Table scraps

[Steve Jones]

Business is a little slow at the moment, so I got bored and pulled out some scraps left over from previous projects, and found I had enough to do this little table...

It's Made from Mahogany plywood (3/4") and 2 1/2" x 3/4" Maple, The legs were cut to length first (25 3/4")

And the curve for the legs was laid out using all kinds of formulas and golden square principles (I lied.... actually two small clamps and a ruler pulled into a nice curve will work too).

 

[Steve Jones]

Once the first leg was cut with the Trion (Which did a very neat job BTW), I used it for a template to mark out the other three legs and cut them with a template bit on the router table (faster and less cleanup).

One of my two pieces of Mahogany ply, this ones going to be the cabinet between the legs.

Sides are 16 1/2" tall and 12" wide, back panel is 14 3/4" wide and 12" deep. Deck is 12" x 14 7/8.

 

[Steve Jones]

BTW, I use a collection of splinterguards marked to the depth of cut first used at, i find I get least splintering on critical (ie: stain grade) stuff with dedicated splinterguards (right up until I forget to swap them out when changing to thicker material, in which case they get goof-offed and re-marked)

My apologies for the dark picture, I didn't see this until everything was already assembled by which time it was too late to replace the shot, but somewhere in the darkness there is a partially assembled table. no design drawings used, I'm cutting the next pieces to fit as I go along with the assembly.

The lower level top (top of the box section) is 16 1/2" x 13 1/2". It's larger because I want it to overhang slightly the sides and back (covers the plywood edges of those parts, and I think looks neater)

 

[Steve Jones]

I need to cut out the corners to clear the legs on this piece (top of the box section) so it's laid on top of one side to measure the difference in width (yes I know, it's 1 1/2" but I wanted to set the tablesaw exactly).

Half the measurement and I set the tablesaw (measured from the outside of the blade) to cut the corner.

Once the fence is set, I can make two cuts (in opposing corners) with the piece upright and the blade cranked all the way up (this leaves minimal cuts caused by the curve of the blade which will be hidden by the sides once assembled), I then moved the fence to the left side of the blade and did the next two cuts.

The other cuts for each corner are then measured against the back panel and the whole process is repeated.

 

[Steve Jones]

The top is 21" x 15 1/4" and banded with Maple scraps (actually I decided to cover the front edge with the tidied up curved offcut from one of the legs. I'm too tight to throw anything away).

Festool advantage: (I thought it might be nice to highlight when we find something that can only be done or done easier with festools) The curve on the legs was offset (leg is wider at one end) so I needed to trim the straight edge of the offcut to make an even front for the top, it was a simple matter to drop the rail on the offcut (and another supporting offcut to keep the rail level) and simply trim the rear edge of the piece)

The Maple is 1/4" thick around the other three sides (actually it's slightly over 1/4" because that's what was sitting in the rack from some previous project that required ripping some 2 1/2" stock down to 2" for face frames).

I also decided to pop down to my local Woodcraft and pick up two lengths of inlay strips (so far investment in the table has reached $16.00) to drop into the top surface. The inlay of course was done with an OF1400 (love that router) and a borrowed MFS 700.

With the MFS setting up and cutting the dado for the inlay took 20 minutes, without it I'd have been cutting a template from 1/4 ply and wasting time and material.

My thoughts on the MFS? If you ever cut straight lines, squares, rectangles, circles, or curves with your router, buy this gadget (and some extra long rails)

The last two pictures are the unfinished table (outside in decent light) and where it's at now (some water based finish but due for more).

 

[Bill Wyko]

Very nice Steve. I added you to my recommended winners of the CT-22 this month. I'm not a judge but I think your work is worth considering. Great job.

 

[Les]

Very nice Steve. Like the design.

You said you cut the first leg and used it for a template to cut the other three on the router table. Did you rough out the other three with Triton before going to the router table?

 

[Steve Jones]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen,

Les, yes I cut about 1/8 outside the line to save time (quicker with the jigsaw rough cutting) and quicker with the router removing only about 1/8" although this could have gone either way, I was frankly delighted with the first close effort with the jigsaw, but my eyesight isn't up to cutting 100" or so of Maple exactly on the line (used to be, , but then so much else used to work too)

 

[Les]

I can totally relate. Can't see with my glasses or without.

 

[Scott W.]

Very Nice Steve.

I like the curve of the legs and the top.

Scott W.