Walnut bed tables

[Mark Singer]

Mark,

Absolutely stunning. I always appreciate your rationale for the design. What is the height? Or did I miss it?

The height is 17 1/2" width 30 1/4" Depth 17"

[Mark Singer]

How do you finish this project? How's the plane done? Any coat and techniques used?

I use hand planes and hand scrappers. Daly's Ben Matte wet sanded with 400 grit. All edges are burnished with scrapers are a dowel .

[Ed Sallee]

I'm always afraid to open your posts, Mark... Makes me want to hang it up - you do such quality work! But, as always, I can't resist.....

I'm with ya on the ebony posts.... I would go with something with little or no visible grain pattern - whether it's ebony or something completely different.... Although cocobolo is a beautiful wood, I think any other highly figured wood would contrast too much...

But otherwise.... WOW!!!

[Zahid Naqvi]

excellent!!! as always, the grain "wrap" around the corners was executed to perfection. Tell me about the strength of these biscuit jointed mitres. I have a big slab/board of walnut (alas only 3/4" thick) which I think is a potential coffee table using the wrap around concept you have used. But I have younger kids in the house and a coffee table gets beat up, climbed upon, lifted, moved etc. How secure would the top be if the table was moved by lifting the top (with some drawer(s) adding extra weight)

I for one think you should use plain steel pulls, they will go with the existing legs and supports. Or use no pulls at all. The black drawer pulls would be the only black element on the table.

[Brandon Shew]

I'm going against the grain here and saying don't even bother to put a pull on it at all. If my eyes aren't deceiving me, there is a lip on the bottom of the drawer that protrudes below the drawer bottom. Since there is no bottom frame to get in the way, it seems to me that one could just pull the drawer open from the bottom using the tips of the fingers.

I would take a bowl bit on the router and cut a curved recess under the bottom center of the back of the drawer face (it could be as small as 5" wide or most of the width). It would provide more grip than a slim ebony pull and there would be nothing to draw the eye away from the smooth continuity of the drawer front and that beautiful grain.

[Mark Singer]

excellent!!! as always, the grain "wrap" around the corners was executed to perfection. Tell me about the strength of these biscuit jointed mitres. I have a big slab/board of walnut (alas only 3/4" thick) which I think is a potential coffee table using the wrap around concept you have used. But I have younger kids in the house and a coffee table gets beat up, climbed upon, lifted, moved etc. How secure would the top be if the table was moved by lifting the top (with some drawer(s) adding extra weight)

I for one think you should use plain steel pulls, they will go with the existing legs and supports. Or use no pulls at all. The black drawer pulls would be the only black element on the table.

Zahid,
First ,
Thank you!

There is a lot of surface areas on the mitered faces. This adds strength. If it is long grain to long grain, its better yet. The biscuits really work well in this application. Remember the table I made....
http://sawmillcreek.org/search.php?searchid=2657856

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...t=coffee+table

This may help since joints were rip mitered and long
I hand plane the miteres after sawing to fit ... A bit more work but really worth it. It only takes a few minutes. Mark the spots that touch plane them and soon the whole surface is in contact.
Another tip is try any joinery you are not sure off on scrap first. Yes I do this often and it helps the saw setup and alignment of everything

[Jason Tuinstra]

Great tables! Your designs are really inspiring and your attention to detail is top notch. The dovetails look great!

[Art Mulder]

Here is the ebony pull I used on a similar bed table

Mark,

I missed the original post, glad I found it now. These are lovely pieces, and I rather like the "metaphor" explanation. Yes, pieces can speak for themselves, but I also like to hear from the designer what went into their design decisions to make a piece.

As for the ebony pulls... I'm not sure about the ebony pull that you show on the similar table. These are very horizontal pieces, and a vertical piece like that might look strange, IMHO. I also wonder about using stainless, as others have said. A nice long horizontal stainless pull might suit.

But then I find myself thinking about your metaphor for the man and woman, and I wonder about designing some sort of pull that evokes a pair of interlinked wedding rings. Or perhaps some other interlinked/intertwined kind of symbol.

best,
...art

[Mark Valsi]

Nice work, Mark.

I like the design, proportions and execution thereof !

High marks all round.

[Dan Mages]

Another Mark Singer masterpiece! Looking good as usual.

Dan

[jay litton]

Nice job.... I am finishing a project using walnut soon. What type of finish did you use on this project?

[J. Z. Guest]

They're a bit too modern for my taste, but there's no denying that they're well-done!

[Dennis Lopeman]

Modern?? Hmmm - I was thinking they looked kind of 60's 70's style... LOL

OH - and I mean NO offense to that. I like them a LOT. There's a ton of stuff that I like from those eras.

These night tables are exquisite.

[Mark Singer]

Nice job.... I am finishing a project using walnut soon. What type of finish did you use on this project?

It was Daly's Ben Matte about 4 coats and Bri Wax of drawers and then on over Daly's.

[Larry Rose]

Beautiful piece of work as usual. Your designs are a great inspiration to us all. BTW that's one vicious looking animal.