Thread: Greene and Greene inspired coffee table

I like that!!!

Well made, great finish and just that little bit different.

Thanks Artme. The finish was wipe on varnish over a layer of shallec.

If it's impolite to be honest, then this will probably be taken as impolite. I hope you will take it in the spirit it's intended for if you don't get honest criticism, then how will you strive for better? I don't mind the form, but the execution lets it down with many simple flaws that a woodworker with 5 years experience should do better if you want to label something quality furniture! There are router burn marks all over the place! You need to get rid of them. There are areas where there is no finish, you should make sure the finish is even and thorough (the end grain on the finger joints looks either lacking in finish and/or not sanded/polished sufficiently). There are tool marks that should be removed, like the marks beside the breadboard pegs (saw marks?). Can you explain how /why you did those pegs? I don't understand why I am seeing weak side grain pegs and I don't understand their function in the edge of the bread board end, if you could explain that? We all have gaps in our joinery, I suppose we all try to have fewer as we get more experience, but knowing how to disguise some of those gaps has always been an important 'trick'. You should look at researching how to hide some of you gaps while looking to minimize them next time.

Cheers
Michael

Originally Posted by mic-d

If it's impolite to be honest, then this will probably be taken as impolite. I hope you will take it in the spirit it's intended for if you don't get honest criticism, then how will you strive for better? I don't mind the form, but the execution lets it down with many simple flaws that a woodworker with 5 years experience should do better if you want to label something quality furniture! There are router burn marks all over the place! You need to get rid of them. There are areas where there is no finish, you should make sure the finish is even and thorough (the end grain on the finger joints looks either lacking in finish and/or not sanded/polished sufficiently). There are tool marks that should be removed, like the marks beside the breadboard pegs (saw marks?). Can you explain how /why you did those pegs? I don't understand why I am seeing weak side grain pegs and I don't understand their function in the edge of the bread board end, if you could explain that? We all have gaps in our joinery, I suppose we all try to have fewer as we get more experience, but knowing how to disguise some of those gaps has always been an important 'trick'. You should look at researching how to hide some of you gaps while looking to minimize them next time.

Cheers
Michael

Thanks Micheal for your feedback. It's really difficult to do woodworking in a place such as Singapore where the there is hardly any woodworkers around to share ideas, learn from and receive constructive criticism. I really appreciate it. I do have a little bit of problem finishing end grain. They absorb finish differently from the rest of the wood and thus give that unfinished look. Care to advise how I could improve on that? More layers??

The pegs are more decorative rather than functional. They actually hide the screw. Their existance is a feature of Greene and Greene. I made them by gluing an oversized piece of oak into the hole, wait for the glue to dry, then plane it down to approx 2 to 3mm proud of the wood. Following that I round off the edges with sandpaper. This is my first try at pegs of this nature and I do agree it's not very well done. Do you have an alternative method that will minimise the sandpaper marks around the pegs.

The face of the motise where the tennon protudes are rounded. So are the ends of the tennons. This shows up in the picture as a black space around the tennon. Although rounded mortises are not a feature of Greene and Greene, rounded edges are. So I was extending the rounded edges to mortises as well. I did it with a file after cutting the mortise. Would you suggest that I do not round the tennon and mortise for a cleaner look? Some art and craft furniture simply chamfer the tennon. Anyone have any comments on the rounded M&T joint?

Thanks Micheal for your feedback. Its through people like you that my learning curve is steepen so that I can produce work befitting of my experience.

Hi,
Sealing the end grain with shellac will help, as will more layers until it doesn't look dry, it may be that you need to sand more thoroughly or to finer grades, what grit are you sanding to?
Perhaps you should try sanding and finishing the ends and the oak plugs before installing them so you avoid the need for sanding/shaping after installation.
I don't recall seeing rounded edges on mortises of G&G stuff, if that is what is making well fitted tenons look gappy, then I don't think it is a good look. By all means round the end of through tenons, but I think only the part hanging out should be round so there are no gaps.

