4kgp4tf/1a.jpg

While the panel is drying, I get on with finishing the drawer. So far it has been fitted to the table with an extra divider attached with a through mortice-and-tenon …

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We move on to attaching the slips …

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The drawer bottom is trimmed to fit, and then rebated for the slips …

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Here is the completed drawer. Note that the drawer bottom rests below the slips (rather than at the same height). This was to save a few mm of height …

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The rear of the drawer …

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The end of the drawer has a fitted section that serves to prevent the drawer bottom expanding to the rear. Instead, it will expand into a deeper groove at the front of the drawer. The reason for this less typical construction will be clearer later.

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The drawer sides require a little tuning to slide smoothly. The drawer front at the legs was very tight (so that the drawer front appears to be a solid join), and it was necessary to remove some thickness from the drawer sides. This was done with a scraper for control, to avoid planning into the drawer front …

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Here is the fitted drawer …

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…and here is the drawer front …

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The table top is ready for shaping. It has been book matched to create a pattern in the figure of a slight boat. This will enhance the outline of the top …

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The top is marked out with the template I made early on, and then bandsawed to shape. Below the ends are planed …

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… and then the sides receive their final shaping with a Mujingfang double iron woodie. The advantage of this plane here is that it can take a thick shaving without tearout regardless of grain direction …

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[Derek Cohen]

The top is smoothed with my favourite Veritas Custom #4 …

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Time to shape the underside of the table ends. The plan is a long chamfer. This is roughed out by traversing with a Veritas LA Jack, using a low cutting angle ..

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When traversing, the far end is bevelled to avoid spelching. However, as on gets to the line, it is safer not to plane over the far end. As a result, a slight wedge is created. This is smoothed down with a skew block plane …

https://s19.postimg.org/5xo6b3u03/21a.jpg

Finally, the surface is finished with a cabinet scraper. At the same time the inside of the chamfer is fared into the underside of the table top.

https://s19.postimg.org/6czg44fxf/22a.jpg

Having spent a little time with the table top on the base, I decided that the curved front could be a little deeper. This was done before proceeding further …

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Time to attach the top to the base. I had earlier cut slots for the buttons with a Festool Domino, and had planned to use the dominos as buttons. In practice the dominos were too short, and so I cut out sections in Maple to the desired length.

Note in the picture below that I have also attached cross pieces at the inside ends of the base. These were to ensure that the to does not move. They are cross grain to ensure what little movement runs to the inside …

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The final construction is to add a Quaker Lock for the drawer. This is a simple stop that prevents the drawer being extended further than desired. It is attached using the same screw …

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But, since it is spring-loaded, it can also be pressed in and the drawer opened up fully (if you know to do this). This will reveal the hidden drawers behind the hidden drawer J

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Finally!!!! All is completed. The base has been finished in two coats of dewaxed white shellac (Ubeaut), and then received three coats of General Finishes water-based poly, which was hand rubbed. This is to retain the light colour. The top has been finished in Livos Universal Wood Oil. This is a green oil made largely from cold pressed flax seeds. It adds a slight amber sheen to the wood.

This is two coats. I plan on a few more.

https://s19.postimg.org/9qca4kyw3/30a.jpg

From the front …

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Here is a side elevation of the shaped ends …

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The drawer slides out this far …

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Thanks for the support along the way. Please ask any questions you like. All discussion welcomed.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

Impressive work as we have come to expect Derek.


The top has been finished in Livos Universal Wood Oil. This is a green oil made largely from cold pressed flax seeds.

Does this differ much from other linseed oils?

jtk

[Derek Cohen]

Does this differ much from other linseed oils?

Jim, I don't know. I've used Livos for a few years now, and it is brilliant on hardwood with figure. It builds slowly, but never looks plastic. Ends up with a soft but clear finish.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Archie England]

Just outstanding work! And you accomplish this in a 2 car garage, to boot. Impressive, as always.

[Christopher Charles]

Fabulous Derek. I especially like the Quaker lock and am a bit jealous of your access to she-oak, it looks to be a lovely wood. The grain matching for the top and legs are a superb use of 'grain graphics' to compose a piece that is more than it's parts.

I do wonder what will live in the secret drawer? Oh, nevermind, we must all have a few secrets, no?

Best,
Chris

[Christopher Charles]

Also, I did notice you cut the rabbets on the drawer bottom with the LV large plow plane? Rather than a skew rabbet? Any reason (other than 'new tool in the shop' syndrome)?

Best,
C

[James Pallas]

Derek your work is impeccable. I like everything about your table except the splay of the legs. I like the curve but the splay seems to be a bit too much to me. It may just be the photo and how it shows some of the rear legs and the inside edge of the front legs that makes it appear that there is more curve at the bottom of the leg. Great work.
Jim

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks Archie. While I would love a dedicated, large shop where I could swing a cat, I am also aware that I have more space than some. With my car backed out, there is enough space. You should read the latest blog on Lost Tools by Nancy Hillier - then you will see a small workshop! :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Derek Cohen]

I do wonder what will live in the secret drawer? ...

Also, I did notice you cut the rabbets on the drawer bottom with the LV large plow plane? Rather than a skew rabbet? Any reason (other than 'new tool in the shop' syndrome)?

Best,
C

Hi Christopher

In this now not-so-secret-drawer will go all the spare house-car-office keys that one ends up searching for when forget where you store them! Oh, and spare reading glasses! Can you think of more?

