Thread: Voyeurist comes clean....

My second project:
My second project was to make a coffee table. This was a good way of explaining to swmbo that if we bought a "new commercial" table, we would be spending $X. That means that I get to spend a total of $X making the table.(wood and tools included).
So I sourced 4 old step treds to make this table. 2 for the top, 1 for the two legs and 1 for the rails joining them all together. My family liked this design so much, I ended up making 2 more for different family members.

My thrid project: My father in law who loves to go garage saling, picked up a couple of viery nice slabs of wood (for $10 total). 1 which is about 2m long I still haven't done anything with, but the other I made into this coffee table. I don't know what sort of wood it is, but I will get a more detailed picture of the grain, and I want the other slab, as I don't know what sort of wood it is...

The frame from underneath is recycled timber from a demolition yard.

My latest project which I just finished a couple of days ago for swmbo's 30th, is the following dining table. Thankfully she loves it.

All timber is sourced from demolition yards. the legs are all from the one piece of wood, and it seems that at some stage it has been burnt a bit, and so there are the blacked parts. All hardwood, and we estimate that the whole table weighs over 200kg. it took four of us to move the top inside! I probably have about 5 different types of wood in the table all up.

I hope you all enjoy...

GOod work - and good on you for the re-cycling too. I know thhe hassles associated with pre-loved timber, but it does feel good once you've given it a new life. Keep it up!

GOod work - and good on you for the re-cycling too. I know thhe hassles associated with pre-loved timber, but it does feel good once you've given it a new life. Keep it up!

I have looked on as Greg worked on this table over the past half year or so. The pictures really do not do it justice. The recycled wood has a beautiful rich luster and the cracks (in the grain) and burnt/scorched patches add so much character to the table. The extra effort to recycle the wood really paid off as it is now an original that will last years to be handed down to Gregs childrens children!

I can't wait till he starts the bench seats.

Nice work and good to see good recycling.

- Wood Borer

Great job man, I love the wane edges on the coffee table. Very George Nakashima!
-ryan

Great job greg. Love, love love that dining table. Can you give us a few details on construction? In particular:

1) Do the cross beams under the ends of the table get in the way of diners? Were they part of the original design or did they come about because of racking?

2) I'd like to hear about the glue up for that top panel. I like the way it's made from shorter lengths running across the table. Must've been a ***** to get flat though. Dowels? biscuits?

3) Whats the finish? Did you do anything different on the waney/burnt parts?

4) Hows the table top attached?

and finally...........

4) how's the hell are you going to find chairs to go with that? You cant exactly walk into ikea and ay, I'll have 8 recycled jarrah or redgum charis with scorch marks and waney edge features thanks. You'll just have to make 'em

Great work man.
Sorry for all the questions but I imagine that people who are proud of their work enjoy people asking

>Great jog greg. Love, love love that dining table. Can you give us a few details on construction in particular:
Thanks Lefty.

>1) Do the cross beams under the ends of the table get in the way of diners? Were they part of the original design or did they come about because of racking?
We had nine people over the other night sitting comfortably around the table. I didn't get any concerns about there being any cross beams at all. If anything the shorter people like it as it is a bit of a foot rest. I don't know what you mean by racking, but because the top was going to be so heavy I just though I should give it a bit more strength at the bottom.

>2) I'd like to hear about the glue up for that top panel. I like the way it's made from shorter lengths running across the table. Must've been a ***** to get flat though. Dowels?
>biscuits?
Your right it was a b!tch. There are 15 pieces of timber on the top, and I initially glued them up in three lots of 5, just so it was more managable. When glueing up, I used dowel, and tried to make sure that the top side was as flat as possible between adjacent lengths, so that it would reduce the amount of cleaning at the end. Whilst they were still in the three seperate lots, I gave the undersides a rough leveling. I didn't want to do to much until it was all joined together. The night I was wanting to start finishing, I had to flip the top over, and on of the end pieces of timber came loose. admittedly it was the first join, and looking at it closely it was dodgy.

>3) Whats the finish? Did you do anything different on the waney/burnt parts?
It is just estapol. SWMBO was wanting it done for her birthday party, so I was confortable with estapol, and didn't have time for testing. I didn't do anything different on the burnt parts at all...

>4) hows the table top attached?
after trying to source z-clips I found that a quick easy way was to have about 6 pieces of timber under the top just inside the frame that is screwed to both top and frame.
There are also some other pieces of timber underneath just screwed to the top to give it a bit of strength when moving, as I found that the middle was just wabbling to much for my heart.

and finally

>4) how's the hell are you going to find chairs to go with that? You cant exactly walk into ikea and ay, I'll have 8 recycled jarrah or redgum charis with scorch marks and waney >edge features thanks. You'll just have to make 'em
SWMBO likes going to freedom, and getting ideas for me to make.... we have decided to have 2 bench seats (1 either side) and then work something out for the ends.

>Great work man.
Thanks

>Sorry for all the questions but I imagine that people who are proud of their work enjoy people asking
No I am glad someone asked.

Originally Posted by Greg_stewy

>Great jog greg. Love, love love that dining table. Can you give us a few details on construction in particular:
Thanks Lefty.

>1) Do the cross beams under the ends of the table get in the way of diners? Were they part of the original design or did they come about because of racking?
We had nine people over the other night sitting comfortably around the table. I didn't get any concerns about there being any cross beams at all. If anything the shorter people like it as it is a bit of a foot rest. I don't know what you mean by racking, but because the top was going to be so heavy I just though I should give it a bit more strength at the bottom.

As one of the diners and a member of the "shorter people" group I found the cross beams on the end great.

Cheers,
Craig