Design idea for a gallery piece (kinda big)

[Steve Wargo]

Here's a thought. I normally don't kill myself over pieces, but I really like the top on this one. What if you were to take the elipse on the top, and cut it in half, widthwise. Then use that cut out as your inside shape on the top and bottom of the legs. You could even run the bloodwood pieces to connect the cutouts like on the top. It would allow the theme to be transmitted across the entirety of the piece. I wish I had something other than AutoCAD so I could draw it up for you.

[Keith Christopher]

Ok how about this ? As you can see the legs are the part I was unsure of. Thanks for all the comments/suggestions thus far. This is an important piece for me.


Here is a view with the legs thinned a bit.

[Steve Wargo]

Just sent you a PM

[Scott Coffelt]

Just a suggestion, why don't you make up a mock up with MDF. It's cheap, you'll get a feel for size and fit. You can try some different legs without much money in materials. Just a thought, as design is the beholders, I think it is nice to get ideas from other folks but in the end... your making it, so what you like is fine. You can take any piece and folks will have different opinions.

[Don Baer]

Keith,
I have been following you design with a lot of interest. The new legs make the table look a lot taller and seems to flow better with the top.
But hey I'm just an amature.

good looking table.

[Keith Christopher]

Just a suggestion, why don't you make up a mock up with MDF. It's cheap, you'll get a feel for size and fit. You can try some different legs without much money in materials. Just a thought, as design is the beholders, I think it is nice to get ideas from other folks but in the end... your making it, so what you like is fine. You can take any piece and folks will have different opinions.

Scott,

While I agree with this, in this case I want the general population to like this piece. I'm already working on a fill size mock-up of this. I have the MDF templates made and the wood on order. NOrmally I do ascribe to it being my work and my idea. but in this case. I'm going to be on display. EEEP.


Keith

[Joe Mioux]

Hi Keith:

Thanks for sharing this project with us.

I have two comments. The first is the top. There is something about the curved edges of the table top that seem amiss from the overall feel of the table. Those curves seem more traditional while the rest of the table feels more contemporary or modern.

On your last prototype. I really like the thinner legs, but the red stretchers seem to be in the wrong place and/or too far apart. Can you lower the top stretcher and bring it closer to the bottowm stretcher. I would be interested in seeing how that looks.

Joe

[Keith Christopher]

Hi Keith:

Thanks for sharing this project with us.

I have two comments. The first is the top. There is something about the curved edges of the table top that seem amiss from the overall feel of the table. Those curves seem more traditional while the rest of the table feels more contemporary or modern.

On your last prototype. I really like the thinner legs, but the red stretchers seem to be in the wrong place and/or too far apart. Can you lower the top stretcher and bring it closer to the bottowm stretcher. I would be interested in seeing how that looks.

Joe

Here ya go.

Keith

[Bill Arnold]

Keith,

I think your last drawing is showing better balance, but I'd lighten the tops of the legs even more. Maybe what I'm looking for is a combination of one of your earlier drawings where you had a larger cutout at the top of the legs but with lighter looking legs. As it stands, I feel the piece is a bit bottom heavy -- like it's being anchored to the floor by the leg assembly. The top is so spectacular it should appear to float above the floor rather than be weighted down by the base.

Regards,

[Earl Kelly]

Keith, looks like you're developing this piece nicely. With this last revision you're getting a lighter feel to the base, I think you can refine it even more. It still has a bench look to it. It might be the renderer, but the dimensions can affect the look greatly, also. I would make the top no more than 14-16" deep with an appropriate lenght of approx 50-60". The height needs to be no less than 30" but can be as high as 36". By staying with longer leaner top and taller on the height you can make the piece appear to be lighter and thinner.

It hard to describe exactly what if anything I would change. But I would still work on refining the legs.

As I sat and thought about your piece I came up with this for the base. Now granted this is MY taste and idea you may not like it a bit, but I put it out there for you to use if you feel it's right for you. I would abandon the bench type trestle base and go with four legs, turned and tapered with about a 1 1/2" kickout at the bottom. Sort of if you took a standard tapered turned leg and bent the bottom out in a gentle curve. You can turn the top on a lathe but must shape the bottom by hand. Then I would either make some bent lamination stretchers with gentle arcs to reinforce the legs or make a shelf with concave edges (all four sides) and copy the center detail from the top.

All of this may be way off base for you, but at least I hope it gives you a little different perspective on the design of you work. Good luck with your piece, maybe we'll see it in print some day.

[Keith Christopher]

And here is some scope creep. but I redesigned the whole thing. I didn't like the legs either.

[Bill Arnold]

Keith,

Well, the new look certainly is different. To me, it's got more of a 'sitting bench' look to it with the legs sticking up like they do. How about taking your new base assembly and squeezing it down to fit under the table? Then use your original top with the radius ends; the radius of the legs would complement the top. The bloodwood in the center of the base complements the center of the top nicely.

Regards,