I posted the pictures here as this was not intended to grace a gallery. Just meet the demands of abuse at family gatherings by small children who are allowed to use the piece as a work-bench… armed with crayons.. glue.. scissors and a host of other offenders. Their are no “Do Not Touch” signs as guest are made to feel as if they never left the comfort of their own home.
She looked at many but kept coming back to Mission even though I have never done a Mission yet. Forty five minutes spent on a crude sketch with cut list. 45 board feet of QS white oak brought home to acclimate with a plan in mind. Simple design with function.. quality materials and construted in a “right-ful manner” using joinery in lieu of today’s trend of metal fasteners.
The plan began execution Oct. 1 working 4 hour week-days as one must observe the season of the “pig-skin” which is sacred down south. I have completed a bed.. two chest of drawers and an entertain-ment cabinet since last Oct. 22nd. I would take my time on this one as it was like being allowed to lick the frosting spoon before the frosting saw the cake compared to those.
27 working hours saw dry fit of joints.. scrape.. sand and tenon tape-up. 3 additional hours of finishing with 8 hour cure times between coats and a two week final cure before Renaissance Wax which saw an additional 2 days cure.
The piece was put into use Oct. 26 with hopes that the above criteria was meet. Time is the real test as on the surface it appears the results of 30 hours of labor I love is:
Simply.. a coffee table!
Sarge..
Replies
Sarge,
Beautiful work! I love the QS white oak - did you run out of the southern red?
Cheers,
Lee
Thanks Lee... Nah, got plenty of red oak around but.. there was a reason I used it on the BR suite. First.. it was free from downed trees. Second.. retiring a year ago at 60 during the beginning of an economic down-fall puts one on a tight budget to remain retired.
If I had used QSWO or any other exotic on the BR suite... it would have cost me 4 times what it did. I just couldn't afford that many board feet knowing 2 chest of drawers and a bed would be built in a 9 month period under the circumstances. Now that I have gotten out of the BR with it's multiple pieces, I can afford to use some other things I like depending on the piece.
I installed the CT yesterday, I got a new order from Command this morning for simply.. a new computer desk with cabinet. I get no respect from her but she is rather cute so... I went to my supplier today to look at cherry.. QSWO and curly maple. A decision will be made after I see what is currently available.
Sarge..
Looks great. Any tricks or trouble spots in the construction? I've been wanting to build something similar. I'm just waiting for the kids to destroy the table we have now.
Simon
Not really Simon. I have never done a Mission and just looked at a few on-line my wife showed me. I chose the components I wanted as every one seemed to vary a little from another. Mission is a very simple.. straight forward design with no hidden curves IMO. Straight lines for the most part attached with good joinery as the M&T's.. bridles.. dadoes.. rabbets used.
This is a pure pleasure to build after a 6 drawer and 5 drawer chest. Six zillion DT's and wood runners as I don't use metal on a piece with the exception of 6 screws to attach top fasteners and one screw for the home-made drawer knob.
But.. keep in mind I have been butchering since 1972 so... it appears a piece of cake to me. I am not an expert.. this is a really simple project which is a good match for me with my lack of expertise. ha.. ha...
Sarge..
Nicely done, Sarge.
Thank you, sir.. A pleasure to do this one as it was a quick build and I needed that for a change of pace.
Sarge..
Com'on Sarge. Post that to the new Gallery! Just because the kids get to use crayons on the table doesn't mean it's not ready for public display. Your photos would look great in the new format.
- Matt
Thanks for the offer but.. I don't think this can compare to the finely done detail of any period pieces that should in-habit a gallery. In 38 years I have always built solid wood using joinery and have never learned to do an in-lay or veneer you might see there. I'm not saying I couldn't with instruction but.. the gallery pieces you see there most likely have had a lot of time and detail sweated out.. in some cases veneer work and in-lay. This is just a casual.. simple but functional piece that required very little effort or time on my part.
But.. I will go have a look. My photography is horrid and I am not really sure I would understand how to post there. I am somewhat of a computer illiterate but.. fortunately my wife is not. So.. maybe and maybe not. I don't want to degrade a gallery with what I consider simple work that anyone can produce.
Sarge..
Sarge, I like the piece. I grew up with simple furniture that my Mom restored from old barns and such. Simple mid western functional early american furniture. Build it right and it will last 150 years (so far).
Your photography is not OK, you center the object and it is in focus. Lataxe always does a nice job on his photos. Use some natural light and don't use the flash. Orient the object in the light so it does not glare and you capture the grain. The sweet times of the day are mornings and evenings, when the sun is not harsh, the shadows are mild, and it will glow. Green grass really compliments most woods, which are brown and reds. Shooting with a tight angle and slow speed helps pop the image, and blur the backgrounds. Like most things practice is great. Digital makes it easy to shoot pictures and observe the mistake and then go correct it. I swear great photography can make an average piece look spectacular.
Take some better shots and it belongs in anyones gallary.
Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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I barely know how to get on and off a computer, Morgan. Now you want me to become a photographer of proportions that are way over the head of a dumb country boy. :>) You are correct about my photography as frankly.. it sucks.
I have a cheap little digital and as far as I know you cannot adjust speed.. light.. etc. like on cameras I was once somewhat aware of back in the 60's-70's. I did go in a different direction as one time I wanted to learn to use one correctly. But.. that was long ago.
On my cheapie...whenever you snap the shutter button it flashes. I could take the batteries out and I know it wouldn't flash but.. it wouldn't take a picture either. :>) You get the drift about what I know about camera's at this stage.
Now.. there is a possibility the pictures can be altered when you put them on a computer but.. that puts me back to statement one. "I barely know how to get on and off a computer" and sometimes require the help of my wife who is retired from them. She stay extremely busy with her crafts as I do and I really hate to ask. So.. I suppose I just learn to tread water in a sea of mediocracy. ha.. ha...
Regards...
Sarge..
Edited 10/30/2008 12:05 pm ET by SARGEgrinder47
Sarge,I sympathise concerning that drawer....Just to prove to Morgan that my photography is not always what it should be (and nor is my grain-matching ability) here is a post with some pics in it, the first one of which is a vaguely Mission coffee table in afromosia. Notice that grain all here and there; but I quite liked the drawers.Apologies for the blurry photo an' all. :-)http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=40040.24Lataxe, more carpenter than cabinet-maker sometimes.
The solution with rough cutting the drawer apron wider and longer... then rip into 3 pieces did not arrive at my shop door until after the fact, unfortunately. If I remember correctly, I have done only two flush drawers since 1972 but.. many false fronts which don't present as much of a problem as I usually book-match them to co-incide with each other as they are surrounded with face frame.
But.. if I do flush again I know how to handle them as the apron board grain was very nice and stretching the drawer to fill the cut-out gap just was not going to work. I stretched for several hours and it still would stretch far enough. White oak is a good bending wood but lacks in the stretch department. ha.. ha...
I love the table in that first pic and I see the un-matched grain but... I really do like the contrast as it appears to be darker. I almost went there as I still have a plank that is several shades darker from the 60 BF I purchased. Almost wish I had after seeing yours. Nice work there and the other pictures.
Regards...
Sarge..
Sarge you are not as bad you think. You shoot from good angles, and you center your object, it is in focus etc.
Take the table outside, if you have some leaves in color, set the table up on rock. Get the table with some nice light, move it around and play with it some. I will bet your cheapie digital will not fire the flash outside on nice bright day. I think you will be amazed about how nice the WO will look with browns and reds around it.
Anyone who can design a solid piece and visualize like you can improve their photography. Give it a try.
Have you checked out the Bubinga table Chris and I did?
Morgan <!----><!----><!---->
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I will try that method outside next time. I took pictures of a 6 drawer chest in the shop with the sun coming in the window and all the shop lights on. And then we get a flash. Now... that was glare for sure. On this one I turned the over-head on as the two reading lamps did not appear to be enough even with the shade open?
But.. what's done is done as I got the call on a shoe rack yesterday before a scheduled start date on a computer desk Monday. At my age time is not necessarily on my side and I need to get crakin'. :>)
But thanks for the tips.. another gentlemen helped me a bit months ago on how to center and kind of get down on the same level with the piece being shot. I would stand with the camera facing diagonally down and that was creating problems also. And if you don't center properly doing that you get a barrel roll effect. Great way to create Bombay without all the work involved. hee.....
Regards...
Sarge..
Sarge, you could always ship your "plain old" furniture to me to photograph with one of my plain old cameras. ;-)
Now that is one type of camera I was used to seeing back when. That looks like a photograph (portrait camera?). Along with the smaller carry type Nikon that had more adjustments than a guided missile. Nice camera and obviously you are extremely well versed in photography as Azmo.
At one time in the mid 60's I had two goals.. go to Georgia Tech and at some point take photography classes or attend some type school. Well.. I did get to go to Georgia Tech for one quarter as I was going to co-op or work a quarter... go a quarter. I went a quarter and then Uncle Sam sent me a notice they wanted me to work for them for a couple of years.
That was the end of both goals as life's priorities were just never the same once I got home from paid holiday in the Orient. :>)
Regards...
Sarge..
beautiful work, sarge.
please describe the technique you employed for cutting the drawer opening. also, dont you think one shot should include the drawer in the open position?
eef
Thank you Eef..
Normally I would include a shot of the drawer open but.. for the first time in 38 years I did not hand cut DT's for the drawer fronts. Once upon a time I hand cut them all the way around the drawer. Then I got to thinking about it 5-6 years ago and decided to do them only on fronts with box joints on the rear as nobody see's them in my home.
In this case I knew the drawer would only hold 2 remotes and a few coasters as my wife told me so. :>) I simply did not see the need for DT's or box joints rear in this case as the contents would be no more than 8-9 oz. I just saw the reality that a rabbet and then glued with inner splines would not jeopardize strength in this case.
