Modern elliptical dining table

[Jamie Buxton]

I addressed the layout process in a reply I posted probably while you were typing.

I don't see a way to make an expanding elliptical top. The entire table edge is curved, so no matter how you build the expansion the expanded top will not be an ellipse. Maybe draw out what you're thinking, and post it in the Design forum?

Maybe I took you too literally. "Ellipse" is a very specific shape, and like I said, I don't know of a way to make it expand. But there are related shapes which aren't ellipses but expand more easily. For instance, consider a table top which is essentially a rectangle in the middle with half-circle pieces forming the two ends. Maybe that's close enough to an ellipse for SWMBO. The nice thing about this shape is that you can put rectangular leaves in it to expand it, and they fit nicely with the not-expanded table shape.

[Jamie Buxton]

Very well done Jamie! It's an interesting design and it's well executed.

How did you lay out your elliptical table top? My wife wants an elliptical dining table but with a butterfly extension. I want to make it out of solid hardwood with the grain running across the width with bread board edges.

Maybe I took you too literally. "Ellipse" is a very specific shape, and like I said, I don't know of a way to make it expand. But there are related shapes which aren't ellipses but expand more easily. For instance, consider a table top which is essentially a rectangle in the middle with half-circle pieces forming the two ends. Maybe that's close enough to an ellipse for SWMBO. The nice thing about this shape is that you can put rectangular leaves in it to expand it, and they fit nicely with the not-expanded table shape.

[Jim Becker]

The ellipse shaped table can have center leaves to extend for a larger dining party, but obviously, during the period of time it's "stretched", it's no longer elliptical.

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Ken, I'm not sure how you can pull off breadboard ends with this form of table.

[Mel Fulks]

The ellipse shaped table can have center leaves to extend for a larger dining party, but obviously, during the period of time it's "stretched", it's no longer elliptical.

It's no longer an ellipse. But it is "elliptical". Dictionaries kinda ' define elliptical as "kinda' like an ellipse"
For drawing them you use a stick with nails (wont explain it cuz I have to look it up each time I need it); or you use
the "string method". There are directions for drawing two different radii to make to make pseudo ellipse
they look OK for taller ones, that is , when they are hard to discern from a half circle. But if you make them proportioned
like a nice ellipse ....they don't look like a real ellipse since the two radii are just too obvious.
It doesn't apply to op's project....but when you need to make templates for casings ,the best way is to bandsaw out a
"core" small ellipse from plywood, then cut 1/4" inch thick circles with radius the same as needed casing size. Push the
compass point all the way thru so a pencil point will fit ,then you roll it against the original temp. Lot of band sawing in
formal elliptical door frames. I always saved all the old circles in a suit case. Fellow workers thought that was nutty.
Casings that don't properly fit completely destroy the design.

[Frederick Skelly]

That's sure a beautiful table!

[Mark Rainey]

Sleek and unique!