Sparktrician
Member
I've spent the bulk of my time in the woodworking arena doing construction, making repairs, installing cabinetry and doing handyman work, and in managing the production at a semi-custom closet renovating firm, but never have attempted to build furniture. I needed a coffee table for the family room and didn't see anything that blew my kilt up. Attending the Farm Table class in July propelled me into making the decision to make my own. I had an idea in mind, influenced by the Craftsman period, but not necessarily adhering to the precepts in full. The leg design changed during the build-up. My original idea sounded good, so I decided to make a mock-up using cheap MDF. I'm glad I did, because it didn't look as well as it looked in my mind. The table is made entirely of cherry, with no mechanical fasteners whatsoever, just dominoes. The top came from a 5/4 plank. The legs, top brackets and bases came from a 9/4 left-over I found at my hardwood supplier. The stretchers are from 7/8 planks. Festools used include the TS 55, OF 1010, OF 1400, OF 2200, CMS-GE, DF 500, ETS 125, RO 125, RO 90, and several abrasives (Granat, Brilliant and Platin). The finish started with one coat of cherry Danish oil, but it was way too orange, so the second coat was the natural variant which added an amber tone that muted the orange of the first coat. Then came three coats of wipe-on satin polyurethane followed by a buff-out with Platin S2000. The good news is that it fits perfectly as intended and looks right in the room where it's being used.
