Table Size question

[Alan Turner]

I am hoping for a kitchen/breakfast table commission. It is for a family of 4, and they would like to seat 6 (kids' friends) on rare occassion. Max length for the space seems to be 54" but this could be pushed a bit if need be. When seating 6, they would like the configuation to be 2 @ on the sides, and 1@ at the ends. There is only 72" between a wall and an island, so width is constrained. I will be bidding it with a single plank, live edge top, and tapered bent lamination legs. Can a 54 x 30 seat 6 in pinch, as I have described above? I think that, day to day, the table will probably live against the outside wall, so the seating day to day would be at the ends, with 2 on the same side. They do not yet have permanent chairs, so the size of the chairs is not known.
Thanks for any help.
Alan

[Jamie Buxton]

Alan --

For a dining table, I like to allow 24" per person. By that guideline, 54x30 would be darn tight for six adults. However, you've got some kids who maybe can be squeezed, plus this is a kitchen/breakfast table, so maybe it'll be okay.

When you're building furniture for somebody else, you need to convince yourself you're making a good design, but you also have to consider the eventual owner. Having a surprised and unhappy owner is way worse than not getting the commission at all. I'd build a full-scale mock-up of the top -- cardboard or whatever. I'd look at it myself, and then if I still thought it might be feasible I'd take it to the customer's kitchen and show them exactly what they are going to get.

A good way to build the mockup is to make four panels, each of which is somewhat larger than one quarter of the largest table size you can imagine. Lay them out with some overlap. By varying the amount of overlap, you can change the size of the mock-up. When you put this mock-up in the kitchen, you may find that the owners are willing to live with tight walking spaces around the table, to get a larger table. Or you may find that they want a smaller table. For very little work, this full-scale mock-up gets you lots of important information. It also tends to get customer buy-in, which helps assure that they're happy with the table.

Jamie

[Alan Turner]

Jamie,
Thanks for a great idea. I was going to take a panel over to let them see it in situ, but I hadn't thought of the 4 panel idea, which is great. Won't I look smart.
My concern was the end seating. I didn't think that 3 per side would be comfortable, even if they could speeze in, but I don't seem to have much sense of spacing when one is sitting at an end. I guess that was the real question.
Alan

[Earl Kelly]

Alan, pay close attention to the leg situation. Even if the top is big enough the placement of the legs may make it impractical. I did a 36x72 table and there was only room for about 2 1/2 chairs between the legs. Plenty of room on the top though. I guess what I'm trying to say is you may have to fudge out on the top size or squeeze the legs out to the edge of the top.

Sounds like a nice table,live edge, I love that. Good Luck.

Earl

[Alan Turner]

Earl
Thanks for the comments. Leg placement is one of the things I am thinking about. Depending upon my client's budget, I am recommending tapered bent lamination legs, with a strong, fairly regular, cyma curve. They would offset 14" (top to bottom), and be mounted at 30 degrees to the edge, with the feet finishing about 4" in from each corner. 2.25" ata the top, 1.5" at the bottom, 1.5" thick. This is a more expensive leg than a traditional leg and apron approach because of the labor to jig it up. Should be interesting if they decide to go that way. I have not done tapered bent laminations before, but I have the right tooling, and a supply of Unibond 800, so would not expect any major problems.
I have the wood for the top already, in both curly ash, and figured walnut. They are unresolved on the issue of table color.
Alan

[Greg Heppeard]

PICS, WE MUST HAVE PICS DURING AND COMPLETED...hehe I think we're all picture junkies. :D

[Alan Turner]

Greg,
I will do what I can on Pix, but I don't yet have the commission, so obviously no pix yet. BTW, I was born in Miami, but left at such a young age that I have no recollection of it. It was where my Dad got his first job aftleaving the Navy in 1945. I know you won't think it is in Fl.
Alan