I made a coffee table

[Jhalfa]

I had a week off work last week and finally got around to turning a couple of rough sawn planks of american black walnut into a coffee table to replace a horrid IKEA thing. Here is the result:

The wood was fairly easy to work, but did move all over the place when cut so my triceps got a very good workout from all the planing. The rest of the wood in the room is mahogany so I decided to warm the walnut up with linseed oil followed by button polish and wax.

I would have made it more fancy, but I don't have a lathe to turn legs. I also assume that it is much easier to make tapers on a table saw (which I don't have) then it is on the bandsaw that I do have.

What did make it much easier was the fact that I had just taken delivery of a Tormek and used it to sharpen my chisels and planes - now I see why people rave about the Tormek! It was like someone had bought me new planes and chisels

Hope you like to table anyway!

Regards

Jonathan

 

[Philly]

Jonathon
Lovely job! Looks great,
Philly

 

[Adam]

Well done. And yes, the Tormek is a marvel to me as well!

Adam

 

[PowerTool]

Very nice - as you say,it looks "warm",and so much better than Ikea :wink:

Any work-in-progress pictures ?


Andrew

 

[Anonymous]

Lovely table and quickly made for a hobbiest

 

[gwaithcoed]

Excellent Jonathon, I like it I like it a lot

Alan.

 

[nickson71]

nice table ......

 

[les chicken]

That is one nice coffee table, be careful when you put the coffee on it. :shock:

Don't want to spoil it. :wink: :wink:

Les

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Very very nice, thats one that will be a family heirloom.

 

[dedee]

Jonathan
Nice looking table. How about some details on construction methods used on making the top for example and how the legs are joined to the rails?

Andy

 

[Waka]

I second what everyone else has said, but please can we have construction details?

 

[Philipp]

Very nice, Jonathan, and very well made! Nice wood, too.

"I would have made it more fancy, but I don't have a lathe to turn legs."

Personally, I prefer simple forms. So, I am happy to see you table as it is - without turned legs.

Regards, Philipp

 

[brianhabby]

Well done. And yes, the Tormek is a marvel to me as well!

Adam

Nice Table, as mentioned above, how about some construction details.

Also:

What's a Tormek?

regards

Brian

 

[Colin C]

Nice table Jhalfa

Brian
A Tormek
I hope this is now clear

 

[engineer one]

really nice piece, and actually the legs make it look properly
designed whilst turned ones might not have.

nice that you are happy with the tormek, it certainly helps
you think more carefully about sharpeness.

paul :wink:

 

[MikeW]

Beautiful table, Jonathan!

Lovely color, very good photography as well.

Take care, Mike

 

[Sandy]

Jonathan,

Nice work there. I agree with what a couple of others say about the legs, Nice clean legs instead of turned legs. I think the cleaner lines make it look less heavy and more elegant.

How long did it take from start to finish and did you have a plan/drawing?

 

[brianhabby]

Nice table Jhalfa

Brian
A Tormek
I hope this is now clear

Thanks for that Colin

regards

Brian

 

[Jhalfa]

Thanks for the kind words everyone - I really like the table, and more importantly so does my wife!

In terms of construction details, it is very simply design with sliding dovetails in the legs to slot the rails into instead of mortice / tenons - I thought this would give it more strength. I glued some strips of walnut to the inside of the rails and screwed through them into the top.

The top is made from three lengths of wood jointed and stuck together with biscuits

One issue I did struggle with is the natural colour variation in the walnut. I initially tried to hide the lighter strips in the wood as I was making the top, but ended up making a feature of them. It is my first time with walnut and now I can understand that one of the great things about it is the colour variation.

I didn't take any WIP photographs because I didn't think anyone would want to see them given the very simple design of the thing! I will do better next time for the forum

Anyway thanks again for the comments and I look forward to showing my next production to you all. My wife has been talking about a TV cabinet to replace the horrible painted MDF one that I knocked up about 6 years ago

Regards

Jonathan