Communion Table & Stands - Large table done!

Rennie Heuer

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I started working on three tables I'm building for my church. The first, a communion table is essentially a sofa table and is modeled after a design published by Darrell Peart in his book on G&G elements.
View attachment Communion Table - Drawing.PDF

The other two tables will be used to the hold the baskets used to collect the small communion cups (shot glasses). They will be smaller, similar to plant stands, about 14" square at the top.

It started with the construction of the jig to rout the leg indents. The next step was to mill the legs. Not an easy task because Lyptus is very heavy! I muscled two 6' long 8/4 by 8" boards across the jointer and about a dozen trips through the planer last night. Before I turned out the lights for the evening I ripped and crosscut all the legs to rough dimensions.

DSC_0018 (800 x 532).jpgDSC_0019 (532 x 800).jpg

Today the grand-kids are coming over to assist in some yard work :doh:, so I don't know how much I'll get accomplished. I'd like to get the tops milled and rough cut, but time will tell.

I think the hardest part of this build is figuring out the best way to do the aprons. I really like the detail of what appears to be a form of frame and panel construction, but I worry about; 1 - my ability to accomplish it, and 2 - the strength of the table as I expect it will be bumped and moved often. Of course, the addition of the lower shelf probably helps with the overall rigidity. :huh:
 
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i usually go the mortise and tenon route for aprons. that's what i did for the hockey coffee table. just have to make the apron high enough so that you have a good sized tenon.:thumb:
 
i usually go the mortise and tenon route for aprons. that's what i did for the hockey coffee table. just have to make the apron high enough so that you have a good sized tenon.:thumb:
That's what I was thinking. Looking at the picture, it would seem that the apron is made up of individual rails that will require two mortises on each leg. The stiles at the legs need only be fitted flush to the leg. The stiles in the center will require mortises into the curved rails.:eek:
 
I did a little more digging and found a detail in Darrell's book on the apron. The 'panel' is actually the apron and it is mortised into the legs. The rails and stiles are actually applied to the panel and are not structural. This should make construction a lot easier.

This is a LINK to a picture of the table that Darrell makes. This man is a master by any definition.
 
+1 on M&T for the easiest apron to leg joinery. That arched work is what really sets this look apart. I'm looking forward to going along for the ride ;-)
 
I did a little more digging and found a detail in Darrell's book on the apron. The 'panel' is actually the apron and it is mortised into the legs. The rails and stiles are actually applied to the panel and are not structural. This should make construction a lot easier.

This is a LINK to a picture of the table that Darrell makes. This man is a master by any definition.

Rennie,
Darrell's leg indents appear to be tapered in depth. Are your doing yours that way, too?
 
Managed to find some time today to mill and glue up the top to the large table. WOW, am I glad I bought that used DJ-20! I have never had a panel glue up so easily before. Invisible joint, perfect glue line, and minimal clamp pressure. I'm impressed.:D

DSC_0018 (2) (532 x 800).jpg

I also realized that I don't have enough wood. Somewhere along the line I forgot about the lower shelf.:doh: So, Monday its back out to the supplier for a few more board feet.
 
Since the morning was taken up with church and it was such a gorgeous day here I could not resist sitting out front for a while and brushing and playing with Lokai, I did not get a lot done. Pics will post soon. I did manage to finalize the design and construction of the aprons. I milled the lumber for the aprons on the large table and cut the arc in both the front and back.

Tomorrow the fence installers come to tear down the old fence and set the posts for the new one. They'll be back Tuesday to install the fence. I also have a friend coming over in the evening to help install new valves and an in-line filter for my irrigation system. Add a trip to the plumbing supply and to my lumber dealer and time the the shop looks iffy.
 
It is the nature of the beast

It seems that, in woodworking, you never know what you don't have until you need it. Besides spending over $100 on router bits this week :eek: I was trimming the glued up panels for the tables and found out that my old sled was a bit out of square. :doh::doh: I checked with my framing square and it looked OK, but every other square said it was off. Guess what square I used to make the sled a few years ago.:rofl::rofl:

I tried tuning the square with a nail punch but it just wasn't working for me.:dunno: So, off to the blue box for a new square and some lumber for a new sled. No wonder it takes me so long to build something.:rofl::rofl:
sled 1 (799 x 531).jpgsled 2 (799 x 531).jpg
 
Hey, Rennie,

I gave up on those "squares" years ago. I went to drafting triangles. The small ones were easy to find, but I want something bigger. So a few months ago, Mr. Google and I found a company in Tempe, AZ that makes really big ones. I got a 12, 18, and 24". They are fluorescent orange - hard to lose sight of in the shop! They are made of polycarbonate so fragility is not an issue. And best of all, they are dead nuts accurate.

The ol' framing square hangs on the wall, a tribute to the days when close enough was close enough. No more. Now I demand something a whole lot more accurate.

Just a thought....
 
Hey, Rennie,

I gave up on those "squares" years ago. I went to drafting triangles. The small ones were easy to find, but I want something bigger. So a few months ago, Mr. Google and I found a company in Tempe, AZ that makes really big ones. I got a 12, 18, and 24". They are fluorescent orange - hard to lose sight of in the shop! They are made of polycarbonate so fragility is not an issue. And best of all, they are dead nuts accurate.

The ol' framing square hangs on the wall, a tribute to the days when close enough was close enough. No more. Now I demand something a whole lot more accurate.

Just a thought....
:doh::doh::doh::doh: I have one. duh:doh::doh::doh:
 
something may dad taught me many many years ago when buying a square. Take several to the sheet goods dept. and lay the squre on a pice of wood.
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Draw a line. Flip the square over and draw another line if there not dead on then the square aint square. Never had anyone in the storew stop me from doing it either.
 

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something may dad taught me many many years ago when buying a square. Take several to the sheet goods dept. and lay the squre on a pice of wood. Draw a line. Flip the square over and draw another line if there not dead on then the square aint square. Never had anyone in the storew stop me from doing it either.
That's how I determined mine was off.
I have a large plastic one, just forgot.:doh:
 
Hey, Rennie,

I gave up on those "squares" years ago. I went to drafting triangles. The small ones were easy to find, but I want something bigger. So a few months ago, Mr. Google and I found a company in Tempe, AZ that makes really big ones. I got a 12, 18, and 24". They are fluorescent orange - hard to lose sight of in the shop! They are made of polycarbonate so fragility is not an issue. And best of all, they are dead nuts accurate.

The ol' framing square hangs on the wall, a tribute to the days when close enough was close enough. No more. Now I demand something a whole lot more accurate.

Just a thought....

Do you remember the name of the company. Or is go Google it for your self Garry?:)

Back from Google..
Here are some and super cheap also, Haven't checked shipping yet...
http://www.cutting-mats.net/triangles-fluorescent.html
Futher checking shows they aren't near as big as you are talking about...:(
More Googleing?

http://www.draftingsuppliesdew.com/cgi-bin/view1.aspx
I'll bet this one is it and shipping estimate is reasonable....:)


Garry
 
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