Thread: My second piece in slow progress

I have been playing about with ideas on how to deal with the actual frame holding this top in place.
It seems I may have hit a bit of a design horror as the table top planks run width wise not length wise.
This causes from what I can see a few issue.
1. The structural integrity of the planks especially the end ones.
2. Securing any under table frame work to the table leg frame with out developing lots of bulk structural timber pieces. Also a side matter of people’s knees hitting under table supports.
3. Simplicity.

My thoughts so far amount to the following in the line diagram.

I am sure there is some better way but at present I am drawing a mental blank on this one.

This looks interesting Cultana. Boards are usually oriented the other way but this will be different.

Well when the oregon boards were 'donated' I was told they were 5 ft and there was a bad assumption on my part that meant 5 ft of useable timber.

Well since I can only scrape just over 4 ft of useable timber per board collectively I had to change the whole orientation of things.
I had an idea about the 2 post type frame and managed to scrape enough 'donate' oregon timber for that. But since things have altered I am stuck with the original 2 post idea as it does look good and find a way to easily implement it. I know I could just do a standard 4 leg arrangement but heck time to be different.
Actually I am basing this 2 post idea on an old table I have, but that had a piece of ply as the top so the detail is missing.

To get things how I want I am beginning to think I will have to do a lot of the frame in pine as that is easy to obtain. No flashy timber stores here in town.

Also I was hoping someone here with more knowledge than me might have a few ideas to prod me in the right direction.

I have a few ideas and will try to post my design a bit later.

You have been putting some very heavy work in. Looking good on the progress. I guess you have not thought of what your table top finish will be. Yeah I know too early.

I had two thoughts.

Many years ago about 25 plus I had and still have a pine dining table. I used clear epoxy paint on that and it is still going. No re coats or anything. It has had several interstate moves as well.
Ok there are the ususal wear marks due to children banging forks on the table but beside that it is still functional and the epoxy cover is still in one piece.

So:
1: Epoxy again - it has the wear potential.
2. Something like a good oil type finish and a glass top. (SWMBO objected to the glass and oil).

I had thought of a polyurethane but the one I have used before goes a yellowish brown colour quickly.

Beyond that I am a complete blank..

Any way SWMBO has come up with new urgent, must be done yesterday order so table is now on hold..

I like your idea with a epoxy type clear finish.

This is just me,,, I just want to see the timber including the weather beaten part of it show up under the epoxy. Not sure how that would be best done on different types of wood other then some sort of deep penerating oil.

Now get back to obeying the SWMBO.

Very interesting Cultana, when the top is smoothed and finished it will look very striking with those boards across the width. One thing to be careful about while you are thinking of the construction is that with that total length (1.8 metres) of boards side by side, there will likely be a bit of seasonal expansion and contraction as the humidity varies. It is recycled timber so wood movement may be less than with new stuff, but still I would recommend that you fix the top to the aprons and legs in a way that allows a bit of room for expansion and contraction along the length. Usually buttons or elongated slots are used. Otherwise you might put a lot of stress on the apron joints. Keep on posting pics, I think you are going to produce something very attractive.

Originally Posted by Christos

I like your idea with a epoxy type clear finish.

This is just me,,, I just want to see the timber including the weather beaten part of it show up under the epoxy. Not sure how that would be best done on different types of wood other then some sort of deep penerating oil.

Now get back to obeying the SWMBO.

I want the current look to come through strongly especially the knots and weathering.
I was looking to go with epoxy and use very thin first couple of coats. That penetrates the timber better.

Obeying.. They are a governance to themselves.. Yes off to build a big cat cage.. (The thought has crossed my mind, moggie 1 and 2 ..)

Originally Posted by Fencepost2

Very interesting Cultana, when the top is smoothed and finished it will look very striking with those boards across the width. One thing to be careful about while you are thinking of the construction is that with that total length (1.8 metres) of boards side by side, there will likely be a bit of seasonal expansion and contraction as the humidity varies. It is recycled timber so wood movement may be less than with new stuff, but still I would recommend that you fix the top to the aprons and legs in a way that allows a bit of room for expansion and contraction along the length. Usually buttons or elongated slots are used. Otherwise you might put a lot of stress on the apron joints. Keep on posting pics, I think you are going to produce something very attractive.

Thanks expansion is something I had not considered.

Up here at the top of the gulf, (iron triangle) humidity ?? Yes you get a bit in Adelaide ..

Anyway I will keep this in mind. As things are going that will be a while off.

Its very humid here 70k's along the coast from you(its raining mud!)
One way of stopping a bow along the length is to use a pair of stretchers that use a sliding dovetail joint to allow movement... pretty tricky over a length like that but its possible.

So that is where all our soil end, your mud rain..
But you get more rain than us. It just hops across the gulf and rains there and leaves this side dry. Totally inconsiderate actually.

Since Fencepost2's comment I have been thinking about the problem. But sorry forget the dovetail as a true one I don't have the gear for that. In fact I would have to do it by hand even for a small box. (Reality: if most here saw what I don't have you would go and I am not cover insurance wise for injuries caused by mass laughing and hysterics.)

But you comment does reflect in some way what I have been thinking about. I am not too sure how or what but the idea is developing.

Originally Posted by Harry72

Its very humid here 70k's along the coast from you(its raining mud!)
One way of stopping a bow along the length is to use a pair of stretchers that use a sliding dovetail joint to allow movement... pretty tricky over a length like that but its possible.

The base level of my thoughts on this. The 21 x 12 and 42 x 12's being left unpainted and screwed in place.
It can possibly be refined.
So its a case of thoughts in progress ..

Well bird aviary/cat house has been completed as far as SWMBO wishes.

Now back to real things. I have toyed about with some drawings of what I am looking at as far as structure for the table frame, this also taking into account some earlier comments re the expansion of boards.
The attached drawings were done in Turbocad, (real old version) as I had a few arguments with Sketchup, Solid Edge and progeCAD.

So far the simplest is going to be to embed into each board two threaded blots and then in the frame have small length wise slits for these to sit into.

At present the attached design is my so far thoughts. As far as the 2 legs/posts go I found some nice deep red maranti but it is 118 x 32 in size. I could cut that back to a 90 x 32 to thin out the posts. The current drawing uses the 118 x 32 pieces.

The feet boards are at present just planks and these need to be shaped off, (somehow). I have not decided what to d here so its more of a dimension issue at present.

I did dig up some heavy timbers roughly 60 x 75 and they are a white/red timber mix within each piece. Depending on how I manage to cut these back to a dressed shape I may use them for the leg/posts and feet bars.

At present it is just a matter of sealing in all the various knots and filling the nail holes, then the last lot f sanding to do.
SHMBO has hinted it could be wider so I have managed to stretch the width from 1270 to 1400. It is still 1830 long.

Attached are the basic drawings of the table and a couple of representative pics.
All measured but not cut so no loss so far.

Passing thoughts/comments appreciated.

That should work well cultana. Drawings show you have put some thought into the whole project.