Thread: Ironbark medieval/rectory dining table

That is one hefty table top you have there... Looks like some really pretty wood. I can't wait to see how it comes out.

That looks heavy. A forklift would come in handy for that.

What glue are you using?

Yes that is going to be one mother of a table top to lift onto a frame, but it will look pretty good!

It is really heavy and I'd love to know exact weight. I'm at finishing stages and trying to catch up with posts to where I'm up to now but it's funny thinking about the first dry-fit of the legs a few weeks ago. I can flip the top on saw horses in a few moves but when I attempted to lift the whole thing resting against my chest I couldn't move. That's despite it being reduced in thickness it's still a minimum two person lift to move it.

Glue is Selleys Aquadhere Exterior PVA. I've used this on a couple of workbenches and some other stuff since I joined WWF I suppose and haven't had any failures. When I've followed glue discussions I came to like the blurb regarding crosslinking PVAs and also epoxy. I have both but wanted to save the epoxy for encapsulating the table. Regarding this PVA, during tests in the past and a demo I did for the eventual owners of the table with bits trimmed from the ends of the top, the timber has failed rather than the glue join. I wasn't sure the same would hold for this ironbark but luckily for me it did. I think Titebond II or III is similar.

I haven't really mentioned the size or design of the table or the wishes of the owners. They just wanted to make it as big as possible to fit at least 10 people, in knockdown form and didn't really care how it looked. The top is about 2500mm by 955mm and 38mm thick from memory, I'll have to check and will update later. Knowing the owners I thought they'd appreciate an old European tavern like - medieval type of Game of Thrones inspired sort of table. I browsed loads of images and if you look for medieval or rectory tables you'll get the idea of what I was influenced by. There seemed to be loads of examples with lyre shape like legs and that's what I decided to do. I don't usually do sketches and avoid working off plans for no particular reason, but I had to try and scale these legs to make sure heights and design looked alright. Also I had to go over and over what would hold the weight of the top up safely and securely. There's no commercial arrangement here but I surely don't want to be responsible for failure of any kind and someone getting hurt. Here's part of the plan
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Back to the table top, I belt sanded, scrub planed by hand and electric planed but there were too many parts to knock down and level, I wasn't making any progress. I could have just belt sanded and had a wobbly top but I needed to reduce the thickness too to reduce weight. I've seen the videos about routing sleds and that was the best option. I've never used a router but it was about time I got one and the biggest bit I could find.
This is pretty crude but the top was lowered with some packing in places due to uneven floor. The rails were made from the straightest pine I could find, held in place with wedges and weighted down, then sighted parallel as if they were winding sticks. The sled is from 18mm formply and the router bit was only a 1" bit. No planing bits locally.
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If any of you watch AvE on youtube you'll know his expression "buy once, cry once" in relation to shelling out for quality tools. Not long after the above photo the tool sputtered occasionally. I thought it may be over heating but it got worse and in another pass or two it stopped altogether and I discovered a brush went flying. Man I was annoyed. To be honest, the tool has performed fine since but this plastic brush cap was over-tightened I presume by the assembler and it vibrated apart. I would have had no problem getting an exchange or refund but I'm impatient and would rather fix it or break it trying, then enjoy hammering it to pieces and setting it on fire.
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Luckily the fix worked, one those screws and some liquid electrical tape later and it was back together to finish off the table.
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My biggest fear was something moving and the table, although looking flat would reduce from 50mm to 10mm from end to end, or something like that. But it turned out great, I somehow was lucky. A few blemishes from learning the router and the bit dipping too low and gouging but the overall thickness reduced evenly and top flattened.
With a bit of a wet down you get see what kind of awsome looking colour popped up.
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The next thing I did was trim the ends of the top to square the ends. I measured and scribed a mark across then used a straight edge parallel to the mark to butt against the base plate of the saw, effectively getting straight cuts like a track saw. No pictures of that operation but I cut and machined a couple more pieces of lumber to go transverse across the ends that would not only restore a bit of overall length to the table but also help hold the ends of the boards together. All machining of these two parts were done on the TS.

18mm counterbore holes were drilled with 8mm pilot holes for 4 long bugle head screws either end to not only clamp the pieces to the ends but to also help with overall strength of the joint. In hindsight I wish I cut tongue and groove joints which would've eliminated the screws and maybe looked better.
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The bores were filled with tapered plugs I made from scrap, flush cut then sanded.
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I was anxious cutting the excess off the ends. I can't remember exactly what I did but they ended up flush and continuous with the sides. I then spent a fair bit of time sanding the top, first with one of my favourite power tools, I've got the baby brother Makita, 75mm wide belt sander. I've always wanted to get the classic 100mm wide 9401 or it's newer replacement but haven't bit the bullet yet. I went through grades 60-180 grit in cross hatch patterns to remove router marks then finish with 180 on polisher and up to 240grit on orbital sanders and lastly, manually on long sanding boards to 320grit.
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Now the grain was really coming forward and it's just stunning. I was trying to avoid going to the level of having an indoor dining table finish rather than a council park picnic table but I couldn't help keep going as the appearance kept improving.
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Wow! Now those breadboard ends are taken to the next level! They certainly provide a nice finish to the otherwise very agricultural end finish you had. I know what you mean about being unable to stop yourself 'finishing' the top, the more you do the better it looks.
Excellent result, I'll bet the clients had no idea their old timber planks would be able to look so good.
Whereabouts in the Riverina are you Canoath?

I'm in Griffith aldav. Honestly I had no idea I'd get this kind of result either. Speaking of breadboard ends, it's exactly where I got the idea after making a redgum and tassie oak board some time ago with ends to tie the strips together.

