low budget table....but do what you want

monstrol

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Feb 17, 2009
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Commission for a printmaking studio at a local University. They needed a table and got out of the way. Crop circle theme for the top and base with wheels.
 

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Very confused by your post. Was that a table you made for them or something you need to "fix"?

I am not a big fan of the cloverleaf... A lot of wasted space there.

Cheers. Bryan.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think it's cool.  Design is modern and creative.  I'd are that the surface isn't optimized but approachable edges are.  Perfect for looking at prints.  I can see the vision.

Matt
 
bkharman said:
Very confused by your post. Was that a table you made for them or something you need to "fix"?

I am not a big fan of the cloverleaf... A lot of wasted space there.

Cheers. Bryan.

This is one of the most passively negative posts I've seen a while.  It's actually kind of funny.  Way to go showing passive disdain for his wording and explanation, then critical response for the design.  Then a hearty "Cheers."

Anyway, I do like the table - what is it's intended use?  Group work/studying or a table for some sort of communal space?  The base looks pretty industrial compared to the top.
 
I  would ignore the first post. It's primary use will be all that you mentioned. I intend to make some engraving boards that will have 2 points underneath to butt up against curved edge. The base is overbuilt because I just wanted to.  Here are a couple of tables I made for the ceramic studio that are intended to free up floor space.
 

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marmot said:
bkharman said:
Very confused by your post. Was that a table you made for them or something you need to "fix"?

I am not a big fan of the cloverleaf... A lot of wasted space there.

Cheers. Bryan.

This is one of the most passively negative posts I've seen a while.  It's actually kind of funny.  Way to go showing passive disdain for his wording and explanation, then critical response for the design.  Then a hearty "Cheers."

Anyway, I do like the table - what is it's intended use?  Group work/studying or a table for some sort of communal space?  The base looks pretty industrial compared to the top.

Well this won't be passive at all...

First , to the original poster Matthew.  I am completely sorry if I offended you at all.  It wasn't the intent.  I didn't understand the title or the body of your message all that well.  I couldn't tell if you were asking for advice on your project or were showcasing it.  The wording didn't make sense to me last night at 10:31 PM when I posted after trying to unwind from a 16 hour day at work.  I am also sorry if my personal opinion of the style of your project made you upset, that wasn't the intent.  I do understand that it is for the uni printmakers studio and if the layout works for them can increase workflow and visibility then I say good on you for executing the plan and making a very useful table (and others I see now)!  Thank you for sharing your project(s) with the FOG, it is great to see more and more members contribute projects to the forum.  I hope you keep posting and sharing.

This is one of the most passively negative posts I've seen a while.

I will tell you to your face now that it wasn't the intent.  If you knew anything about me or my membership here on the FOG is that I try and promote project sharing here on the forum.  Just because someone states a direct statement that comes across sharp, doesn't mean they are being passive in the least.  Maybe go back and look at some of my other posts and projects before you judge in a public forum because it came across as snippy.  My avatar even shows that I want the FOG to get away from all of the negativity it has been blessed with of late and back to talks on tools and projects.

It's actually kind of funny.

I am glad I amuse you.

Way to go showing passive disdain for his wording and explanation, then critical response for the design.

I would say that "passive disdain" is quite a strong set of words.  I feel that the original words on my part about being confused were far from "passive" and even further from "disdain", but maybe that is just me.  Thanks for making me re-read the original post a few more times to make sure I didn't miss anything the first time.  Maybe I need to type my posts and get them proofread and approved then wait a mandatory 24 hours before I let them "slip through" so I don't make that mistake again.  I know it would upset me terribly if it did.

So I don't like cloverleaf shaped desks.  In my line of work, and my office workflow, it would be a huge waste of space for me and my employees.  But then again, I am not a typesetter and really don't know what makes their lives easier.  Now I know that it does and am glad they will be able to work faster|easier|smarter as a result of Matthew's project.  Again, good on ya.

