Thread: A Coffee Table With A Twist

Also just a side note I've re-sawn boards of 170mm before on the tablesaw so I'm pretty confident and have a very safe method.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Hi Rob, I'm going to saw my own using the tablesaw. I was hoping for a little bit thicker veneer maybe 4mm both sides?, that would mean I'd need 6mm ply, would that work?.

4+6+4 . The solid is thicker than the ply. Veneering with solid sawn stuff works if the ground is stronger than the veneer. I use 17mm ply with sawn 4 to 5mm solid on one side. With 4mm each side it may be fine if you use a non water based glue and treat it carefully. Sounds a bit risky to me though. There is no benefit in sawing your own if its just the same looking as sliced veneer is there?

Originally Posted by auscab

4+6+4 . The solid is thicker than the ply. Veneering with solid sawn stuff works if the ground is stronger than the veneer.

Ah, I didn't know that, so the ply would need to be thicker than the 2x4mm veneer, got it. I think I'm better off buying veneered birch ply then I think, thanks Rob.

Ok so here's the situation. I have some 19mm Birch plywood which is veneered with 0.6mm White Oak both sides. I want to mill the plywood down on one side to 12mm using my router and then re-veneer that one side with 3mm White Oak. Would I have any issues in doing this?.

I think this might be a bad idea so I'll just get some new ply.

From my original plans the overall thickness of the coffee table top would be around 60mm thick. That would be 30 + 30 as the two halves of the table would sit on top of each other. Last year I purchased some 19mm Birch plywood veneered with white oak on both sides, this I planned to be the table surface.

Now I'm having second thoughts, I feel maybe the top is too thick (60mm), and thats the reason I'm toying with
the idea of buying or making new plywood panels that are not as thick.

This is what it looks like at 64mm thick:

image1.jpg

This is the recessed area:

image2.jpg

Opinions and suggestions welcome, do you think its too thick?.

Sorry first photo is incorrect, here it is at 64mm thick:

image0.jpg

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Sorry first photo is incorrect, here it is at 64mm thick:

image0.jpg

Yes, it looks way to thick. A bevel to the underside edge is one way of keeping the thickness and making it look thinner.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Sorry first photo is incorrect, here it is at 64mm thick:

image0.jpg

Is the plan for the top like this photo now, ie with one thick member bordering or more like the plans where you appear to have an applied frame and panel on top of the members (and maybe a simple trim on the lower one to match the line of the folded out section)? If the large members are now going to frame the panel (Which means you won't have much depth need for the three drawers) then you could do as Auscab says and under-bevel the member, but when the top folds out the bottom line won't match unless you apply the bevel to the top of the members forming the top when folded.

Originally Posted by mic-d

Is the plan for the top like this photo now, ie with one thick member bordering or more like the plans where you appear to have an applied frame and panel on top of the members (and maybe a simple trim on the lower one to match the line of the folded out section)? If the large members are now going to frame the panel (Which means you won't have much depth need for the three drawers) then you could do as Auscab says and under-bevel the member, but when the top folds out the bottom line won't match unless you apply the bevel to the top of the members forming the top when folded.

Hi Mic, It is essentially a frame and panel construction, there are two halves which open out. Right now working out the measurement and making some re-adjustments to the design etc. I'll post when I've finished.

Sam

Originally Posted by mic-d

Is the plan for the top like this photo now, ie with one thick member bordering or more like the plans where you appear to have an applied frame and panel on top of the members (and maybe a simple trim on the lower one to match the line of the folded out section)? If the large members are now going to frame the panel (Which means you won't have much depth need for the three drawers) then you could do as Auscab says and under-bevel the member, but when the top folds out the bottom line won't match unless you apply the bevel to the top of the members forming the top when folded.

Sorry Mic I didn't answer your question fully. Its not one thick (62mm) member its a two leaf top 2x31mm, same as the plans with applied frame.

This is an example of the top @62mm the plywood thickness @2x19mm:

new31mm.jpg new31mm2.jpg

This is the top @48mm the plywood thickness @13mm

new12mm.jpg

This is a better photo of the profile, 64mm:

IMG_0205.jpg

The 64mm would be milled down to 62mm but its a rough example of what it looks like in real life. As for the back
of the coffee table, which ever thickness ply I use 13mm or 19mm, I wont have any trouble with warping as it will
have a 12or19mm brass strip countersunk into the edge length. The drawers are not really drawers they're trays.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Sorry Mic I didn't answer your question fully. Its not one thick (62mm) member its a two leaf top 2x31mm, same as the plans with applied frame.

This is an example of the top @62mm the plywood thickness @2x19mm:

new31mm.jpg new31mm2.jpg

This is the top @48mm the plywood thickness @13mm

new12mm.jpg

This is a better photo of the profile, 64mm:

IMG_0205.jpg

The 64mm would be milled down to 62mm but its a rough example of what it looks like in real life. As for the back
of the coffee table, which ever thickness ply I use 13mm or 19mm, I wont have any trouble with warping as it will
have a 12or19mm brass strip countersunk into the edge length. The drawers are not really drawers they're trays.

Gotcha! I like this version much more than the applied frame. Here's an example of how effective an under-bevel can be, this is a 20mm frame tapered to 8mm. Again, on yours if you do this, because it folds you either accept the the bottom lines do not match up when folded out by leaving the top panel without bevel or accept a bevel on the top panel when folded. I don't think this would look too bad.

IMG_0193.jpgIMG_0194.jpg

Another way to lighten the top line would be by the use of shadow and faux recesses. You'd make rectanglar recesses centred around the horizontal line where the panels meet in the closed position. You'd be looking to make probably two such recesses so it echoed the pair of bottom drawers and trim these with proportionately sized matching trim since I think the beading you used for the other would be too large. The light will catch the now much thinner horizontal lines and make the top appear thinner. Just some food for thought, hope it makes sense.