Kenneth George
07-08-2006, 10:51 PM
Well I am finished with the table, well almost anyway I still have to attach the hardware latch that locks the table top in the up position but it has not got here yet so I will do that as soon and it makes it here. I have to tell you that this is the hardest project I have done to date and by far the most complex. I was originally inspired to do this table by seeing late 1700’s versions of it at a higher end antique show the wife and I attended. For better or worse the design is my own and I only received inspiration and ideas from the probably 100 or so I have looked at since I decided to make this. I found many challenges in making this table and was able to conquer each one well maybe not the best way but I got it done. I made everything on this table including the hard maple dowels. The only thing I did not make was the screws that attach the cleats and the soon to be attached lock hardware.
The table is 25” tall and the top is 23-1/2” across. This is the reason I started turning in the first place was to be able to do a piece like this. I am just a bit proud of it right now so forgive me if I blather on. As you can see in this picture of the side view the birds nest is attached to the spindle with a Bubinga wedge. I purposely offset the pivot dowels so the table would sit 1/8” higher. My reason in doing this was to install little rubber bumpers so that the underside of the top does not get damaged.
http://theturnersshop.com/images/tilttable/finished/IMG_0385.jpg
Here is a picture of the table top in the down position. The Bubinga veneer has a massive 3-D quality to it and it looks as though you could reach right in it. When making the top I used some veneer that the edges were very cracked and damaged so I ended up slip matching the veneer as I thought that may look interesting with the segmented lip anyway.
http://theturnersshop.com/images/tilttable/finished/IMG_0395.jpg
Here is a view of the table in the down position from the back. As you can see I also used Bubinga veneer on the back of this table. If you look to the bottom you will notice knots in the veneer. I had to do quite a bit of repair to this veneer to use it but it was certainly not A grade but I thought it had potential.
http://theturnersshop.com/images/tilttable/finished/IMG_0388.jpg
Here is a view of the table from the bottom. This shows how the sliding dovetails came out after I spent some time flattening the legs to the spindle.
http://theturnersshop.com/images/tilttable/finished/IMG_0394.jpg
I finished this one quicker than I expected but that’s what happens when you are so into it that you wake up in the middle of the night to apply another finish coat! As I said before I am quite camera challenged but I did my best with the pictures for now. I want to thanks the ones who stuck with me through the building of this table as I had never posted like that before but I thought it would be fun.
Comments and thoughts welcome and thanks for taking the time to look.
Ken
The table is 25” tall and the top is 23-1/2” across. This is the reason I started turning in the first place was to be able to do a piece like this. I am just a bit proud of it right now so forgive me if I blather on. As you can see in this picture of the side view the birds nest is attached to the spindle with a Bubinga wedge. I purposely offset the pivot dowels so the table would sit 1/8” higher. My reason in doing this was to install little rubber bumpers so that the underside of the top does not get damaged.
http://theturnersshop.com/images/tilttable/finished/IMG_0385.jpg
Here is a picture of the table top in the down position. The Bubinga veneer has a massive 3-D quality to it and it looks as though you could reach right in it. When making the top I used some veneer that the edges were very cracked and damaged so I ended up slip matching the veneer as I thought that may look interesting with the segmented lip anyway.
http://theturnersshop.com/images/tilttable/finished/IMG_0395.jpg
Here is a view of the table in the down position from the back. As you can see I also used Bubinga veneer on the back of this table. If you look to the bottom you will notice knots in the veneer. I had to do quite a bit of repair to this veneer to use it but it was certainly not A grade but I thought it had potential.
http://theturnersshop.com/images/tilttable/finished/IMG_0388.jpg
Here is a view of the table from the bottom. This shows how the sliding dovetails came out after I spent some time flattening the legs to the spindle.
http://theturnersshop.com/images/tilttable/finished/IMG_0394.jpg
I finished this one quicker than I expected but that’s what happens when you are so into it that you wake up in the middle of the night to apply another finish coat! As I said before I am quite camera challenged but I did my best with the pictures for now. I want to thanks the ones who stuck with me through the building of this table as I had never posted like that before but I thought it would be fun.
Comments and thoughts welcome and thanks for taking the time to look.
Ken