Jim Grill
05-24-2007, 1:13 PM
After seeing some of the work posted by others recently I'm almost ashamed to post this, but what the heck.
My wife wanted a table for our bird cage so they could be close to the window. We have an old house with wide pine plank floors and she wanted it to match and look like an antique.
I secretly had a bet with a neighbor woodworker whether or not one could successfully build furniture out of construction grade 2x4's from the big box. I accepted the challenge and went for an arts and crafts style, open joinery concept that I hastily sketched on a napkin with a crayon.
The one thing that could help save my reputation is that all the mortise and through tenon joinery was cut by hand. The finish was an attempt at making it look old. I used shellac with dark wax and steel wool over a mix of old oil stains I had on the shelf. It didn't turn out as well as it could have. Maybe next time.
http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4501.thumbnail.JPG (http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4501.JPG)
http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4611.thumbnail.JPG (http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4611.JPG)
http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4613.thumbnail.JPG (http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4613.JPG)
http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4617.thumbnail.JPG (http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4617.JPG)
The top has been expanding and contracting across the grain nearly 3/8 of an inch since I completed it. I left a lot of room for movement both in the bread board ends and in the shop made clips that hold the top on. The groove for the clips is 1/2" deep and the clips go about 1/4" into the groove allowing lots of room for movement. The bread board ends were required to keep the top from becoming a potato chip, which it did immediately after the glue up.
I think I won the bet. I think this table will stay together through the seasons.
I learned plenty about mortise and tenon joinery and may use this as a prototype for another similar table that I'll make out of white oak or mahogany.
My wife wanted a table for our bird cage so they could be close to the window. We have an old house with wide pine plank floors and she wanted it to match and look like an antique.
I secretly had a bet with a neighbor woodworker whether or not one could successfully build furniture out of construction grade 2x4's from the big box. I accepted the challenge and went for an arts and crafts style, open joinery concept that I hastily sketched on a napkin with a crayon.
The one thing that could help save my reputation is that all the mortise and through tenon joinery was cut by hand. The finish was an attempt at making it look old. I used shellac with dark wax and steel wool over a mix of old oil stains I had on the shelf. It didn't turn out as well as it could have. Maybe next time.
http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4501.thumbnail.JPG (http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4501.JPG)
http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4611.thumbnail.JPG (http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4611.JPG)
http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4613.thumbnail.JPG (http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4613.JPG)
http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4617.thumbnail.JPG (http://blog.jimgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/img_4617.JPG)
The top has been expanding and contracting across the grain nearly 3/8 of an inch since I completed it. I left a lot of room for movement both in the bread board ends and in the shop made clips that hold the top on. The groove for the clips is 1/2" deep and the clips go about 1/4" into the groove allowing lots of room for movement. The bread board ends were required to keep the top from becoming a potato chip, which it did immediately after the glue up.
I think I won the bet. I think this table will stay together through the seasons.
I learned plenty about mortise and tenon joinery and may use this as a prototype for another similar table that I'll make out of white oak or mahogany.