Desperately looking for some feedback!!

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Hi there.

This is a low table that has been waiting in my “to do” list for more than two years.
Now my SWMBO has decided she would like to have it, but she wants it square instead of rectangular.

On the background you can see a matching chair that I think (hope) she hasn’t noticed (yet).

The main problem I face with it, is that I’d like the grain to follow the direction of the legs, in order not to show too much end grain on the edges of the table and that will force me to make the top in four different pieces rotated each 90º respect the previous. It may become an accidental decorative effect not planned that I’m not sure if it is going to look right.

Another problem is that as the legs have to be attached and carved afterwards, I’m not sure about the sort of joint I should use to attach them to the top. So far I’m thinking about making secret miter dovetails that would span only half of the thickness of the board which is 60mm- (2,3inches) and that would leave me with a 30mm (1.15 inches) of free wood to shape. But those are complex and my dovetail technique is far from perfect.

I’ve also thought about inserting a square peg on the folded corner of the legs as if it was some sort of cufflink but I’m not sure about how will look.

Any suggestions, comment and critics are welcome, I need to make my mind up!!

Thanks in advance.
 

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Hi there.

This is a low table that has been waiting in my “to do” list for more than two years.
Now my SWMBO has decided she would like to have it, but she wants it square instead of rectangular.

On the background you can see a matching chair that I think (hope) she hasn’t noticed (yet).

The main problem I face with it, is that I’d like the grain to follow the direction of the legs, in order not to show too much end grain on the edges of the table and that will force me to make the top in four different pieces rotated each 90º respect the previous. It may become an accidental decorative effect not planned that I’m not sure if it is going to look right.

Another problem is that as the legs have to be attached and carved afterwards, I’m not sure about the sort of joint I should use to attach them to the top. So far I’m thinking about making secret miter dovetails that would span only half of the thickness of the board which is 60mm- (2,3inches) and that would leave me with a 30mm (1.15 inches) of free wood to shape. But those are complex and my dovetail technique is far from perfect.

I’ve also thought about inserting a square peg on the folded corner of the legs as if it was some sort of cufflink but I’m not sure about how will look.

Any suggestions, comment and critics are welcome, I need to make my mind up!!

Thanks in advance.
Hi Tony :wave:,
Don't be disappointed with a lack of response. I too get that all the time. Sometimes I think people are not sure what to say,:huh: what comment to make, or what questions to ask. :dunno:
Now back to your lovely drawing. It is very good looking, looks good as a drawing but in the end may take a different shape due to construction techniques.

Don't know about the different joinery techniques except the ones I use to achieve the desired result. If I cannot make something work I modify the construction to what I can do and get as close as possible.

I decided long ago that when finished correctly end grain has a certain unattainable beauty all it's own and I need to allow it to work for me when possible. This said, knowing all wood is not long grain, I try to allow the endgrain to be an accent and a positive not a negative needing to be hidden. Good luck and looking forward to one of your "always awesome solutions"!
Shaz :)
 
I know what you mean Toni, getting feedback, it's for me the same.
I love it just like you to develop new stuff, in my case I love it to develop new machinery and tools, for making improvements for my turnings.
I'm doing this for many years, without getting enough feedback.
I know this can be disapointed, but I know that a lot of people are looking, but can not understand the meaning of a sketch, or like in my case to read a design drawing. Most of the time I get respond when I show a finished product. I look most of the time to your designs, but I'm not a furniture builder anymore, stopped with that 30 years ago, but it have still my interest.
Now after many years I'm used to this, I make my own stuff in the first place for my own joy, but still I like it to share it with all the members on this forum.

Ad
 
Toni,

It's a very cool design. I don't have the skills, or the tools, to make it, but it's very cool. What kind of wood are you planning on using? Would a very dense hardwood hold the curves better?

Thanks,

Bill
 
Shaz, Bill and Ad.
Many thanks, for your answers and encouragement.

May be I was too desperate looking for feedback, most problably due to my inexperience, the fact is that I was stuck in trying to decide how to do it because it would condition the way and size of how I should cut the boards that I was scared about messing it all and having to throw away a good deal of wood (which is something that we all hate specially if it is due to a mistake of ours).

Shaz,
I agree with you about the beauty of end grain showing, it does has some sort of strange appeal to me as well, but in this case I didn't want to risk the possibility of the top looking disconnected of the legs by showing a wide strip of end grain, at 90º of the leg's grain, I've tried to figure it out with some others sketches ( not shown) and for some reason it didn't look right to me.

Ad,
You're are right, maybe I'm a bit spoiled. Since I joined this family, I've passed from being on my own, in some sort of desert to be surrounded by so many friends helping me and giving me so many disinterested suggestions, help and support that for a moment I thought I had offended someone without knowing it;)

Bill,

The wood I've chosen is tulipwood, is rather soft to carve and somewhat unexpensive, initially I wanted to use tile wood( I'm not sure it is the english name) because of its very fine grain almost imperceptible that is widely used in carving religious images or portraits, but the thickness and width of the boards that were available at the lumber yard was not enough so I went for tulip wood. It is the first time I use it so I don't know what will be the outcome.
 