I used a plough plane for the rebate as it was easier to set up accurately for such a small rebate. It is only 3 mm down and across. Both the Small and the Large Plows do rebates really well. The Large has a depth stop with a screw-in-out adjuster, and this makes it easy to dial in the depth. I always plough a shade off the lines and finish with a shoulder plane. In this case, the 1/2" Veritas Small Shoulder was very controllable to use.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Derek Cohen]

I like the curve but the splay seems to be a bit too much to me.

Thanks for the kind words, Jim.

The curve in the legs was created bending a metre long steel rule, and so the curve is actually symmetrical. There is a splay of 1" top-to-bottom, and then a tapered curve. The insides of the legs also have a straight taper. I suspect that the camera distorts this a little. I found it very difficult to photograph accurately. The curve changes in photos (not in person) depending on the height and angle of the camera.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[James Pallas]

Thank you for the reply Derek. As I indicated in my post I thought it was camera or shadows. Glad to know it is better in person. Could be my old eyes looking thru trifocals too.
Jim

[Andrew Hughes]

Nice work Derek,I like the curve if the legs and the flow of the grain lines.
Very pleasing to my eyes

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks Andrew. Time was spent arranging the legs to folllow the grain. If this was not done, the run out would not only weakened the structure, but would have made the legs look wierd.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/SofaTable-Legs_html_7e59a10d.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Frederick Skelly]

Looks like another triumph, Derek! It's beautiful! I love the curve of the legs and the way you tapered the top near the ends. That's another one you really should submit to FWW.

Fred

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks Fred.

Not sure about FWW, however. But thanks for the compliment :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Patrick Chase]

I suspect that the camera distorts this a little. I found it very difficult to photograph accurately. The curve changes in photos (not in person) depending on the height and angle of the camera.

Yep, that's exactly what happened. You can see it quite clearly by looking at the verticals in the bricks behind the table. They're tilted slightly to the right on the right side, and more heavily to the left along the left edge. In other words, you pointed the camera down a bit such that it increased the apparent taper of the legs (you also tilted a bit to the left, but that's a separate issue).

As implied above, the trick is to always keep the camera perpendicular to the subject. If the subject is on a flat surface as here, then you can do that simply by always keeping the camera level, so to fix this shot you would have needed to lower the camera (or raise the table :-). A tripod and a bubble level are helpful, as is a camera with a viewfinder level. The catch is that if you also want to "look down" into the table as you did here then you either need to shoot with a wider-than-needed lens such that the image extends way higher than you need and crop, or use a tilt-shift lens (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&O=&Q=&ap=y&c3api=1876%2C%7Bcreative%7D%2C%7Bkeyword%7D&gclid=COb_lfWU-9QCFc6Xfgodp7MHIQ&is=USA&m=Y&sku=606804).

These days you can also fix that sort of perspective issue very easily in an image editor, but that wouldn't be very neander :-).

[Rick Malakoff]

Quite Elegant! Great work...Rick

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Patrick

Thanks.

I was hand holding the camera (a Canon DSLR) rather than using the tripod since I was aiming to capture more realistic heights (as if looking down on the table). This was not successful with the standard zoom lens (18-55). I also used a dedicated 50mm lens, but the problem with that one, although it is better in low light, is that one must stand further back. The other problem I have is that the lighting is not good (soft lighting in the house, and generally taken at night after all is done), and a flash adds both a starkness to the light wood, as well as a slight exaggeration to colour. I resort to Photoshop Essentials to repair the damage (and resize the images).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Kees Heiden]

Very nice work Derek. And it certainly looks a lot better with the larger overhang, doesn't it? ;)

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Kees

It certainly emphasises the need to play with the position of parts - how they compliment or influence each other. How's your piece coming along?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Kees Heiden]

Working on it. The last couple of weeks saw a lot of energy again. Most of the carcas is now ready for assembly. I think I will start the carving after the summer hollidays.

[Pat Barry]

I love the top and contasting base Derek. Also, the legs and curve of the stretcher work perfectly on this piece. Not sure about the drawer length though. By the way, please explain why the drawer slips rather than grooves in the drawer sides. Not sure I understand all the benefits of the slips. Thanks

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Pat

Slips are used when drawer sides are too thin for grooves. These drawer sides are 3/8" thick. The slips create a groove on the inside of the drawer side for the drawer bottom.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Hasin Haroon]

Beautiful work as always Derek. Will you be doing a write up on your website? I'm enjoying reading through your build of 'The Chair' right now.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Hasin

Thanks. And yes, I'll put a copy on the website shortly. It is easier to write the article on a forum and then copy it to the website. I have found that most want to read it on the forum rather than click a link and go off site.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[David Eisenhauer]

Very, very nice design and work Derek. Frederick and others beat me to it - the treatment of the underside of the top at the ends combined with the leg and stretcher shapes make the table very special. I tend to like modern stuff as opposed to the 16th-17th century stuff and your simple, uncluttered, flowing look sings to me. More importantly though what is the verdict of the lady of the house?

[Derek Cohen]

Well David, that is indeed the question .... what does Lynndy think of this table?

She likes the table, but finds it too dominant against the midnight blue leather of the sofa. As a result, she wants to retain the existing sofa table. We tried the table in the hall, in place of a table we have had for 30 years. The existing hall table is rather mundane ... closer to a Shaker style. This table really lights up in the hall. The walls are more off-white (tinge of cream), and sofa table compliments the space. So the sofa table is likely to become a hall table. The drawer will be great for keys.

Regards from Perth

Derek