Thread: Round table

I believe it's called a Lutyens table, or a name like that anyway.

It's been discussed on the board before. Try searching on that name or maybe one of the other members will remember the correct name for it.

No it is not the Lutyens table, it has no mechanical moving parts, it is just a big round solid top, glued together.

Originally Posted by Marc

I went for a walk in The Rocks yesterday (school holidays) and ambled into a wood work place that sells rather overpriced stuff, conceded very nice. Loved a wooden geared clock with wooden pendulum and wooden weight and wooden everything else but some small brass parts.
Yet what caught my attention and stimulated my desire to do something like that was a circular table, that was made out of very nice hardwood with a busy pattern (sorry the shop attendant was even more ignorant than myself) and built in the following way:
About 60mm thick, 1.3 meters diameter, the centre, 300mm, was a circular piece formed by two half. All around the central circle, one row of sectors 200 to 250 mm wide, and around them, another row of more sectors the same size to form the second row that completed the table. A ring made out of 5 pieces finished the edge.
Looking under the table it was evident that there was no surface that the parts where attached to, that is the whole thing is like a puzzle glued together.

I know it is difficult to picture from my description but my question is this. Would a table surface built with so many parts and hardwood to top it off, hold together just with glue? Would it be the case that each edge is machined with a gluing bit, say S shaped or perhaps tongue and groove, that gives the joint a larger surface for the glue (presumably epoxi) to hold? How hard would it be to make the circular sides to fit?
The legs where nothing spectacular, three legs shaped a bit like a tree branch and disappointingly fitted with visible ordinary gyprock cadmium screws. I did not dear to give it a decent rocking.

By the way the price was $12,800

Why does the price supprise you?
Why do you think it excessive?
How much are the materials $1000,$2000?
How many hours? 50, 100, 150?
How much per hour? $60 or $70
Nothing excessive if it is quality work but if as you say it was hent together with chipboard screws well then it is a mite pricy!

Ross

Originally Posted by Different

Why does the price surprise you?
Why do you think it excessive?
How much are the materials $1000,$2000?
How many hours? 50, 100, 150?
How much per hour? $60 or $70
Nothing excessive if it is quality work but if as you say it was held together with chipboard screws well then it is a mite pricey!
Ross

Ha ha Ross, you are right, I did say they sold "rather overpriced stuff" but I said so in ignorance since every piece there was a work of art, and I wouldn't know how to price art. Perhaps the location in the Rocks would give them the opportunity to price them like that and if sold in Liverpool, they would need to cut the price by 3/4.

Yes the legs where a bit of a disappointment, particularly the fact that you could see the screws that where not even in a hole and plugged. Yet in fairness that was perhaps just the set up for the shop and they have a different permanent fixing when delivered. I failed to mention that there seem to have been a previous central column in the form of a double cross judging from marks and the chip screws left behind, so the legs have perhaps different options. I cannot see someone spending 12k and accepting a wobbly table.

But my question remains unanswered. Has anyone attempted to build a circular table composed by many parts edge glued? Would you shape the edges in a tongue and groove fashion or some other gluing shape? How good is epoxy glue on hardwood?

Marc, they probably made a full sized template out of MDF or ply and used that to cut the pieces. They were probably just flat-jointed edges and not T&G or the like and the glue would depend on the timbers being used. eg different timbers having different reactions to different glues. Speak to a glue manufacturer with the details of the timber and what they will be used for (I've always found AV Syntec good in this respect). The rate of movement due to moisture changes in the different timber would need to be addressed in the design, but if it was sealed well by the finish it should be minimised.