Then a hearty "Cheers."

Again if you knew anything about me, you might know that I was born in New Zealand 43 years ago.  When I was 7, my family had me move to Australia for a few years before I was shipped off to London to finish school and go to uni.  I lived there until I decided to reunite with my family who had since moved to the US so my father could be a Park Ranger in Utah.  Since then I have started my own company (twice) and raised a family as well as donate a lot of my time and money to various things that make me feel good.  One of which is a UK based foundation called WikiHouse Link here which is dedicated to making affordable "printed" houses for those not as fortunate as myself.  I have even tried to get similar things up in running in my area of the country but without as much traction as I had hoped.  So my whole rambling point is that I sign off almost every one of my posts with... "Cheers.  Bryan."

And I do it because that is how I was raised.  Not to be snide, passive or critical or to show disdain to any person on this forum.

And back to the original poster [member=5893]Matthewajones[/member] , I am now also sorry to turn your thread into a long winded explanation of my very short original post.  I do hope to see more of your projects.

Cheers.  Bryan.
 
I like the design as it's different from the standard square and rectangle.

Best part it's on wheels, keep doing the good work!
 
Thanks for your kind words. It definitely had to be on wheels. The teacher told me yesterday the table worked well as students had access to what she was presenting and she had eye contact with all of them.  It is a win.
 
You obviously put a lot of work into making these designs functional.  WRT to the cloverleaf top table, I assume the top is 3/4" ply - Baltic birch?  What is the base made of, and what kind of joinery did you use?  Kind of looks like walnut, but that seems overkill for this kind of project.  The base actually looks way heavier than the top - any particular reason?  I assume that the top will only get light use?

WRT the pottery table, the base is still heavy looking, but the base looks more like pine/fir and the top looks like some kind of hardboard.  Is the top replaceable, and is it water repellent or waterproof?

And finally, the more I look at the tables, the more I'm admiring a couple of things - (1) the fact that you actually thought through the designs to make them functional for their particular purpose, and (2) not sure of how the finances worked for you, but would like to hear in generalities - for example, was this a labor of love, did you get paid for materials or materials and labor, etc. (no $ numbers).  Educators are not overflowing with money for stuff like this - congrats for putting the design effort to a project that probably didn't have a big payback.
 
Thank you for the compliment.  The crop circle table top is indeed Baltic Birch and the base is Fir laminated 2 x 6's. Cost was an issue as well as University politics where a painting instructor can raid the printmaking budget as the tenured professor has retired and the class is being taught by part-time adjunct teacher. This was orchestrated  by the tenured ceramics professor in a somewhat end around, (better to ask for forgiveness than permission ). The base is overbuilt because we are still dealing with kids. Joinery is dominoes and kreg. The top is knockdown as it won't fit through door, as I was continually reminded of by others in the department. Top is 4 sections with a basic torsion box underneath for stability. I wanted to do a funky apron but ran out of time and money,(I still could if I wanted to). The table bases for the ceramic studio are also fir laminated 2x6's that are treated with Bora-Care, a wood preservative and 3 coats of waterborne spar varnish.  The tops are MDO that have 3 coats spar varnish.  The bases are also over built as we are dealing with kids. The base for the crop circle table was oxidized with a red apple vinegar and steel wool solution and turned out better than I had hoped. It was a labor of love as I am friends with both the printmaking and ceramics teachers.
 
The color on the circle table base mimicked the look of walnut heartwood/sapwood.  Did that just happen naturally as you applied the solution, or did you apply the solution selectively to get the dark/light pattern?

Also, as you are applying that solution, does the wood color right away, or does it take a while?
 
I  just applied the solution all over with a plant sprayer, brush, and rag. It takes a little while for it to get that dark. This technique is hit and miss and different pieces of the same species react differently. I had no idea the areas that look like sap wood would turn out that way. That is the "fun" part of using the oxidizing solution.
 
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