Go easy on The Newbie

[Ben Roman]

Hello Creekers. I am relatively new to the creek and have been reading learning and having fun on the creek. I decided to bite the bullet and post some info and Pics on my First non assisted, home shop built, mistake laden, non classroom piece of furniture. Gimme your honest opinions and wisecracks are acceptable. I will post pics of my shop soon I am almost done with it. The top is quilted mahogany veneer over MDF. I did it with a vaccum press. The top legs and aprons are made with 25 year old air dried walnut. I hope y all like it. :D

[Roy Wall]

What's not to like!!!!

Great veneer and bookmatch.....tight joints, walnut......

You done good as they say!! Very nice and welcome to SMC!

[Keel McDonald]

Welcome to the creek, Ben. Beautiful table! If that's your first attempt, whoa baby! My first attempt at making furniture looks like it was my first attempt at making furniture. Nice job.

[Lou Morrissette]

Ben,

Welcome to the Creek. Great place to meet good folks and learn. Nice job on the table. As you know, we love pics. Keep em coming.

Lou

[Mike Cutler]

I like it. It has a pleasing look, and appears to be of the proper proportions.

Had I done it, this is what I would have done differently. Not better, just differently.

I would have 4 way matched the top. That's a pretty piece of wood on top. a 4 way would have given a little different symeterical appearance.

I would have used a table edge router bit on the underside of the top to "lift" the edge off of the apron and legs.

I would have pinned the legs to the apron.

It's a nice table. You should be very happy with it. Now go make a matching one.:D ;)
Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Don Baer]

Ben like the other have said very nice.

[Mark Pruitt]

I'm with the others here Ben, that's outstanding for a first piece. My first piece of "furniture" (and I use the term loosely!) generated some smiles but they were probably laughter not admiration! Your joinery method for the top is excellent. If in asking for "honest opinions" you are asking what I might do differently, I would consider a different finish--not quite as glossy, mabye even matte, and perhaps wiped on. But that's just personal taste, and for all I know, lighting or flashing could be the sole reason for the glossy appearance of the table in the photos. If that's your first piece, you've got a great future!
Best to you,
Mark

[Brett Baldwin]

I like the "flaws" in the walnut balancing the inclusion in the veneer. I agree with Mike that a 4-way book match would suit a square table well and that a bevel on the underside of the top would "lighten" the look of the table. I might also have gone with a more common veneer on the underside but I just hate putting figure where it won't be seen.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Very pretty wood Ben, and you did a great job with it. I could only wish my first project turned out that nice.

- Vaughn

[John Miliunas]

Ben, well done!!! :) Hey, and welcome to the Creek! You've obviously been around here, as you've met the #1 criteria: Posted pics!!!! :D Anyhow, that's a wonderful job on the table, with good proportions and the craftsmanship is super! Like I said, well done! :) Looking forward to seeing some pics of your shop, as well. :) :cool:

[Mark Rios]

Boy...mistake laden is right......For starters, you should have centered the table over the crack in the sidewalk. Then, you should have repainted the metal building a shade of color that complimented the grey in the sidewalk AND the wood tones of the table. And third.......well....ummm.........okay....theres really nothing wrong.:D :D :D

Welcome Ben. Just teasing you of course. Very nice work. Nothing wrong with that table at all. Please keep posting pics of your work. There are a lot of people here that make this place the best place on the web (except for woodworking stores on big sale days).

[Greg Tatum]

Looks great to me.....I can see what Brett and Mike mean about treating the bottom edge....slightly thinner at the edges would lighten the appearence.

by the way, how thick is the top?

[Ben Roman]

The top is 1 inch thick. I rounded the edges with a hand plane on top and bottom of the table top

[Brent Harral]

Good looking table - especially if it's your first project! Ditto the remarks on the thickness of the top. The border also looks to be a different shade (?) wood (?) than the legs/apron. Cool pieceof burl!

[Ben Roman]

The Face Frame Legs and Apron are all walnut. I selected those face frames because of a couple of worm holes that were in the wood that looked good.

[Ben Roman]

Thanks for all the Feedback I will be posting info on my shop today

[John Buzzurro]

Ben, I really like the table. I hope my first furniture project comes out that good.

[Tom Pritchard]

Ben, great job on the table! I like the selection of wood, the arched aprons, and the finish. Great job, and welcome to the Creek!

[Allen Prell]

Very nice table. I'm in the process of building something similar and have a question for you and others. It looks like you attached the top to the base to allow for movement but you mentioned that the top was veneer over MDF. Is this type of construction dimensionally stable or do you still need to allow for seasonal movement?

[Ben Roman]

Allen, I attached it that way because it was easy. There should be no movement in the top at all. Or so the books say so !!

Ben

[William Lewis]

Beautiful looking table. Hope my first table comes out that nice.

William Lewis

[Jim Goldrick]

Please note that "newbie" is a term reserved for those of us who are still working in oak and do not own a veneer press. Ya ain't fooling me...

Great work on the table. Very nice.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Ben, nice piece of furniture. Your attention to the details is first rate. The only question I would have is the thickness of the table top. I might have tapered the edges as it look a little too thick for the table to my eyes. Having said that, that's just one of those "IMHO/.02" comments that aren't worth a whole lot :D :p Keep up the great work!!! This is certainly a keeper.

[lou sansone]

very nice job with the table

lou

[Jerry White]

Excellent work, Ben. You should be proud of this one!

[Mike Henderson]

Great job, Ben - I wish my first project had looked as good.

Welcome to the Creek.

Mike

[Steve Clardy]

Welcome Ben!! Nice table.