PDA

View Full Version : Sofa Table Almost Done


Guy Germaine
10-09-2006, 7:37 AM
I still have to put the finish on it, but here's a sofa table I'm making as a gift to the lady that helps me train my dogs. It's walnut with some nicely figured pecan veneer on the top. I like it except for the legs. I think they're a little skinny. What do you think?

http://www.fototime.com/C4292AF0AEE36C8/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/C74686B75C4AAEE/standard.jpg



Since she's a Newfy lover too, I thought I'd add a little something for her.

http://www.fototime.com/E4F72DB3596509D/standard.jpg
Kirk (KC) Constable
10-09-2006, 8:23 AM
I suspect she'll be happy with it!

I really like the leg 'braces'/corner thingies. :)

KC
Roy Wall
10-09-2006, 10:39 AM
Guy,

That's some beautiful work.......it is very well done!!!

I think the legs look good, yes.......they are a litte thin, but the apron work that attaches to them is good!
Kent Cartwright
10-09-2006, 12:59 PM
Very, very nice! She will love the inlay!

Kent
Don Kondra
10-09-2006, 1:35 PM
Greetings,

I'm sure your gift will be well received and appreciated. The inlay is an excellent element to personalize the piece.

In an attempt to offer some constructive criticism you may want to consider changing a few things on the next table you make.

IMHO the brackets look added on and I find the change in grain direction disconcerting.

Another option would be to start with a wider rail, say 4" and then cut a arc in it.

Or add a shelf or stretcher assembly towards the bottom, this will also "stiffen" up the table.

Think about starting with a larger leg blank and tapering it down to the dimensions of the original leg. The taper could start at the bottom of the rail joint so you don't have to fuss with angled joinery and the larger dimension of the top of the leg would allow you to use a longer tenon on the rail.

With a small footprint, the leg will still be perceived as delicate and graceful.

If you make a mock up of the top you may find that a narrower outside frame will enhance the look of the veneered panel.

While you have the mock up of the top, play with options for an edge treatment. I have never liked the standard bead/roman ogee and prefer a 10 degree taper or rounding over from underneath or a chamfer or.....

Cheers, Don.
Jesse Cloud
10-09-2006, 1:42 PM
Hey Guy,
What a great present! I'm sure she will be delighted with it.

I guess I'll join the camp that like the legs. I think they look graceful. The bracket isn't balanced with the legs though, so I guess if you do another one of these, you might think about a smaller bracket or larger legs to go with the large bracket. But that's picking nits.

Love the newfie inlay!
Steve Wargo
10-09-2006, 5:44 PM
Very sharp. Nice proportions. Well done.
John Timberlake
10-09-2006, 6:48 PM
Excellent work. Love the top with the dog inlay. In my opinion the legs look a little too small. If the had a little taper the bottom could actually be a little smaller with tops bigger. But it looks just fine like it is.
Corey Hallagan
10-09-2006, 6:57 PM
Wow, that is very kewl and I love that inlay work. Very nice!

Corey
Norman Hitt
10-09-2006, 7:40 PM
Guy, that top is excellent. I really like both the design and the fine craftsmanship in it. I don't really like skinny legs on anything, BUT most sofa tables and narrow hall tables tend toward this design, Sooooo....to get something more to MY liking yet still fall into that design criteria,:rolleyes: :D I would think larger legs at the top with a taper starting below the stretchers/skirts, would look more pleasing, and I'm not real fond of the braces, (too long in the vertical direction, but maybe necessary with those thin legs). The braces I think would look better if made smaller and glued up as a part of the stretchers/skirts with the same grain direction.

That's just an opinion (conforming to MY likings), but I'm no international design judge either.;) :D

I'll bet your friend likes it anyhow, what'l ya bet?:D
Guy Germaine
10-09-2006, 8:22 PM
I agree with you Norm. The braces were a rather feeble attempt at covering my own stupidity.:rolleyes: I bought the lumber Saturday, and was looking for a nice piece of 8/4 so I could make tapered legs, just as you described. As I was digging through the 8/4 pile, I found a real nice piece that was just enough to make the legs. I don't have any storage space, so I tend to buy only what I need. Well...When I got home, I realized that the piece I got was 6/4, NOT 8/4.:mad: So I made do with what I had.

I will be making a couple of more in the near term. As it turns out, LOML wants something similar, and out of those that have seen it, a couple of them want one too. Now, I just need to decide on a price. (Except for the one I make for LOML):rolleyes:
Mac Cambra
10-09-2006, 8:33 PM
I like the table, proportion seems to be the hardest part of any design. Very nice and I am sure whoever get this will love it.

I am interested in the inlay process you employed. The figured pecan veneer, did you adhere it to a plywood substrate? Did you apply a similar veneer to the other side of the substrate. Did you rout the newfy design freehand or with a template you made. What aout the cross pattern? Did you rout that as well, dado.

Thanks,

Mac
Guy Germaine
10-10-2006, 7:56 AM
I like the table, proportion seems to be the hardest part of any design. Very nice and I am sure whoever get this will love it.

I am interested in the inlay process you employed. The figured pecan veneer, did you adhere it to a plywood substrate? Did you apply a similar veneer to the other side of the substrate. Did you rout the newfy design freehand or with a template you made. What aout the cross pattern? Did you rout that as well, dado.

Thanks,

Mac

The pecan veneer is glued to a 3/4 piece of MDF on both sides. The Newfy inlay is done with a pattern that I made.

The cross pattern? Well, that was another "on-the-fly" design change. :rolleyes:
I originally intended on a simple 4-way bookmatch with the veneer. Once it was glued down, I didn't like how the joints looked, so I routed a groove down the joints and added the walnut inlays.

I very seldom use plans. I pretty much make it up as I go. Some times it works, some times not. :)
Sam Chambers
10-10-2006, 9:37 AM
Guy:

Nice work, especially on the top! What technique did you use for the inlay?

As for the legs, I think they're fine. But the brackets seem a little large in relation to the legs.

Can't wait to see what it look like with the finish on!
Guy Germaine
10-10-2006, 11:43 AM
To create the inly, I used an inlay kit with my router.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/routnlay.html
Sam Chambers
10-10-2006, 3:55 PM
To create the inly, I used an inlay kit with my router.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/routnlay.html
I have one of those...somewhere. :o One of these days I'll have to find it and give it a try!
Guy Germaine
10-10-2006, 5:58 PM
The hardest part is making the pattern. Once that's done, it fairly easy. With the Newf inlay, I had to keep shaping the pattern until I got a shape that I liked. Because of the bushing that you use for the recessed area, Curves and shapes don't come out like you think they would. I wound up taking the bushing off, sticking a pencil in it and drawing around the inside of my pattern. Then, I'd sand and shape the areas that didn't look like a Newf.:rolleyes:

If you look at the pattern, it a little out of proportion, but when you cut the recess, it looks good.