Zigzag dining table in jarrah

[David Dundas]

Here is a dining table that I designed to match my zigzag dining chairs. Its two Z-assemblies are made from 2" x 3" stock, and are joined by three stretcher rails (2" x 2 1/2"). 8 mm dominoes were used throughout for the joinery, which is very similar to that of the zigzag chair. It would, however, be easy enough to make the table without a Domino machine by routing the mortises with a 5/16" spiral bit, and either using dominoes as floating tenons, or else using shop-made floating tenon stock. The table top is 7/8" x 38" x 68".

David

[Jim Becker]

Very nice, David!

And Jarrah is such a beautiful material.

[John Schreiber]

That's amazing. You wouldn't think it would work, but I guess it does.

[jonathan snyder]

Very nice David,
A marvel of engineering, if I had not seen the chair on you web site, I would not believe my cat could sit on it without it collapsing!!

Jonathan

[David Dundas]

Jonathan,

Perhaps I had better highjack my own thread and convince the sceptics on my chair by posting this photo of three men with a total weight of 575 lbs standing on the chair.

Hijack #2: My Woodcraft article on my chair is now available online on the FestoolUSA website, here: http://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/Domino_WCM_zigzag.pdf

David

[Gary Keedwell]

I thought a chair was for sitting? :D
Gary K.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

David,
Those three guys weigh about as much as me. I'm convinced!

Structural engineering aside, that's a wonderful dining set. I like the contemporary look. And your choice of wood is unique to me and looks great!

Well done...Jeff :)

[Rich Torino]

David,
great design.. I assume that the Z in the table was built the same as the chairs???

[Mike Murray]

I don't know... the two guys on the outside look kinda nervous.:)

[David Dundas]

Rich,

Yes; the miter joints in the table each contain four floating tenons, just as in the chair (see the article mentioned above for details of the joint). The only difference is that these tenons in the table are 8 mm (5/16") thick rather than 6 mm.

Mike,

I was kinda nervous too. But I put my faith in the technical data published by West Systems for the strength of epoxy in resisting shear forces. They say that epoxy can withstand a shear force of about 7000 psi before failing. Since the glue area in the locking tenons in my joint have a total surface area of about four square inches, they should be able to resist a force up to 28000 lbs. I am not sufficienly knowledgeable to be able to work out what the force acting on the tenons actually is, but I suspect it is far less than that. I think that if my chair was tested to destruction, it would break in the middle of the leg, rather that at a miter joint.

David

[Don Bullock]

Great design and craftsmanship. I love that wood.

[Jim C Bradley]

Hi David,
It is beautiful.
Do you have to demonstrate the strength before visitors will sit in the chairs?
I enjoyed your thread.
Jim

[Charles Jackson III]

David thats a very nice set of table and chairs.

[richard poitras]

Jonathan,

Perhaps I had better highjack my own thread and convince the sceptics on my chair by posting this photo of three men with a total weight of 575 lbs standing on the chair.

Hijack #2: My Woodcraft article on my chair is now available online on the FestoolUSA website, here: http://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/Domino_WCM_zigzag.pdf

David


David, nice job on the table and chairs and you also did a great job on the spread sheet in regards to how to build the chairs … one question I have is do you have any detailed measurements so one could complete the set (detailed drawings of the table to build that also) …. Thanks

[Zahid Naqvi]

Nice job David, the zig zag design always seems fragile to me, seeing that in the table doesn't help the perception. I am sure your project is very stable/strong, it's a visual thing for me. Reading that article helps, I might try my hands at it one day.

[David Dundas]

Richard,

I don't want to give any further precise details of the table design right now, since I am hoping to publish an article on it in the next couple of months. But it should not be hard to work out from the methods used in building the chair how to build the table. The joinery is the same, except that I did not pin the locking tenons in the table, since the joints should easily be strong enough without pins. I should perhaps mention that I used glue blocks screwed under the ends of the upper stretchers to reinforce the joints against racking.

David

[richard poitras]

No problem Dave I will look forward to checking the article out on the table, you are right I can come up with a table size but I thought that if it was readily available I would just go that wrought, but I can come up with one that would work … once again thanks for the great article on the chairs …

[David Dundas]

An article on building this dining set (table and chairs) is published in the current (November 2007) issue of the British magazine Router and Power Woodworking, and presumably also in its American counterpart. The article describes how it can be built using routed mortises for floating tenon joinery, although it was in fact built using a Domino to mill the mortises.

David Dundas

[Mike Spanbauer]

Bumping for one of the most creative and attractive chairs I've seen. Gorgeous work David!

Did you get a table publish deal worked out?

mike

domino is on the way and a set of 3 will be in store rather soon after receipt. (the other 3 seats for the kitchen table are going to be bench style)

[David Dundas]

Mike,

Yes; my last post was slightly inaccurate; the article on the Z-table and chairs was actually published in the Decmber2007/January2008 issue of Router and Power Woodworking, and presumably in its American counterpart.

David Dundas

[David Dundas]

An article on building this table can now be downloaded free from my blog: http://rockerswoodwork.blogspot.com/

David Dundas