Side table for the wife

[DynaGlide]

I don't build furniture for the house very often and I'm not very good at it. My wife requested a side table to fit a space next to our couch in the childrens play room to set her coffee on. It's a few weeks late but I finished it up today. I used Oak and lots of Dominos for the assembly. The top I used Dominos to join two 6" wide boards. To attach the top I made some Domino buttons, offsetting them by shimming the Domino fence with a sheet of sandpaper which was about 1mm thick. By having the buttons 1mm below flush of the table frame the top is drawn down. Then it was a simple matter of placing the buttons to allow for seasonal movement.

It took a few trips to the store to find a stain we both liked. It's General Finishes Graystone with 3 coats of Arm R Seal.

Matt

 

[ultane]

Great job!

What a great idea in using the dominos into wood blocks to mount the table top!!

 

[rst]

Beauty through simplicity

 

[dltflt]

Looks great!

 

[Sparktrician]

Nicely done, Matt!!!  [smile]

 

[deepcreek]

Very nice job!

 

[FestitaMakool]

Nice table! I love small useful furniture you can just shift around, just as yours.

Coffee is always important, when it’s for your better half - it’s even more important! [big grin]

 

[nclemmons]

Matt - you should build more items for you home.  Talent is talent!

Nice work -

 

[DynaGlide]

You guys are way too kind. I'm just humbled to be able to participate here. Some day I'd like to make more intricate pieces but for now the design is always "What can I make the fastest that will serve the purpose." My children are age 5 and 2 and I have to borrow, beg, and steal shop time these days.

 

[Cheese]

Nice job, I really like the two open slots on the bottom shelf. I think that makes all the difference.

Practicality aside, it would have been interesting to incorporate that feature on the top shelf also.

If nothing else, it’d keep the 5 year old busy pushing pencils through the gap.  [big grin]

 

[woytek]

Nice table! I like the little reveal detail on the bottom shelf. Gives me mind to try something like that, maybe with a matching dado on the ends to simulate the feature all the way around.

It probably won’t be much of an issue with a narrow top like that, but wood usually expands width-wise, not lengthwise, so buttons in slots to account for movement are generally on the ends and not as much on the sides (though the same technique can be applied if the buttons are not set flat against the stretchers).

 

[DynaGlide]

It probably won’t be much of an issue with a narrow top like that, but wood usually expands width-wise, not lengthwise, so buttons in slots to account for movement are generally on the ends and not as much on the sides (though the same technique can be applied if the buttons are not set flat against the stretchers).

I think you lost me here. I put the buttons so the top can expand width wise? If you look closely I left a few mm gap from each button to the stretchers when attaching to the top.

 

[woytek]

I think you lost me here. I put the buttons so the top can expand width wise? If you look closely I left a few mm gap from each button to the stretchers when attaching to the top.

Look at me being super (un)observant. Here I was recommending exactly what you did. Duh. Sorry about that, OP. I agree with others, too: Make more stuff!

 

[mrFinpgh]

Very nice.  The color works well in that room.

Good call using the dominoes for the buttons.. will have to try that sometime.

 

[Rick Herrick]

Matt, The finished product is very nice and hopefully does what she wants.  I enjoy the pictures of the milled pieces ready to be put together.  For some reason, I just dig freshly milled lumber thats close to being assembly ready.  Thanks for all the pictures.

 

[mike_aa]

I'm a bit late to the party, but

[thumbs up] [thumbs up]

Thanks for sharing!

Mike A.