Tea Table - Completed w/ Pic

[Lars Thomas]

Hello Folks!
Well, I have finally completed my Cherry Tea Table based ever so loosely on a similar table from Lester Margon's book.

For those of you that missed the work in progress (WIP) post (link below) . . .I bought the wood when we went back East for the holidays. It's from Willard Brothers in Trenton (no affiliation).

This table represents my first significant experience with a spoke shave (for the legs). I gotta say, the neaders among us, might be on to something. There's something to be said for *powerful* with out a tail.

The legs are made from 8/4 stock. The center post is three pieces glued up two 8/4 and one 4/4. The top is 5 pieces of 4/4 glues up. All cherry. The top was cut with a router with a trammel sub-base. (Hummm, my bench now has a lovely arc in it - wonder where that came from???) There is a one inch diameter tennon on the top of the post and it is wedged into the top (not not visible from the top.) I cut a slot in the tennon and then started (barely) it. Then bashed it into the hole drilled 5/8 into the top (along with the collar). It’s nice and sturdy (for a 3-legged table). The three splayed legs are attached via sliding dovetails. The dovetails were cut with a router while the post was held in a 'cradle' of sorts.

Sorry folks, LOML made me stain it (Min Wax Red Mahogany) to match some other pieces. It is finished with a 50/50 mix of satin poly and mineral spirits.

This projects sets a new record for me. Basically it was two months in the making. This is about the quickest I have every finished a project (of similar size and complexity). I have other projects that can be measured in years. In fact, my son's baseball bed was 7 years in the making (anybody beat that??)

Thanks for taking the time to view. Lars

Work in Progress Thread:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=282

[Jim Morrow]

Lars,
Very well done. Great looking table.
Thanks for posting,
Jim

[Howard Barlow]

Lars, that's a beautiful table. Somebody is happy with that.

[Todd Burch]

Looks GREAT Lars! Can you provide a close up of the top?

Did you tone the legs any for a darker color, or is that just the lighting?

Todd.

[Von Bickley]

Lars,

Great looking table that you can be proud of. Thanks for posting the picture.

[Lars Thomas]

Todd, it's the lighting/flash. Although, I was worried about the color since the legs came from a different board. But they match. Lars

[Scott in Douglassville, PA]

Very nice! Candlestands are great to make, aren't they? Only a few parts, but so nicely engineered...

The sis-in-law (whose parents still live about 3 minutes from Willard Bros) has been bugging me for a more QA-than-Shaker candlestand; I'm sending her your post to see if <i>this</i> is what she's looking for.

And don't sweat the stain. Looks nice. There are worse things you could do.

[Tim Spickler]

Beatiful table. That must have taken a tremendous amount of handwork. That's something I haven't expanded into too much. Great job.

[Ted Shrader]

Originally posted by LarsT
. . . . I have other projects that can be measured in years. In fact, my son's baseball bed was 7 years in the making (anybody beat that??)
Yes. I am working on a hutch and china cabinet. Have been doing so for 13 years, now. Actual completion is coming up! ;)
--------------
Lars -

Well done on the tea table. Looks very nice!

How deep/wide are the dove tails attaching the legs to the center post?

Outstanding work!
Ted

[Bob Lasley]

Very nice execution Lars. I am sure your wife is very pround of that one as well she should be and you too!

Bob

[Ken Salisbury]

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Absolutely Beautiful -- Great Job ! ! ! !

[Lee Schierer]

Thanks for sharing with us. It looks good from here.

[Bob Oswin]

Excellent execution of details Lars!

Your cuts are really well defined (unmistakable footprints of a craftsman)

I have never been fond of poly but a finish like that could change my mind.

I am curious as to how you maintained the excellent detail?

I am not going to show you my table now!

But, I will be making another one!

Bob



;)

[Jim Izat]

<b><font color = red size=4><center>Beautiful design and execution. Sure to be a family heirloom for generations to come!</b></font></center>

[Dave Anderson NH]

nothing is as pretty as the best of the 18th century designs. As for the color, it looks good, and besides, who among us doesn't cater to the desires of the boss. doing it to your taste instead of hers would have surely caused a fuss (silent or otherwise). I've always found the silent ones were the worst. How can you respond to silence (rhetorical question only)? Obviously it's already being put to good use.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

That's beautiful...fine work.

KC

[Bill Grumbine]

Very nice work Lars! What are the dimensions for the top and the height?

Bill

[Randy Gleckler]

Very Nice Table LarsT,

[Ed Bartchy]

Lars,

Wow!! That's a great looking piece. You're quite talented.

Ed Bartchy

[Lars Thomas]

A few of you guys posted some Q's.

Todd, I've posted a close-up of the top below. No sandpaper - all scraped.

Ted, 7 years for a bed . . .13 years for a hutch - seems about right to me.;) The leg dovetails are 1/2 x 3/4. Should be plenty strong to support the table.

Dr. Bob, I assume you are asking about keeping the detail in the turning. Two things, when I was turning it, I almost exaggerated the details, then when sanding, I used a block as much as possible. For turning the flat part where the legs are, I actually used a file parallel to the spindle. That seemed to work well.

Bill, the table is 29" tall. The top is 30" diameter.

Thanks to all for your kind feedback so far.

I neglected to mention in my initial posting, I have thick skin and would appreciate design or execution criticism.

[Scott in Douglassville, PA]

You really need an off-camera flash bounced on the ceiling (or umbrella, lightbox, whatever) to get rid of those shadows. Distracts from the table.

Nothing to suggest on the table itself, 'cept to say you shoulda made more'n one. Can I get some detail shots of the legs? And s'more info on how you shaped them?

[Lars Thomas]

Originally posted by Scott in Douglassville, PA
You really need an off-camera flash bounced on the ceiling (or umbrella, lightbox, whatever) to get rid of those shadows. Distracts from the table.

Nothing to suggest on the table itself, 'cept to say you shoulda made more'n one. Can I get some detail shots of the legs? And s'more info on how you shaped them?

Scott, couldn't agree more about the photography issue.

I've attached some additional pixs of the legs as the table was being built. The legs were copied from Margon's book that provided a 1/4-scale grid drawing. I redrew the leg full size and cut to shape on the band saw. Then, I screwed the leg to scrap (shown below) so I could clamp in my vise or to my bench top in a variety of positions. It was important to be able to alter the position of the leg so I could always cut with the grain when using the spoke shave.

I bought a convex Record Spoke shave (UK) off eBay for around $15. I bid on a much nicer one, but lost, rats.

The first leg was shaped to closely resemble the picture/drawing in Margon's book. The other two legs where cut to match (more or less). Key (ankle, knee etc...) dimensions were made repeatedly on each leg to insure they match the first leg.
After using the spoke shave, the leg was pretty rough (sorta pock-marked). Then I filed it smooth and sanded (hand and ROS).

I wouldn't want to make a hundred this way, but it went pretty quickly. I would guess each leg took about 1-1/2 hours. Lars

[Lars Thomas]

. . . and now the pix.

[Ted Shrader]

Lars -

The in-progress shots and detail shots really add to any project.

Thanks for taking the time to follow up.

Ted

[Ken Wright]

Beautiful work ..... like the legs!!

[Jim Young]

As I was writing as this site crashed yesterday, that sure looks classy.