Looks like soon I'll be able to show something for my self!

Brent Dowell

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Ordered 500bf of wood this morning! :eek:

300bf of maple, and 200bf of poplar. The maple is for a dining room table and chairs, the poplar will be for making templates, practice, etc...

This is the general idea of what I'm going to make. A Nice sturdy table with some chairs and a bench. Why a bench? Because it's what the wife wants :thumb:

diningtable.jpg

Just gotta scramble and try and get it done before company comes for thanksgiving :doh:
 
Looks like thats going to be a nice project. I am in the process of building 10 dining chairs in a similar style to yours. I started late spring and they're still not done.:eek: I steam bent and glue laminated the rear legs to save wood. With the amount of curve in the legs I would have wasted a lot of wood if I would have just cut them out of 2x6 oak.
 
I am in the process of building 10 dining chairs in a similar style to yours.

Zoiks!!!!! That's a lot of chairs!

I ordered all of the maple in 8/4 rough, so I should be able to work it up however I want it. I'm hoping that I can layout a bunch of the legs on a few pieces of wood and bandsaw them out. I've got plans for jigs to make routing the mortises and stuff.

I do plan on working out the kinks on some borg bought pine first, so I might get a start this weekend on that. I really don't think the table will be that hard. Toughest part will be getting the top glued up and flat.

We've been using my wifes grandmothers old duncan phyfe table for years, and while it's ok, it's really not our style, or all that sturdy anymore.

It's fine for the two of us, but our mismatched chairs makes it a little awkward when company comes over...

I suppose I'll do a build thread on this. Should be interesting on delivery day....
 
It's fine for the two of us, but our mismatched chairs makes it a little awkward when company comes over...
.

I know what you mean, I built a nice big table a few years ago but not chairs. All of the chairs we are using are falling apart or are metal folding chairs and there are not enough of them, hence the 10 chairs. It definitely would have been easier to just cut them out on the band saw but I was on a very limited stash of white oak so I had to get creative. Hope to see some pics when you are finished.
 
I really don't think the table will be that hard. Toughest part will be getting the top glued up and flat.
Brent, on the top, use dowels to align the glueup, Then after it has dried find a cabinate shop with a wide belt sander. Mine charges $20 for the first 10 minutes and $1.50 a min after. Or you could become a nieander and use a jointer plane. I've done it both ways. Last top I did I figure I saved about $100 on sanding costs and it only took me a few hours.
 
on the advice of a few experienced craftsmen here, cut all the parts for every chair the same time. Cut all the parts that are the same length the same time.
After bandsawing the legs out of 8/4, make a template and use router to flush trim legs so each are identical.
Happy building, Im looking foward to your build.(I love the view from your yard, simply fantastic open land)
 
It should be lots of fun Brent. Keep us posted with pics.

I don't know if the sketches are the final design, but it it might be safer if there was less overhang of the bench top beyond the support. I've had benches tip when sitting on the end.
 
Got a call from the lumberyard today. They should be shipping on Monday, so the wood should get here early November... Can't wait. :thumb:
 
I don't know if the sketches are the final design, but it it might be safer if there was less overhang of the bench top beyond the support. I've had benches tip when sitting on the end.

Hehehe, Sounds like quite a party!

The table is a fairly standard design, in fact, I was able to just pull it out of the Sketchup 3d warehouse directly.

I'll try and keep from sitting on the edge and launching plates into the ceiling! :rofl:
 
Great project Brent. :thumb:

Wasn't Paul referring to the bench though? not the table. :huh:

I don't think you would have any problem with tipping the table.

I've never tried anything like that yet, but it looks interesting.

Aloha, Tony
 
...it might be safer if there was less overhang of the bench top beyond the support. I've had benches tip when sitting on the end.

This.

I'll try and keep from sitting on the edge and launching plates into the ceiling! :rofl:

I strongly agree with Paul -- The overhang on the end of the bench should be less. (The table is fine, it's the bench) Cut it down to 2-3" at most.

As a bench, sooner or later someone will use it as a step stool. I used to have a rough 2x bench that I had in the the kids playroom, and also used whenever I was painting for the high spots. So *I* was the one who walked along the top of the bench, and had it flip up and nearly send me flying, while holding a loaded paint roller! I think it's a safety issue.

(and yes, it reads funny, but wait until it happens to you. that bench of mine no longer has the overhang.)
 
Okay, Got it. the Bench not the table! Just because the table will look like a workbench! :D

You know the thing I don't like about the bench design is that the stretcher looks out of place.

Any alternative design suggestions for the bench would be greatly appreciated!
 
Brent,
How many RC models do you have that fly?
Hope that you haven't hit those overhead wires. It sure is a nice location.

Here is a photo of a bench that I made with some salvaged pine shelving boards. It is based on a design of a bench that my grandfather used to have on his veranda. The skirt has dadoes for the legs. The original bench had through wedged tenons, but I wimped out and used cleats to hold the legs to the top.

The advantage of this design is that the top can be thinner because the skirts will help support the top.

p.s. I wish that I would have had the legs closer to the ends of the top.
 

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