Cheers
Michael

Originally Posted by lsvop

Thanks Micheal for your feedback. It's really difficult to do woodworking in a place such as Singapore where the there is hardly any woodworkers around to share ideas, learn from and receive constructive criticism. I really appreciate it. I do have a little bit of problem finishing end grain. They absorb finish differently from the rest of the wood and thus give that unfinished look. Care to advise how I could improve on that? More layers??

The pegs are more decorative rather than functional. They actually hide the screw. Their existance is a feature of Greene and Greene. I made them by gluing an oversized piece of oak into the hole, wait for the glue to dry, then plane it down to approx 2 to 3mm proud of the wood. Following that I round off the edges with sandpaper. This is my first try at pegs of this nature and I do agree it's not very well done. Do you have an alternative method that will minimise the sandpaper marks around the pegs.

The face of the motise where the tennon protudes are rounded. So are the ends of the tennons. This shows up in the picture as a black space around the tennon. Although rounded mortises are not a feature of Greene and Greene, rounded edges are. So I was extending the rounded edges to mortises as well. I did it with a file after cutting the mortise. Would you suggest that I do not round the tennon and mortise for a cleaner look? Some art and craft furniture simply chamfer the tennon. Anyone have any comments on the rounded M&T joint?

Thanks Micheal for your feedback. Its through people like you that my learning curve is steepen so that I can produce work befitting of my experience.

I was sort of with Michael on the pegs in the breadboard end not making sense.
They may be 'stylistically' correct for Greene and Greene but I couldn't figure what purpose they were serving. A quick trawl of the Interweb turned up this LINK scroll down to 'Wood movement and breadboard ends' and there is an explanation.

Wouldn't like to say for sure it would resolve the breadboard end problems without trying it, but I cant see anything that goes against what I believe to be 'correct'.

Michael's critique of this piece did raise a question that I have had for some time looking at pictures of work on this forum. What exactly is considered good or bad form when it comes to commenting on the work displayed? I have always preferred to hear (considered) negative comments about my work. You don't learn or progress much if you are only ever told how well you did. A negative comment does at least make you pause and think (if only to dismiss the commentator as an idiot!!)

Originally Posted by HuonPhil

I was sort of with Michael on the pegs in the breadboard end not making sense.
They may be 'stylistically' correct for Greene and Greene but I couldn't figure what purpose they were serving. A quick trawl of the Interweb turned up this LINK scroll down to 'Wood movement and breadboard ends' and there is an explanation.

Wouldn't like to say for sure it would resolve the breadboard end problems without trying it, but I cant see anything that goes against what I believe to be 'correct'.

Michael's critique of this piece did raise a question that I have had for some time looking at pictures of work on this forum. What exactly is considered good or bad form when it comes to commenting on the work displayed? I have always preferred to hear (considered) negative comments about my work. You don't learn or progress much if you are only ever told how well you did. A negative comment does at least make you pause and think (if only to dismiss the commentator as an idiot!!)

Thanks for that link, I see now that the pegs are cosmetic plugs to cover screws.
I take the view that if people post photos here then it's fair enough to offer constructive criticism. I expect it when I post my work and nothing sickens me more than when I get a bunch of glib platitudes when I damn well know that there are any number of things wrong with my piece! There have only been a few rare cases when anybody has said something that I didn't really agree with, but also fewer cases when anybody has bothered to say something really insightful that has really helped me. I wish more would. And it seems to me that the more members we get, there are fewer willing to put up their work publicly, but more prepared to tell you how to do it, or tell you how google told them to do it, without offering any track record of their own. Er, that may have been a rant!

Cheers
Michael

I can't pick up the router burns to which you refer

My eyesight must be failing me Mic!! Not tha I think You are wrong!
just can't see them.

I do see a bit of sloppiness with the through mortice.

Originally Posted by artme

I can't pick up the router burns to which you refer

My eyesight must be failing me Mic!! Not tha I think You are wrong!
just can't see them.

I do see a bit of sloppiness with the through mortice.

The marks I can see are on the oak splines and drawer pull.