Table.... hand tool joinery

[durango dude]

Learned to make shavings instead of sawdust.

[twistsol]

Beautiful.

I've never attempted a half blind dovetail by hand but have done a number of through dovetails by hand. If I'm only doing a single drawer, it is faster than setting up the jig, and now after enough practice, I alsoI get better results by hand .

[Jim Frye]

I like it!!

[cwsmith]

Very nice job!

Thanks for posting

[capncarl]

Building it on your own in your own workshop, what do you estimate that your man hours to completion will be? Are you going to build it just like the instructors taught or will you use some power tools to shorten the build time?

[capncarl]

Was everyone in the class building the same table? I see in your last photo a Queen Ann style spider monster looking table setting in the background.

[Black walnut]

Nicely done!

[durango dude]

Building it on your own in your own workshop, what do you estimate that your man hours to completion will be? Are you going to build it just like the instructors taught or will you use some power tools to shorten the build time?

Well, the class lasted a week. They taught us a different skill each day (day 1... sharpening... day 2... chisels.... day 3 sawing to a line... day 4, hand planing, day 5 assembling)

we'd practice in the morning, and build in the afternoon. So I have 20 hpurs in this little table.

yes, theres a few things i could shorten without a lot of consequence. The toughest thing was perfectlly square dovetaied drawers.

I still can't cut good dovetails on my router!!! At this point, im much better off doing it by hand.

[GrumpyDad]

Was this at a Guild shop?

[durango dude]

This was Bennett's Fine Woodworking.

I always wanted to take a class with Lonnie Bird.

Unfortunately, Lonnie passed last year.

I was lucky, though.thoHis assistant. Jason Bennett has his shop right around the corner from me.

(Jonesborough, TN)

[capncarl]

durango dude, this is a fantastic looking table!
I’ve always wanted to take a class on building a rocking chair similar to a Maloof but just can’t find the time… or make myself spend that much time in Atlanta. It probably wouldn’t work anyway because I couldn’t stand for scrubbing on a board all day when all I’d have to do is shove it in a planer then through the drum sander to finish in 30 minutes.

So…. 20 hours to build this table, is that including instruction time, sharpening chisels etc? Or is that the time you spent on prep of wood, cutting and assembly? I’m thinking to myself that 20 hours building this table with hand tools is pretty good time! Are you going to continue building this type table in your home shop?


I’ve been building this type table for about 10 years to use for gifts and to sell in various art galleries and gift shops. Most of the shaping is done on table saw, band saw, router table, planer and drum sander, with hand planes to cut out the saw marks out of the leg tapers. No drawers on any of my tables. My typical build time is 8 hours per table. The joinery for the legs/aprons is Festool Dominos. This probably cut 2 hours off the build, but it seems to still take 8 hrs.

[capncarl]

Durango Dude, you need to your tables in a gallery.

[dbhost]

Nice. Definately above my skill level.

[capncarl]

I agree, this table Durango Dude shows here is definitely above what we build by using saws and routers!

[danielsk]

I love it!

[jacobs]

that really look very nice ! Table saws are essential for precision in hand tool joinery. Birch Lane offers a variety of options suitable for different projects. Reading reviews, like those on Birch Lane, can provide valuable insights into user experiences and product durability. This helps in making an informed decision that aligns with your woodworking goals.

[capncarl]

Durango, I still concede that your table is better than mine. Photo of my latest batch of Tiny Tables to be delivered next week to Apalachicola Fla.
until I’m able to attend a proper class like the one you attended I’ll have to make do with my tablesaw, router table, band saw, planer, drum sander and Festool Domino machines! All of this to do what you are able to do with a hand plane, scrapers, saw and chisels! And not that much faster!