Toni

I have been trying to imagine a suggestion to help with getting the result you want from this. But the truth is that you are so far ahead of my skill curve that I don't have anything to help:).

The only thing I can suggest is to think about seperating the structural aspect of the leg from the decorative aspect. So use whateever joinery you are comfortable with to make the structural joint and then "wrap" the decoarative carving around that structure. That is the best I've got I'm afraid.:dunno:
 
Unique Table

Hi there.

This is a low table that has been waiting in my “to do” list for more than two years.
Now my SWMBO has decided she would like to have it, but she wants it square instead of rectangular.

On the background you can see a matching chair that I think (hope) she hasn’t noticed (yet).

The main problem I face with it, is that I’d like the grain to follow the direction of the legs, in order not to show too much end grain on the edges of the table and that will force me to make the top in four different pieces rotated each 90º respect the previous. It may become an accidental decorative effect not planned that I’m not sure if it is going to look right.

Another problem is that as the legs have to be attached and carved afterwords, I’m not sure about the sort of joint I should use to attach them to the top. So far I’m thinking about making secret miter dovetails that would span only half of the thickness of the board which is 60mm- (2,3inches) and that would leave me with a 30mm (1.15 inches) of free wood to shape. But those are complex and my dovetail technique is far from perfect.

I’ve also thought about inserting a square peg on the folded corner of the legs as if it was some sort of cufflink but I’m not sure about how will look.

Any suggestions, comment and critics are welcome, I need to make my mind up!!

Thanks in advance.

Hello Toni, I hope I spelled your name correctly. I have a suggestion that you might incorporate in the making of that table and it is to carve the accents after you have joined the legs to the table. I have done some similar but do not have any pictures to show.

It truly would be a simple matter to do but, don't forget to add a little more thickness of wood on each leg that would allow you to carve the feature of the curves.

Respectfully,
 
. I have done some similar but do not have any pictures to show.
,

And I thought my design was a bit original!!:(:(:D:D and it results that you've done something similar!!;) It is a pity that you haven't any pictures.


Thanks Ralph, that's the the way I was going to proceed, assemble the pieces in raw and carve them afterwards. My concern was more related to te sort of joinery I could/should use.
 
Toni

. But the truth is that you are so far ahead of my skill curve that I don't have anything to help:).

Hi Ian.

Please do not be so modest, it is me the one who's brushing up his skills since I joined this forum and got so much help from people like you and all the others. Thanks anyway, wait to see how it evolves, I look forward for your comments and critics.
 
I have made this six different ways today (in my head)Toni. Sorry got nothing for you. You could use all most any joint for the legs. To lose some of the end grain you could cut the top up and spin the pieces so you had edge grain on all four sides. I mean the sky is the limit. There is just no standard way to build this table. It is not like a shaker table and this is how you are supposed to build it. But I am sure that no matter how you go with it it will come out looking great:thumb:
Don't forget the pic. and lots of them.
 
Toni, it is a really neat design, and I truly wish I could offer some help, but every idea I have had seem to have as many problems as solutions after thinking it through.:doh: The ONLY thing I can think of that MIGHT be helpful is that however you decide to join the top and legs to keep the grain flowing is that maybe some selective vaneering in a few of the small places that show end grain after carving MIGHT work, OR staining the end grain real dark like a shadow Feature?:dunno: How thick is the top and does the Tulipwood have much grain pattern?

(I think your beautiful design may be just a little TOO Artistically advanced for MY mechanical type brain to work it's magic).:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Thanks Chuck.

It seems that I like to make my life more difficult than it is (already), as we say here " sarna con gusto no pica" I don't know how to translate that, maybe Vaughn can chime in with a suitable one.
 
(I think your beautiful design may be just a little TOO Artistically advanced for MY mechanical type brain to work it's magic).:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Thanks Norman.

You're being very generous, I woudn't say that it is artistic, I think that it is aconsecuence of that I do not like straight lines, ( maybe because I can't draw them without the aid of a straight edge?):rofl::rofl:

BTW your mechanical brain must be a bit old fashioned, I almost can hear it tickling from here. Maybe you could try an upgrade to a positronic one I think that Robots Inc. have a special deal offer:rofl::rofl:
( No offence inteded)
 
Thanks Norman.

You're being very generous, I woudn't say that it is artistic, I think that it is aconsecuence of that I do not like straight lines, ( maybe because I can't draw them without the aid of a straight edge?):rofl::rofl:

BTW your mechanical brain must be a bit old fashioned, I almost can hear it tickling from here. Maybe you could try an upgrade to a positronic one I think that Robots Inc. have a special deal offer:rofl::rofl:
( No offence inteded)

I'll have to check into that upgrade, Toni, 'cause I SURE think I could use one, (maybe it might include a "Memory Restorer" too).:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
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