Thread: Burl cap side table

I know what you mean about crappy legs. I'm getting ready for my first side table and have deliberated for some time. I like ideas inspired by George Nakashima - George Nakashima Woodworker, S.A.

Can't wait to see pics of it in progress.

cheers
Derek

I think it is a quite striking design. One worry I have about you curving the legs some more, or about thinning them some more, is the likelihood of short grain and snapping under that kind of weight. I think the 3 leg design could be very handy for tucking into a corner space. $48 worth of slab and $200 worth of thoughtfulness, I think you are going to make someone happy.

FP & Derek, thanks for the affirmation - I agree in that I don't want to fettle with it any more than that. Derek - I actually got my inspiration for the leg design from the Wood Whisperer, he made a similar style lamp table.

I intend on attaching the legs to the burl with 1/2" stainless steel pins about 12mm below the line of the surface.

Here are some shots of the prepared burl, again I could have been more diligent with the debarking but it's a $50 gift.

Levelling the chainsawn top and removing the bark is not woodwork it's warfare!

For an inexperienced amateur like me to get those legs right I need something simple and repeatable, when I have more time I can rely on developing skill so the method I have employed is to print my design out on a 1:1 scale then double stick tape it to 4mm mdf and cope it close to the line by hand then sand it to the line and use it as a template on the router table.

Here are some pics of the paper template and some of the Oregon pre & post machining:

I like the design and I think the chunkier legs suit the weight of the top.

Good ideas on the stainless steel pins and the repeatablity problem.

Today is my first day of holidays (I guess it was after I finished work anyway...) so I got home and unpacked my new spiral upcut flush trim bit from Mcjing set it up in the router ready for the first leg.

Then I went on with making the template from 16mm MDF. This is harder than I thought especially without a bandsaw. I used a jigsaw then the round end of the belt sander then by hand to smooth out any bumps. Here is the template:


I used the template to mark out the shape on the work-piece and cut as close to the line as I could with the jigsaw:



I then double sided taped the template on and began on the router table:



I was getting a satisfactory result but expected better, I made a stupid mistake in that I didn't pay attention to grain direction and I'm working with Oregon so I was getting a pretty substandard finish.

Then I got complacent...
Forgot you should never let end grain hit the router bit when removing 30mm of material at once and working unguarded...




after the workpiece was flung into oblivion my fingers went straight into the spinning unguarded router bit...
And came off almost completely unscathed!
Christmas miracle perhaps?
Glad I still have my fingers, I'll start again tomorrow and be more careful.

Beautiful piece of burl you've got there. Glad your mishap wasn't worse than it was.

Ouch!!! Lesson learnt!!!

Ouch indeed!! I try to avoid getting complacent around power tools, but it happens ...

Still, you still have all 10 fingers so no excuse not to get back to work, lol.

Your MIL will be a very happy woman come Christmas morning - That is one very striking piece of furniture you are making for her.

I got back into it and started out on the legs again, I could not salvage the one I damaged so I had to make 3 new ones.
This time I cut much closer to the line with the jigsaw and took far smaller bites at it with the router. I also did the most important thing and left overhang at the ends so the router has no chance of biting into the end grain.

Here are the three finished legs:


Notice how they taper down at the bottom differently to my template? That's because Oregon is satanwood on the router table and right at the last few cm the bit ripped the bottom section in 2, my fingers were out of the way this time.

I switched everything off and was about to take a picture of the entire inside of the workshop and list it on eBay for $1 but I took a look at the damage and thought to myself "this actually looks better". Cleaned it up and here is the result.

M&T joints cut for the back two legs:


M&T front leg to rail and butt screw to the rear rail:


I will pull the screws out one at a time and replace with a dowel, glue & dry overnight then do the same with the other screw and flush cut them. I don't mind exposed dowels, I think they will do for a $50 project.

Wow! the shapes look great, all really well proportioned.

Only four more sleeps - but looking good!!

Made a fair bit of progress, but hit a snag on the way - they joys of working with recycled Oregon!
I'll let the pictures do the talking:

SNAP!




Using the Beadlock as a drilling guide:


I should just buy some bench hold downs...