Third Living Room Table...

[Jim Frye]

The bulk of the table construction is done. Next up is drawer construction. I'm going to do the top last so I don't have to leave it clamped up cauls like the last two tables. I'll do the trim after the drawer.

[Jim Frye]

Note the grooves around the top and bottom of the corner columns. That's where the cock beads will go. Also around the drawer front.

[Jim Frye]

Short update.The drawer is assembled and mounted. The large knot in the bottom rear of the drawer is intentional. We have some Amish made furniture done in rustic cherry and I wanted to try something with a knot in it to see how difficult it would be to finish. It won't be seen very often, so it seemed like a good place to try one.

[Jim Frye]

BTW, I didn't have a piece of maple ply large enough for the 17"x22" bottom, so I glued a bottom piece up with eight strips of scrap. Almost all of my wider maple scraps were less than 22" long and I resisted cutting up an eight foot piece of stock to make a two or three piece bottom. I guess the method is OK as we have a maple dresser from the late forties that has sides and top glued up from 2" - 3" wide pieces.

[Jim Frye]

I finished the drawer by assembling and finishing the cock bead drawer front and attaching it to the drawer carcass. I started putting the bead trim around the corner posts. This involves cutting and fitting the small bead trim pieces (all 32 of them) around the top and bottom of the corner posts. The picture shows how small each piece is and why I was troubled by cutting them on the table saw. Since I'm cutting them from long pieces, I make the first miter on the table saw with the SMT and the second cut on the bench hook. So far, so good.

[LCHIEN]

detail is amazing

[Jim Frye]

It was sub freezing here today and with the wind, it was unpleasant just to go out to the curb to get the mail. So I spent most of the day in the shop working on the table trim. It went surprisingly quickly despite the number of pieces to be cut and fitted. I think I'll do the top glue up and molding next. The amount of sanding and finishing on this project is formidable, so I think I'm going to put it off for a bit.

[Jim Frye]

Finished assembling the top, cutting to size, and shaping the edge. Now comes the tedious task of sanding and coloring this project.

[Jim Frye]

Update: The coloring is done. I have dyed the piece and top. Everything has been given two applications of medium walnut Watco Danish Oil and allowed to fully cure. I have touched in any spots where the wood didn't take the dye or oil. Now the varnishing is to begin. This will take a couple of weeks to accomplish.

[dbhost]

Looking awesome! Can't wait to see the finished project!

[Jim Frye]

A bit of a setback. While doing the table top finishing, I managed to induce sags in the varnish. Quite the feat in a piece that is horizontal. This necessitated sanding the finish off until the flaws were removed. Now I get to start over with the varnishing of the top. The rest of the piece is done except for polishing out and waxing.

[Jim Frye]

OK, Now that I've fixed my screwup on the table top and it looks perfect, the finish on the lower shelf looks like crap in comparison. So I'm just going to have to fix it. Another week lost to my incompetence.

[LCHIEN]

to you it is incompetence; to others its probably obsessive compulsive perfectionism.

[Jim Frye]

Maybe so, but this table will be placed next to my recliner in the living room where I will sit next to it for likely the rest of my useful life. Besides, SWMBO will be dusting it forever.

[Jim Frye]

Well, it's done. SWMBO likes it, so that's the important thing. I am also pleased with the design and build. The basement lighting is a bit low and the piece looks somewhat lighter upstairs in the living room. I drilled a small hole in the rear corner of the drawer bottom to pass a lightning charging cord up into the drawer to charge my iPad. The total wood parts count ened up at 88 due to some added structure underneath and the glued up drawer bottom.