Started On New Kitchen Table

[David Eisenhauer]

Good on you Ken. Sliding into home base I see. Your table says it is a table for generations of families eating, drinking coffee, doing homework, crafting, etc. It looks like it will stand up to dogs going two-paws-up on the edge to check out todays menu as well as a cat's full-on assault of wandering/bathing/sleeping wherever they choose. I am still faffing about with my son's TV holder. I just finished the drawers and now need to break edges, sand where applicable and apply finish. I am ready to start on my own kitchen table after the TV stand. Thanks for sharing.

[ken hatch]

Good on you Ken. Sliding into home base I see. Your table says it is a table for generations of families eating, drinking coffee, doing homework, crafting, etc. It looks like it will stand up to dogs going two-paws-up on the edge to check out todays menu as well as a cat's full-on assault of wandering/bathing/sleeping wherever they choose. I am still faffing about with my son's TV holder. I just finished the drawers and now need to break edges, sand where applicable and apply finish. I am ready to start on my own kitchen table after the TV stand. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks David,

Other than the slab's stupid wood tricks at the end, this has been a good build. I think you are correct, it should stand up to just about any abuse (which was my plan) and if the slab gets too trashed it will be easy to replace.

Good luck with the TV holder, you should enjoy the kitchen table build.

ken

P.S. Monsoon is early this year, the afternoons cool off a bit with the rains, it could be a good time to camp.

[Mike Allen1010]

This time the fat lady is truly in the building. What is left is blind pegging the slab to the base, putting a small chamfer on the lower surface and breaking the edges. Tung oil on the base and maybe a Waterlux finish on the slab.


Side view:

Attachment 434181

From the end:

Attachment 434182

I expect by the weekend this sucker will be in the kitchen and in use.

Very nice Ken- proportions and details all look great! what do you think about the Alder? Will you use it again?

Cheers, Mike

[ken hatch]

Very nice Ken- proportions and details all look great! what do you think about the Alder? Will you use it again?

Cheers, Mike

Thanks Mike,

You are very kind. The Alder is soft and can be marked easily but it is also very easy to work, even the knots are easy to plane with little tear out. I can see using it as a secondary wood and for things where "marking" doesn't matter. This table was meant to be "outsider", rustic, or what ever you want to call it so less than perfection on the base is not a big thing. I think the Alder with its knots and even softness was the perfect wood for the look I wanted. Now a year or two down the road I may change my mind, if I do, the way the table is constructed changing the base would be very easy and most of the expense is in the slab.

BTW, In a past life I've been around "art" shows for years, not wood working shows, but I expect they are not different. Often out of three jurors only one has even a clue. Sometimes the one with a clue can bring one of the others along but many times not. I've seen some very good work turned away and schlock let in.

ken

[William Fretwell]

Very solid looking Ken. Have you considered putting a curve on the stretcher ends to match the foot style? It would make them look a little shorter and soften them. It keeps the square look at the top and rounded look at the bottom.

[ken hatch]

Very solid looking Ken. Have you considered putting a curve on the stretcher ends to match the foot style? It would make them look a little shorter and soften them. It keeps the square look at the top and rounded look at the bottom.

William,

I'm in the short rows, ain't nothing going to change right now . But it is something to think about once the table is in use for awhile.

ken

[ken hatch]

The first coat of finish is drying:

tableFirstCoatOfFinish.jpg


I'm using Waterlux Original for the slab and tung oil for the base. The Waterlux is supposed to look like Tung oil when finished, it doesn't, but it resists water stains and is easily repaired if needed. I used in on my bathroom vanity and after three or four years it still looks good.

It normally takes 3 or 4 coats and needs 24 hours to dry between coats so it will be the weekend before the fat lady breaks into song.

BTW, I decided on belts and suspenders. I added "Z" clips as well as pegs to hold the table top. Prophylactic taking care of the problem of the top coming lose when MsBubba moves it around the house, which happens often and I would hear about it each time it came loose.


I will not know for sure if I met my design goals until it is in use but I think it will. I wanted a smaller but sturdy table, one that is good for 2 couples and maybe a third in a pinch. I wanted a vernacular, outsider, rustic (whatever you want to call it), look. One that after several years of abuse still looks ok. The last goal is, if I find the table top too small or need an occasional larger table it would be easy to do with just a change of the slab and maybe the stretcher.



ken

[Mike Manning]

Being under the watchful eye of MsBubba and her list of honey does the kitchen table build is going slowly but now that we have finished the roof re-coating the pace may pick up. The table uprights have been fitted to their mortises. The shoulders still need a little trimming but that will come.

Attachment 431380

Next is cutting the uprights to length and sawing the bridle joints for the table supports. BTW, the long board behind the table feet will be the stretcher, the table support boards are to the right on the drill press table.

The slab is still undecided, I guess a trip to the wood store is in the near future.

Stay safe,

ken

Ken,
I'm just starting to read your kitchen table build. I'd noticed earlier when you posted pics of the uprights that there appeared to be two and the tenons weren't centered which I didn't understand. Now I can see that you've used two separate pieces for each upright. Were these glued together before the final build? What's the reasoning behind doing it this way rather than using one piece of lumber for each upright? I should probably hold these kind of questions until I've read through the thread as the answer may be in the next comment. Anyway, it's looking good. As usual.

Thanks for sharing!
Mike

[ken hatch]

Ken,
I'm just starting to ready your kitchen table build. I'd noticed earlier when you posted pics of the uprights that there appeared to be two and the tenons weren't centered which I didn't understand. Now I can see that you've used two separate pieces for each upright. Were these glued together before the final build? What's the reasoning behind doing it this way rather than using one piece of lumber for each upright? I should probably hold these kind of questions until I've read through the thread as the answer may be in the next comment. Anyway, it's looking good. As usual.

