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New project - kitchen table

Chris Hatfield said:
I was hoping you weren't going to say that. Ply would be so much easier.

I'm hoping you're right in that it won't cost that much more. But I have my doubts.
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well it's all relative as to cost not that much to some is a lot to others. I just ran the number and I would estimate that a 96,36 by 2" thick top would run a little over $500 in hard maple. i don't know what you pay for maple there. I would consider Ash as an good alternative and the cost would be less.
 
For the cost of the maple - even ply - and the amount of work involved to make a good tabletop, you might take a look at Bally Block's offerings. They make some very nice butcher block type tops.

They likely have a vendor in your area.

BTW, sometimes, they have 'seconds' for sale at drastic discounts. Usually the 'seconds' are so slight that you can't find the imperfection.

I've used several of them over the years.
 
I wasn't thinking of doing a butcher block style. I was thinking of 4" wide boards, arranged as a 1" thick surface. I was basing those measurements off of our current table, which is likely some sort of pine and is at least 30 years old.
 
I don't know what you have for tools Chris. If you buy rough 4/4 maple it shouldn't cost you mare than $100. If you don't have a jointer or planer maybe you could have your local high school shop class do it for you then glue it up yourself.
A 3/4" top made of maple is plenty thick for a table. If you want to give it the appearance of being thicker you can add trim to the edges.

Just don't by borg maple. It's way overpriced and you will still need a jointer.
 
I have most of the big tools except for a bandsaw and a jointer. My big downfall right now is space.

The price difference between 4/4 and 5/4 is negligible at my supplier (I think - I haven't gotten a price sheet in awhile), so I was going to go for 1" with a bullnose all around.

If I went breadboard, it would have a hardwood bullnose on the sides but I guess not now.
 
Chris Hatfield said:
I have most of the big tools except for a bandsaw and a jointer. My big downfall right now is space.

The price difference between 4/4 and 5/4 is negligible at my supplier (I think - I haven't gotten a price sheet in awhile), so I was going to go for 1" with a bullnose all around.

If I went breadboard, it would have a hardwood bullnose on the sides but I guess not now.
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rough sawn 4/4 around here is pretty close to 1-1/4". It can clean up to 7/8" or 1" pretty nicely. Like Brent said, it's gonna be pretty heavy.

If it was mine I'd make it 7/8" thick tops and do breadboard ends. That's what my minds eye envisions in a trestle table anyway:dunno:
 
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A quick question about glue ups for the legs - which way to orient the boards?

For example, if I was making a bottom support that oriented between two legs, should I have the boards stacked on top of each other or next to each other? Or does it matter, so long as I do a good job of getting them glued up.

I'm thinking I should be more concerned with the orientation as it's related to strength - on the edge where it will bow less and support the weight better.

Yes?
 
Chris Hatfield said:
A quick question about glue ups for the legs - which way to orient the boards?

For example, if I was making a bottom support that oriented between two legs, should I have the boards stacked on top of each other or next to each other? Or does it matter, so long as I do a good job of getting them glued up.

I'm thinking I should be more concerned with the orientation as it's related to strength - on the edge where it will bow less and support the weight better.

Yes?
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ok, having glued up a fair share of legs, glue them face to face, until you are just over your final thickness. if a 2.25" square leg is called for, you can get by with 3 .75" thick boards, a touch or two over 2.25" in width (so that you can plane them flush to finished size), and about .75" longer than your finished length, so that you can true them all up at the same time.
 
It's a good thing I haven't started yet, because we're on revision three (I think).

We finally went table shopping yesterday and I think we've settled on what we want. We've gone from a farmhouse table to a trestle table and now we're going to do something we never even thought of: a counter-height pub table.

Basically, we want to recreate this:
http://www.havertys.com/webapp/wcs/...00540&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&storeId=10001

We loved the height, we loved the shape. We hated the legs and we hated that it was veneer. Especially for the price.

So, I think I can do this. I figured out how the legs attach to the table, and that doesn't look like a problem. In fact, the only problem (or unknown) at this point is how I'm going to attach the drawer box. Or if I should do some sort of mortise on the legs, or a lap joint, etc. Just some design options I need to ask and play around with.

The other concern we had was the seats, as the bar/counter height ones are a bit more expensive. I really don't have the skills to make any at this point in time.

And again we're at the dimensional lumber vs glued poplar for the legs. If I can find a straight 4x4 and rip it down to 3" square or so, that would be nice and easy.
 
from the pic, it looks like the sides of the case are joined to the legs with mortise and tenon, with what i can see of the top, just plopped down on the top edges of the sides. as for the bottom, i couldn't see anything, so my guess is that they probably fitted it to the inside of the sides, and fastened it with glue, and possibly small nails. as for the drawer, it's a pass through drawer, and all you need do is fit it to the size of the opening, since it is opened from either side.
 
I've looked at the picture of that table most of the day, and I think if I wanted to, I could construct the box via pocket hole screws, and attach them to the posts in the same manner. Looks like the plywood is cut, not the legs.

Do need to work on the lower box dimensions, and how big the legs are going to be. I'm thinking 3" square.
 
I may start by doing a mock of the base, but I'm thinking of trying my hand at making the chairs. If I can do those for a reasonable price, and over time, they could be ready for the table and it could be delivered as a complete set.

Don't know if it would be painted or natural, and I suppose the choice of maple or poplar comes into play. I'm looking at these plans (here), and deciding how to best modify them for the height. I suppose just lengthen the bottom to the appropriate height, and add at least one stretcher on the front bottom as a foot bar, possibly one on the back as well. If I did that, I suppose I need to add my length in the middle of the back leg, so I can have that same taper at the bottom. I may go and pick up a few pieces of poplar on Monday, as I don't have the ability to resaw my 8/4 maple stock into a usable commodity for this project.

I also have a query out on a 6-1/8" planer, I might be adding that to the shop as well. I have no idea where it will go, though. Really could use a bandsaw to make these chairs, but I suppose my jigsaw will have to step up it's efforts.
 
Thanks. I've been wanting to make a Morris chair for my dad, and I think I'll get good practice with the forms and jigs doing this. We've already discussed the time frame on this project, and both know it's not getting done this year without a heated shop.

I hope to pick up a sheet of hardboard tomorrow and start marking out forms perhaps Sunday morning. Trick or Treat is going to eat into my time a little this weekend.
 
Made a sketch of the leg template on 1/4" ply. Seemed just as stable as the hardboard I had. Worst case, I have to redo it. Picked up a drum sanding kit for my drill to get it looking good.

Was tempted to get out there tonight, but today has been just too long. I'll get it cut out tomorrow, and hopefully I can get the mortise holes done as well. If so, I'll have at least one leg done on Monday.
 
Success and failure.

Got the template cut out and sanded down to near where I wanted it. It was more of an effort in art than science. Lots of bumps and not a lot of smoothness. Got the mortise holes cut out.

Picked up a 5/4 poplar board to see what I could see. Without a bandsaw, it was quite difficult to get it close for the router table. As a consequence, the attempt at routing to the template was quite poor. The template also shifted on the brads.

So, I did a little learning and a little wasting wood tonight. The hardboard is on my shopping list and that will be the next step. I might have to price a cheap bandsaw, even though I really need a jointer next. One area where I need work is a better sketch of the leg to begin with. Don't know how to fix that, though.

e7c830b5.jpg
 
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