Shaker End Tables

[OPJ]

Chems, you may find that Richard Findley is the only one supplying Chestnut's hard wax oil at the minute... It doesn't appear to be available at Axminster or Classic Hand Tools yet.

Pete, I'd be lying if I said that hadn't already crossed my mind! But, even with a smaller lathe, I'd have to build a bench for it and buy an extension kit if ever I wanted to turn some legs or something - that's why your offer was so appealing to me. Clearly, I have no reservations about squeezing something far too large in to my small workshop! :wink:

Chems doesn't have this problem though, he has loads of space...

 

[Chems]

My next big machine purchase will probably be a bandsaw, I think theres to much wastage when working with hardwood if you don't have a resaw capacity. Didn't get anything done today for a few reasons. Is the hardwax oil not fully rolled out then? How quick is richard on postage as I want these finished yesterday!

 

[jhwbigley]

My next big machine purchase will probably be a bandsaw, I think theres to much wastage when working with hardwood if you don't have a resaw capacity.

I've only ever needed a bandsaw for deepening drawer parts, like when you what a pair of 10mm thick drawer sides. not much point resawing if you get the bit you want and a bit 3mm thick left, might as well take that of on the thicknesser.

I like the shaker style, nice and simple

JH

 

[OPJ]

You'll be able to do so much more with a bandsaw... Book-matching, veneering, accurate shaping in thick stock where a jigsaw blade might flex - you know that purchase is going to make a lot of sense! :wink:

As far as I recall, the oil arrived from The Turner's Workshop next day. Either that, or you should phone ahead before visiting Good Timber (it's probably cheaper still to take up Richard's current offer!).

 

[ByronBlack]

I'm a massive fan of the bandsaw, don't think there is any reason not to have one, they can just do so much. Even though i'm going galoot - a bandsaw is still high on my list of purchases at some point.

 

[Chems]

I agree, theres lots you can do with a bandsaw, you can venture into the world of curves! They look like fun too, quite safe to use.

Need to get some filler of some sort for this knot in the top, and get some hardwax oil to finish it.

 

[Chems]

 

[WoodAddict]

That's a lot of dust. How long since it was last done? (just purely out of interest)

I do like those tables, good luck with the sale and let us know how it goes.. :wink:

 

[Chems]

Thats 23 days worth, I also had a drum full from the RSDE-2 which I think is something like 50 litres. Off both my saw and P/T. If only there was a good use for it we'd all be minted!

 

[OPJ]

That looks like a good repair with the epoxy. Do you have a 'before' photo? It will be interesting to see how it turns out once you've oiled it (I have no idea how epoxy or if epoxy reacts to finishes?). I've got a couple of large knots (more like cracks!) on the walnut seat of a chair I'm making at college and I might consider using epoxy, as I haven't done so before. Otherwise, they'd need quite a bit of wax to fill them!

 

[Chems]

To be honest, it looked just like it does, only before you could stick your finger now you cant.

Oil is going on at the mo. Pics soon.

 

[Chems]

 

[Ironballs]

These are looking good and you've obviously made them well, but I reckon with a couple of changes and some more thought about board selection you'll take them to the next level.

First up the tops, on one you have a mix of quartersawn and plain oak, I think for a well resolved top you have to go with boards all of the same cut and ideally with similar grain so that you can make the joins disappear. You also appear to have a bit of sap on the q/sawn board which for oak is a real negative - can look good on walnut and cherry for instance, but not on oak.

Next up is the drawer, I reckon with a bit of practice you could aim for a closer fit, but that's only nit picking. What will make a big difference is taking an oversize board for the front and then bandsawing out the drawer front, the two "waste" parts become your top and bottom rails and with some care and planing down to clean up, you end up with a drawer that flows into the rails. You can use the same technique if you don't want a full width drawer, just repeat above but with an overlong piece and cut the drawer front from the width of the middle piece.

If you're going for sale then these things can lift your piece and allow you to stand out and command a higher price - for very little more effort

Cheers

Damian

 

[Chems]

What will make a big difference is taking an oversize board for the front and then bandsawing out the drawer front, the two "waste" parts become your top and bottom rails and with some care and planing down to clean up, you end up with a drawer that flows into the rails.

I did this but messed them up at the dovetail stage

Thanks for your points damian, I was just thinking earlier how much better I could do it again. Not sure about the quater sawn and the plain, it must be mixed up in the pile at the timber place I will have to be more careful as I actually bought character oak for this and really really struggled to get good boards out of it. (How can I easily tell the difference when looking at them in the pile?) Its my first trip back into hardwoods for over a year an a half having not had a P/T. Hopefully the average punter won't notice the imperfections! If these ones go I'll defiantly make some more.

 

[9fingers]

One more comment for the website Chems.

Maybe make your two occurrences of your email contact into clickable links so they will open up the reader mail program.

Very nice work. I'm not a great fan of pine/redwood. needs just as much labour in construction but you cannot sell it for such good prices.

Bob

 

[Chems]

 

[woodbloke]

These are good simple pieces, but I would have to echo IB's comments ref timber selection and drawers.
The tops as shown have visible lines of sap...not only does it look bad (in my view anyway) but should be avoided like the plague, 'specially in oak as that's where little wormy varmints like to lunch :evil: The tables are easily going to last a couple of hundred years or so, but any sign of inadequate husbandry ie keeping in a damp environment will have those sappy bits full of holes in no time at all.
As for the knot...that should never have been included on a show surface. You could get away with a small live knot or two (I have on my AP stool just finished) but, in my view anyway, you ought to have been a lot more careful with the timber selection...that knot is the first thing that the client is going to see.

The timber on the drawers as well appears quarter sawn on one and plain on the other....much better to have selected a big lump and bookmatched it to make a matched pair.

If a big enough piece wasn't available, then you could have cut a pair of 4mm slices off a quarter sawn piece and then glued them over a 14mm plainer piece...the glue line would then be right where your marking line is for the lapped d/t's and would have blended in quite well. Yes, there would be a mismatch in the grain with the d/t's but the fronts (which are the important bits) would have been perfick :wink:

Sorry for the ramble, but I think the points were worth mentioning - Rob

 

[Chems]

I actually really liked the sap running through the top.

I defiantly think I'll make these again as they are a great project, next time smaller dovetails and more careful timber selection.

 

[xy mosian]

Nice tables, well done.

But could I please see the grain on the knobs horizontal.

xy

 

[Chems]

Yes as only one is glued in! Can't do anything about the other one I'm afriad