Thanks for sharing!
Mike

Mike,

You could be seeing an illusion if you are looking at the small images. Click 'em to big 'em if you have not already. The table was made of glue up 8/4 lumber, the base and stretcher were face glued and the slab edge glued. The upright and the stretcher mortises were centered.

You may have looked at the photo where I was trying to place the stretcher and in that photo I clamped the stretcher tenon to the side of the uprights trying to get a feel for stretcher placement before chopping the mortise.

The table has been moved to the kitchen, I expect I'll do a couple more coats of WaterLux to the slab just because but I could walk away tonight and be happy with it.

ken

[James Pallas]

Table looks great. Alder can do some tricky things at times. When ripping on a table saw the loose end can sneak up behind and tap you on the shoulder. The z-clips are probably a smart move. The wood is reasonably tough, works well and looks good. I have used up several thousand bf of it. Had a house full at one point, beds, chairs , tables, entertainment center, dressers. Matches birch ply well if used combined.

[Mike Manning]

Mike,

You could be seeing an illusion if you are looking at the small images. Click 'em to big 'em if you have not already. The table was made of glue up 8/4 lumber, the base and stretcher were face glued and the slab edge glued. The upright and the stretcher mortises were centered.

You may have looked at the photo where I was trying to place the stretcher and in that photo I clamped the stretcher tenon to the side of the uprights trying to get a feel for stretcher placement before chopping the mortise.

The table has been moved to the kitchen, I expect I'll do a couple more coats of WaterLux to the slab just because but I could walk away tonight and be happy with it.

ken

Ken,

It should have been obvious but you explained it by noting "the table was made with glue up 8/4 lumber". Very nice work! Looking forward to seeing your next project.

I spotted that small bench/stool from page 4 where you moved to the backyard in order to fix the slab. The one with the thru-tenons on top and the stretcher with thru tenons. I think I might like to tackle that as a near future target. Looks like it could be very handy.

Thanks for sharing!

Mike

[ken hatch]

Table looks great. Alder can do some tricky things at times. When ripping on a table saw the loose end can sneak up behind and tap you on the shoulder. The z-clips are probably a smart move. The wood is reasonably tough, works well and looks good. I have used up several thousand bf of it. Had a house full at one point, beds, chairs , tables, entertainment center, dressers. Matches birch ply well if used combined.

Thanks James,

I've not used Alder before but I'm sure there is more of it in my future. Not a bad wood for the price. Faint praise, forget price, not a bad wood at any price.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken,

It should have been obvious but you explained it by noting "the table was made with glue up 8/4 lumber". Very nice work! Looking forward to seeing your next project.

I spotted that small bench/stool from page 4 where you moved to the backyard in order to fix the slab. The one with the thru-tenons on top and the stretcher with thru tenons. I think I might like to tackle that as a near future target. Looks like it could be very handy.

Thanks for sharing!

Mike

Thanks Mike,

The thru tenons are to keep your feet inside the legs . You can't see it in the photo but the legs are slightly canted and I was worried that you could step on the stool outside the center of gravity and bust you rear. the thru tenons are to prevent that from happening. So far they have worked, I made that stool 6 or 7 years ago and not a butt bust yet. The stretcher tenon is with the grain vs. cross grain, you have to be careful to not split the leg with a too tight tenon. If I made another I'd make the M/T fit slightly looser but with wedged tenons.

BTW, I have several of different designs of the basic stool all over the house and they are very handy. Some of the stools have the legs dovetailed to the top with the same thru stretcher, both work.

ken

[Mike Manning]

Thanks Mike,

The thru tenons are to keep your feet inside the legs . You can't see it in the photo but the legs are slightly canted and I was worried that you could step on the stool outside the center of gravity and bust you rear. the thru tenons are to prevent that from happening. So far they have worked, I made that stool 6 or 7 years ago and not a butt bust yet. The stretcher tenon is with the grain vs. cross grain, you have to be careful to not split the leg with a too tight tenon. If I made another I'd make the M/T fit slightly looser but with wedged tenons.

BTW, I have several of different designs of the basic stool all over the house and they are very handy. Some of the stools have the legs dovetailed to the top with the same thru stretcher, both work.

ken

Ken,

It is clearly visible that the width of the base of the legs exceeds the width of the top so I think you're saying the legs are also splayed out a bit to also prevent tipping the stool from the end. Is that correct? Is there a particular angle you used for splaying the legs if I'm reading your previous comment correctly?

I hope the monsoon continues and it's a nice wet summer for you guys. Tucson can always use the rain. :0)

Mike

PS Hopefully, just one last question. Are the through tenons proud of the top or are my eyes playing tricks on me?

[ken hatch]

Ken,

It is clearly visible that the width of the base of the legs exceeds the width of the top so I think you're saying the legs are also splayed out a bit to also prevent tipping the stool from the end. Is that correct? Is there a particular angle you used for splaying the legs if I'm reading your previous comment correctly?

I hope the monsoon continues and it's a nice wet summer for you guys. Tucson can always use the rain. :0)

Mike

PS Hopefully, just one last question. Are the through tenons proud of the top or are my eyes playing tricks on me?

Mike,

That is correct. No particular angle, I just eye balled it. The tenons on the table stretcher are short of the top's edge by several inches, I have not measured but it could be as much as 6".

ken