Thread: Condensed WIP dining table from 30yr old sleepers

Hi everyone. This thread follows on from one I posted earlier as this project began.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f27/tt...on-bed-139312/

I have wanted to make my wife a dining table for a number of years and recently (12 months ago!) got started after getting a number of hardwood sleepers from a friend.

We were going for something a bit rustic, chunky and solid and this is what we came up with. The legs were designed to be detachable from the start as each end assembly alone weighs about 20kg and I didn't want to be maneuvering it through doorways.

Overall dimensions are 1000w x 1780l x 770h. I did a couple test finishes on test pieces early on and bought the chairs to suit. The height was then set off the chairs and the table we already had.

My best guess is the wood is red box. It does not smell or work like red gum or jarrah. Any tip would be very much appreciated.

I kept as much of the weathered surface as I could, just skimming past the grey and leaving the deeper blackened cracks and knots. These were filled with ebony timber mate just so they wouldn't get food built up in them.

Everything is finished in two coats of brushed on polyurethane after sanding down to 320, then cutting back with 400 between coats. The feast watsons went on very well and left very little in the way of brush marks. Happy to use it again.

Now for the pics;


Joints at the corners of the frame. These are later reinforced further to take the bolts that hold the legs on.


Frame assembly before finishing. Very rigid


130mm x 8mm stainless coach bolts at each side to hold the end assembly on. I looked for a while for inserts but nothing gave me 50mm of purchase.


Top ready to be biscuited together (triton biscuits, single row).


Got away with 2 clamps this time but everything was straight and square. I could always do with more clamps. Had to buy these for the project being the widest panel/frame I've glued up to date. I would have preferred 5 on the but no harm done.


60% time on making table, 40% on making bits and pieces around the workshop. The sander came from cashies for $40 without any attachments. My vacuum setup is 2 1/4 fittings so this flexible rubber 40 - 50mm adapter sorted out the oval dust chute on the sander perfectly. The fitting at the end of the vacuum hose is just a push fit. Later I put 5 holes though the sides to allow more airflow and reduce the suction of the sander down onto the workpiece to keep the cyclone in the dust deputy spinning.


Give a bit of an idea of the overall look with the chairs










A few of my favorite features.

Overall I am pretty happy with the solid and functional look of it. Hoping to get many years of use out of it and didn't want something we were too afraid to sit at, especially with a little guy growing up. Matching coffee table now?

Thanks for looking, Shannon.