60mm Thick Round Coffee Table

[Stanger]

I have been asked to make a coffee table similar to the attached photo. The top is about 60mm thick and I can only get 50mm thick stock, which after planing etc will be about 45mm thick. Getting stock 60mm thick would also be pretty expensive if I could find it.

Any ideas on a good way to make a thicker looking top from thinner stock? Vaneer, glue up two thinner boards (would see an edge join) or something else... How would you do it?

Cheers

Mike


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[elanjacobs]

You could use veneered MDF and build up a 60mm edge, then veneer all the way around it.
What timber are you going to use? I know American Oak is available in 75mm thickness (not cheap though)

[Chris Parks]

Make it out of layered MDF and veneer the MDF, I think the result will be better than trying to do it in timber.

Edit; Posted at the same time as Elan

[Stanger]

Right, looks like I'm about to do a crash course in how-to-use-veneer!

Would you buy veneer or cut your own (I have a good resaw blade on my bandsaw)?
Would you veneer the top as well as the side edges? I guess veneer does not expand and contract like timber if it is glued to mdf...

Mike


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[elanjacobs]

I'd be buying MDF with veneer already pressed, then some loose veneer for the edges

[ian]

I have been asked to make a coffee table similarto the attached photo. The top is about 60mm thick and I can only get 50mm thick stock, which after planing etc will be about 45mm thick. Getting stock 60mm thick would also be pretty expensive if I could find it.

Any ideas on a good way to make a thicker looking top from thinner stock? Vaneer, glue up two thinner boards (would see an edge join) or something else... How would you do it?

Cheers

Mike

Hi Mike
I think the key word here is SIMILAR.

I suggest you ask the client if, from their perspective, a top 45 to 50 mm thick is thick enough. In the conversation, you might mention that at 45 mm thick, the table will be a little lighter than if built from 55-60 mm thick stuff (and this easier to move around) BUT no less stable.

BTW
the original looks to be veneered particle board (or MDF) with an thin edge band.

If the original is relatively light, the top is probably some form of torsion box.

[DaveVman]

What about if you made an octagon out of thick stock and recessed thinner stock for the majority of the top. Just an idea.

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[hurcorh]

When you make this top as a square, prior to cutting the circle out you could add a second layer to the bottom around the perimeter. The better jointed / planed it is, the less likely you'll see the joint to make up the 60mm thickness. Attached a quick sketch of what I mean. Hope it helps. It is looking from the underside. Side note, if you are using dominoes or biscuits for alignment when you glue the top up, make sure you mark the location of the biscuits or dominoes as you dont want one visible when you cut your circle out.
round table.jpg

If you do go down the veneer route though, guyswoodshop and Andrew Pitts Furniture both have excellent videos on youtube where they both do quite a bit of veneering. Very helpful i've found.

[Stanger]

Thanks for the image and ideas Hurcorh. I am still undecided on whether to go for veneered mdf with solid timber edging or solid timber with double thickness sides like your sketch.

Mike

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[hurcorh]

No problem. I've started veneering recently. It's heaps of fun and a good learning experience.

[Stanger]

No problem. I've started veneering recently. It's heaps of fun and a good learning experience.

I think I will go with this double thickness edge idea and make it from solid timber. The only worry I have now is how the joint will look on the side of the table, particularly where it is end grain.

Mike

[hurcorh]

Imagine you have a length of timber that is 2m long. And your table will be 1m long for example. So you cut this board in half. Then slide one of the cut boards directly under the other keeping all orientations the same. It would be the middle option in the picture below. The bottom illustration shows how you'd cut and stack them keeping the orientation from the same piece of wood the same.

glue2.jpg

I'd think this method would give you the most 'natural' looking end grain pattern. Also keeping the same orientation and using the same piece of wood should allow for the natural movements that timber was already experiencing without having built up tension it you had flipped the bottom piece for example.

Others may have different views.

[GarciaJ]

What about if you made an octagon out of thick stock and recessed thinner stock for the majority of the top. Just an idea.

This would look great... You could also cut a circle out of the octagon, and even put a glass top mounted on a recess...

[GarciaJ]

I have been asked to make a coffee table similar to the attached photo. The top is about 60mm thick and I can only get 50mm thick stock, which after planing etc will be about 45mm thick. Getting stock 60mm thick would also be pretty expensive if I could find it.

Any ideas on a good way to make a thicker looking top from thinner stock? Vaneer, glue up two thinner boards (would see an edge join) or something else... How would you do it?

If you glue two thinner boards and cut out a circle to make a round top, some of the edge will be end grain and some of the edge will be side grain. If you make a hexagon or octagon and cut the corners to make a circle, there will be several visible joints on the edge that run across the grain on the edge of the top. If you don't want that then whatever you do to achieve the thickness (MDF, solid timber glued together), the edge needs to be veneer... There will still be at least one visible joint across the grain on the edge somewhere around the perimeter of the top.

I have a lot of experience in getting wide boards from narrow stock. If you match the grain carefully (it can be done especially on quarter sawn boards...) you'll hardly notice glue joints that run along the grain... Planing and sanding is the key.


Nice table - worth the effort. Did your client consider a glass top? The job would then be making the legs using a similar design.