WIP Brazillian Hemlock Coffee Table (Completed 31/08)

[Paul Chapman]

Hey, that looks good, J-S 8)

As Dan said, just slot the screw holes a little so that the top can expand and contract (don't want to risk it splitting and spoiling all your hard work )

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[wizer]

Blimey. Here's me insisting I need 10k of tools before I can even start making furniture and then there's you making such a lovely coffee table with less tools than I have ever had! You put me to shame young sir! :roll: :wink:

Well Done, Can't wait to see your second commission.

 

[OPJ]

I thought you did well to get a good shape for the table top with such a small bandsaw! :shock: :wink: I like what you've done with the slats but, share the same concerns as others with regards to how you've fixed the top. With the slats, if you really wanted, you could even have dovetailed them in...! :wink:

A good tip for hand-morticing - leave 5mm waste at each end of the mortice and use this to lever the chisel against as you clean out the rest of the waste. Then, when the middle's clear, chisel this away.

 

[woodbloke]

As Dan and others have commented on, the table top fixing is not ideal. Even when the frame has been glued together it would be possible to rout slots in the inside top rail edges or if that's not possible, then chop them by hand. If there's no allowance for movement in the top you'll find that it will split...big time
Regarding the design, I think that I would have put the slatted lower shelf a bit higher up...looks a little bit too low for me - Rob

 

[Shultzy]

Even if you can't route a groove in the sides you could in the angle brackets and then put button on. BTW carve your name and date rather than just write it on as this makes it look a bit more "professional"

 

[joiner_sim]

Thankyou for all your replies! They are much appreciated! Just a few replies to the comments:

I have made the screws slotted now so that movement can be possible. Next time I think i will be using buttons.

With regards as to how many tools I have my mobile tool chest probably carries about £500 worth of hand tools. My power tools come to around about £300 worth, just thinking off the top of my head. I have built up my kit since I started in the trade in 2003, and have found that sometimes expensive tools aren't always nessecary, but depending on the tool sometime you have to pay extra, like with chisels and hand planes (you want to pay extra for quality) but then with a set of drill bits don't pay the earth (as you can loose them or break them, no matter how much they cost.

When I was cutting the oval on the small bandsaw, the motor did struggle a little bit, and at first was cutting it on m,y own, but soon realised I needed to concentrate on the cut rather than the support so went and fetched my mum to come and labour for a bit! :lol:
I realised dovetailing the slats in, was an option, but I remember the last time I did hand cut dovetails(back at my training college) that I found them quite difficult to do so I think a practice piece in the future will be one of my projects, a small box or something.

I was going to carve my name in, as I do have a engraving kit, but to be quite honest, was just glad to get the job done nice and early on sunday by 4pm, after I had been working thursday, friday and saturday right into the evenings, 8-9pm.

:arrow: My next few private workshop jobs aren't going to be as skilled (in my opinion) as most of it will involve using ply & mdf. I think I'll still post some of them on here if they are good enough once finished though. They will most likley be on my site if nothing else. :wink:

 

[wizer]

I like your confidence JC. I know what you mean about wanting to move on to the next job. With every project you learn.

 

[Ironballs]

Good tip from OPJ on the mortices, gives you nice clean edges that way. At least until you do a dry fit and it doesn't go together and you break out the persuading device :wink:

 

[joiner_sim]

Just an update to a very, very old topic:

Its now February 2009, and have seen the table the other day. Luckily the table top has not split from the way I ixed it to the frame. It is still getting the odd coat of beeswax here and there from the customer.

I have to start my next project soon, maybe when its a little warmer! I have a double bed head board to make, timbers been machined for the last two months its, just finding the time to get out there and start making the project, WIPs definatley to come on that project.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Someone mentioned routing the slots for buttons, a quicker and much easier way is to use a biscuit jointer, especially if you've assembled the table and forgot to do the slots