Now for the legs, I showed the plan before but I'm limited now to two planks I previously rejected from the top. I was able to cut three pieces from each, machined them on the TS and get them glued up. In order to maximise strength I tried to keep them as thick a possible which meant I couldn't get down to the unweathered grain as I did in the top. Unfortunately there was no more suitable ironbark for the feet, supports nor stretcher so I had to dig into my stash of redgum to complete the parts which looks lighter but did the job.
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I drew templates on thin ply for the curves of the legs, feet and top supports and cut to shape using a jigsaw and the bandsaw. Final shaping was done with files and belt sander. The shape of the legs are later defined too by filing to give a convex profile. The tenons on the legs were cut on the TS and finished for fit with my favourite handtool, my one and only HNT Gordon plane, a 3/4" shoulder plane. I'll get more of his planes one day but this thing deals with trimming of these kind of hardwoods that my other lower angle stanley style and block planes can't.
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Skip a few steps and a lack of photos and this was a real high to see the lower section assembled. The stretcher was completed with through tenons and locking pins into the legs. I made 12mm holes at the top of the legs and supports for three pins each. All pins were from scrap ironbark with the top ones formed from hand shaped dowels with just a stanley spokeshave from square cut lengths which were glued into blocks that were shaped with the bandsaw and beltsander upturned in the vice. The randomness of their shape leads to a very snug fit to lock the top supports to the top of the legs. All top pins are interchangeable but the legs and stretcher and two lower pins only fit one way.
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I wanted to lay the top on but it's when I discovered there's no way I could manoeuvre it by myself so I went back to the shed to line up the assembly.
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This last shot shows how the top supports are permanently attached to the table top underside. 4 countersunk bolts were used with PVA and later the bolt holes were filled with epoxy and sawdust. you can also get a better look at the pins, the size of the upper leg tennon and relevant holes.
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Looking very good Canoath. Hope the owners never want to move it.
Any more of this type of work would surely justify the purchase of a forklift.

THAT is a magnificent Herculean Epic!

I would say definitely Ironbark by the look of it. You have done it (and them) proud!

What finish are you going to apply?

You've managed to make a silk purse out a bunch of sow's ears, Canoath! Who would've thought that table was hiding amongst a pile of firewood!? It did take a bit of work to find it, though!

But this pic made me wince a bit.

Originally Posted by Canoath

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A long, cross-grain glue-joint like that is begging for trouble, particularly as this table is going to cop some pretty broad seasonal changes living outdoors. You really only needed the bolts to locate the top, imo, the glue wasn't necessary - with all that weight it isn't likely to go anywhere. Wracking will be your biggest worry, but if there are good-sized shoulders on the stretcher & the wedges are kept tight, it should be ok....

Cheers,

Thanks Fence. Finish will be botecote epoxy then Fest and Watson marine varnish. I'm up to the point of one coat of varnish on the top and two on the legs. Hopefully with a quiet Sunday at work today I'll get the rest of the pics posted and catch up to where I'm up to now.

Remember the "old rule"....what ever finish you put on the top surface do the same to the underside of the top. Very important as an aid to stop movement of the top.

Hi Ian, I posted over the top and missed your comments sorry.

Thanks for the input. The junction between frame/legs and top was or has been a source of agony for sometime during the build. I contemplated a loose fit, with just some locating lugs and a few other designs in my head but did what I did thinking those top supports would help hold the top together. Reading what you said I honestly never thought about movement, instead concentrating on strength of the frame/legs and junction between them. I wish I posted as I went to get thoughts and ideas because timber movement never crossed my mind. Whilst the table will be outside it'll be undercover, so no direct sunlight, it will still be subject to extremes of dry heat and will collect dew and experience the cold of winter. I will try and post an update in a year or so to see how it fares. If things go haywire I'll probably lie and say it's holding up well kidding. My concern was the top of the leg tenon if that would be strong enough. In either case I will be eager to hear if any problems arise, it will be a good learning experience.

chambezio, definitely. Although as I said above, whilst I didn't have movement in mind I figured the timber was as seasoned as a 20yr old railway sleeper and if anything, perhaps too dry and would readily soak up moisture. To that end I've employed advice I've learnt from the boatbulding forum and a couple of projects I did of a canoe and skiff. The table will be waterproofed/encapsulated in epoxy and the varnish just for UV protection and final coat.

Looking through the photos the first fit up of planks was on the 6th Nov last year and the next lot of pics is from the 20th March onward. I'd go broke doing this kind of thing fulltime.

Anyway, at this point I started epoxying, starting with legs and stretcher after being sanded to 320 and wiped down with methylated spirits. I love this wet-out stage as the grain and colour really pops. I used what I learnt from the couple of boats I've done which is different to pour on gloss type epoxy application. I use a metal blade to spread and wipe all surfaces with epoxy doing 3 wet-on-wet coats, dabbing a foam brush in to areas into hard to get areas. I wait about 4-5 hours for the epoxy to become tacky before each coat and will use a foam brush mixed with metho to smooth any major lines.
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Testing strength again I assembled everything albeit upside down. There is some flex in the top without anything attached, you can lift a corner by half an inch or more before the nearby corner lifts and it's likely that the table will be on uneven pavers. Nothing drastic but I was curious to see how solid the lower section was when all pins were hammered home. I lifted each foot and then corners and then ends. Whilst heavy there was some movement without creaking or cracking. The stretcher really holds the legs together and adds some stiffness whilst allowing a little flex. It seems pretty good.
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Previously I mentioned the stretcher and legs fit together one way so to avoid mixing of orientations I stamped "A" and "B" in relevant parts to assist during all future assembling.
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In preparation for epoxying the underside of the top every edge got the same rounded edge with the router and 9mm round over bit. Any spots I thought the epoxy may leak through got taped because although the under side has been sanded, it's still rough and required more epoxy to fill holes and crevices.
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