Pedestal kitchen Table design advice

[Joel Griffies]

Hi folks,

So planning my first big project. Wife would like a 60" diameter table for our kitchen. Planning to finish it in black lacquer with some mild distressing and rubbed edges to match the furniture style island. So that gives me a little more forgiveness along the way but I have a few questions:

1) what wood would you use. Since essentially being painted, I feel like I should use something hard enough to make since for kitchen use, but still on the economical end

2) Since I don't have a lathe, was planning an octagonal pedestal with 4 legs attached with mortise/tenon joints. Thoughts on that? and are there any standards on how wide the pedestal should be based on the diameter of the top?

3) any books or references anyone has used that you find useful?

THANKS a ton! always a great amount of information on here, just trying to process it all

Joel

[Dennis Ford]

1) I would use red oak (just because I have a bunch of that already). Maple would be easier to prep for paint. Poplar would be less expensive if you have to buy it.

2) Octagonal pedestal with 4 legs sounds like a good plan. I would consider making the mortise shallow and add lag bolts screwed from inside the pedestal. Not sure about any standards but think that a model would be worthwhile to work out this part of the design.

[Joel Griffies]

Thanks Dennis. So the whole distressed look works in my favor but do you think I could get Poplar hard enough with a finish not to show every mark?

Good idea about the mortises in the base.

JG

[David Thompson 27577]

>>".......do you think I could get Poplar hard enough with a finish not to show every mark?"<<

No.

I'd use soft maple instead. Note that the 'soft' designation is used to discern between it and sugar (rock hard) maple. Soft maple is actually quite hard, easy to work, and takes paint at least as well as poplar.

[denis tuomey]

Joel, I'm in the process of maTABLE PEDASTAL-2011 032.jpgking a 47" round table out of cherry with a pedastal base. I did the mortise n tenon on the pedastal, the pedastal is 10" across, I could have wenTABLE PEDASTAL-2011 012.jpgt with 8" across for this dia. but liked the look better w/ 10". 10" should be big enough for a 60" table, you will have to make the legs a littleTABLE PEDASTAL-2011 027.jpg longer, (mine are 13" from the base). If you serach the webb for places that sell the pedastals n table slides you can find alot of helpful info.TABLE PEDASTAL-2011 022.jpgI agree with David, soft maple would be a good choice of wood, and its not to costly.

[Joel Griffies]

Hey thanks Denis. That is exactly what I am thinking of doing and looks fantastic.
A couple of questions if you don't mind and please excuse my ignorance as this is the first project like this I have attempted:
- are the legs solid. It looks like there are sections glued on either side for the "face" of them
- In one photo it looks like there is a bolt coming out of teh center of the tenon... if so, how will that attach.
- Did you cut the mortises before cutting the angles on the pedestal parts or after.
- it looks like you may have reinforced the depth of the mortise by adding another piece at the bottom of the pedestal pieces?
- you have the legs at an angle that is effectively elevating the pedestal off the floor. That seems to be quite common. It there a structural reason for doing it this way or just aesthetics.
- Lastly, how are you attaching the parts of teh pedestal together? More than glue and clamps?

Thanks a lot for replying to the post. Looks like an awesome project. Would love to see it finished when you get it done.

Joel

[denis tuomey]

TABLE PEDASTAL-2011 008.jpgTABLE PEDASTAL-2011 035.jpgTABLE PEDASTAL-2011 023.jpgTABLE PEDASTAL-2011 020.jpgTABLE PEDASTAL-2011 002.jpgTABLE PEDASTAL-2011 030.jpgJoel, the legs are solid, I glued 2- 1 3/16" pieces together and planed down to 2 1/4", after cutting the tenons on the BS, I put a steel hanger bolt, centered, in them, this will go thru a 1" thick piece across the mortise in side the ped. I did add a 1" piece on the back side of the ped. section to give the leg more support, it is fastened with screws for now so they can be removed when needed, but I put the mortise in while they were fastened,will glue n screw them on at final assembly. After doing the mortise I used a 1/8 radius traditional beading bit for the profile down the edges then cut the 22.5 deg. angles on the shaper. After that I cut biscut slots ( 1st X using biscuts) and when joined they matched up perfect. Upon final assembly I will use glue and clamp with band clamps. I angled the legs for looks and thought that the ped. looks better up from the floor then all the way down. After decideing to make this table I thought it would be a piece of cake ! Spent a few months doing research n drawing up the plans. This has turned out to be one of the toughest projects I have ever done. Quite a challenge. Hope this helps u out, feel free to ask away,be glad to help u any way I can.

[Joel Griffies]

Thanks Denis. Sounds like a good design and from the looks and sound of it should be pretty sturdy. WIll be interested to see the top and how you suport it and attach to it.

Thanks again!

Joel

[Jerome Hanby]

Great thread. I just had my kitchen table plans altered when my Wife informed me she wanted a pedestal. Planing on a walnut pedestal, probably hexagon or octagon, and an ambrosia maple top. Will be making four chairs to go with it, probably walnut.

[Joel Griffies]

So Denis, if I follow you correctly you milled the pieces of the octagon and cut the mortises, then the bead and the 22.5 degree angles on the sides. So when you glue up the pedestal, I assume you attach the legs to the individual pieces first and then assemble the pedestal?
What about supports for the top. Will you do mortises in top side of the pedestal pieces for those?

Thanks

Joel

[denis tuomey]

Joel, the legs can be attached either before or after glue up. I think the pedastal glue up would be easier to handle with the legs off, then attach afterwards, + I'll be able to put a band clamp around the lower end with the legs not on. As for fastening the top, I plan to put 4 - 5/16" hanger bolts in the top of the pedastal and bolt it to a 17" x 17" x 3/4 piece of Birch plywood which is fastened to the equalizer slides. I havent got to do any of this yet cause it has been too hot to do any finishing work yet, 100+ in the garage. I have been putting the top outside on the weekends to suntan the wood, then keeping it in the house, that sure brings the grain out and darkens it up nice, I think I may have the LOML convinced that it will look good without putting a stain on it, just oil only. Right now I have the pedastal held together with band clamps w/the legs in and the top and slides together on the plywood setting on the pedastal, sure am anxious to finish it but I think the high heat would dry the oil too fast n minimize penatration so I guess I'll wait for cooler weather.

[Anthony Oneli]

I'd have to agree with Maple. I made one a few years back and it has served me well. Take your time, good luck.

[Ben Hatcher]

I put together a pretty extensive post on my pedestal table project. I used african mahogany and would not choose to use an open grain wood should I build another.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...y-Dining-Table

[TomKinley 01]

Wall decoration plays an important role in interior design as it helps create the ambience of a kitchen. By cleverly placing pedestal kitchen table design in certain ways, you can change and create a new look and feel in a kitchen room