I did not shot an open shot as there is nothing exciting about rabbets and splines.
The drawer opening... My approach has always been to draw out the cut.. then drill a 3/8" hole just inside the line on all 4 corners. Then a Bosch barrel grip jig-saw is use to cut about 1 mm inside the line. The rest is done with files and rasp.
I came very close to doing it another way this time. I almost put the piece on my mortise machine to cut the corners square. Then just cut mortices down one side.. reverse the stock and to the other. Same with end cuts as my mortiser table has great range both right and left and in and out. It's very accurate once clamped to the fence as when the stock is clamped once on it... it's clamped, trust me. ha.. ha...
Sarge..
I like That coffee table a lot! As a matter of fact I like just about all the the projects you've posted so this should come as no surprise.
I finished a coat rack before the summer from quarter sawn red oak in mission style but my wife unfortunately doesn't want it in the house so its been banished waiting for photographing for my web site. No big deal I knew she didn't want it to begin with.
When Im done with the photography I'll post a picture.
Chaim
Thank you Chaim... Well.. what she doesn't want inside won't come inside if things operate the same at your house as mine. Probably so as I am suspect all women are somehow related to each other in some way. ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..
Looking forward to your pics...
Sarge..
Hi Sarge ,
Very nice table , from one Oak user to another .
One thing for sure the White Oak I have used works different then Red Oak and takes a finish even better imo .
I have made some drawer cut outs sliced and diced and re glued but looks fine as is . You know I also favor the Mission / Craftsman look in much of my work , and just one little tiny weenie thing , I try and always use an un even number on the slats , 5 or 7 . I don't know when but at some time I had it driven into my head .
As far as the drawer joinery , dts were not the main way in all cases . A notched joint er rabbet was very common as well .
thanks for sharing with us
dusty, just a box builder
Thanks Dusty. The white oak takes stain much more evenly than red which you are starting with a reddish brown tint to start with. Never gave the number of slats much thought as I don't know much about Mission. I looked at several on-line my wife pointed out and they all seemed to have something different about each.
That included number of slats.. apron widths with and without drawers... those little do-ma-thingy's (whatever they're called) on the ends.. height and width.. etc.. etc.. I just took what I liked and did it my way as I had to no clue if there was a guideline to follow?
I guess you might call mine a "Missionary'' to be safe but.. the only place the word Missionary will appear at my house is in the family room for sure. ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..
Thanks again...
Sarge..
Sarge ,
The little thingies on the ends , you can call them corbels , and in this case Stickley / Craftsman style corbels .
We call our versions , " Modern Mission "
dusty, whose shop is stacked high with cherry cabinets
Thanks on the corbels (whatever that means) Dusty. I have never really studied much about various styles and I suppose it shows. I have seen many styles and might use something here or something there I have seen from several to get my end result in somewhat of a hodge-podge mix.
Sarge..
Sarge,You are gettin' too much praise so after I hereby give mine (a beautiful piece of Mission A&C,which I would be proud to call mine own) I will give a carp or two - purely in the interests of balance and to stop yer heed swellin' up.* Them corbels have the "wrong" curve to my eye; perhaps a concavity or even a shape to echo the sofa-arms in the background, would be less stuck-on looking.* One of the top planks lacks the ray flecks and has ripple instead. Now, them rays is sometimes hard to get out when sawing the oak to the quarter. My last table along the lines o' yours suffered the exact same "problem" and it's still annoying me today.There you are then. I hope the "criticism" is constructive, even though I had to cast about desperately to find something. Very fine work; very fine.Lataxe the envious.
I didn't know one thing about corbels before this adventure to the point I had no clue what they were actually called.. hence the do-ma-hickey's reference. I was not going to use them personally but.. she wanted them. I looked at about 10 Mission coffee tables on-line. Some had corbels.. some didn't. Out of the probable 10 I looked at no two were exactly the same in shape or how far they extended down the leg. So... I eyed it and what one see's in this case is what one gets with their decision to add them. If she prefers to trade it on a store bought from Ethan Allen... I won't lose a minutes sleep! :>)
***
*" One of the top planks lacks the ray flecks and has ripple instead. Now, them rays is sometimes hard to get out when sawing the oak to the quarter. My last table along the lines o' yours suffered the exact same "problem" and it's still annoying me today".. Sir Lataxe
***
Yes.. actually the opposite side has less flecks also as both boards came from closer to the pith of the tree with darker heart-wood. I am glad you brought this up as it leads to a conversation that I feel should be covered as many might be in the same boat as I in this case and have to make a decision on how to handle it.
With red oak and a few other species I can pick and chose and I spend weeks doing just that as my supplier has several thousand board feet in racks and I can go through them. They turn it within several days and if you didn't find what you want today there is always tomorrow. That red oak cost me around $1.70 U.S. when I don't have storm-kill on hand already. Life is easy with red oak in my local.
But.. thousands of board feet of QSWO is on hand at my supplier also. But.. in the lower warehouse with the mill. It is stored green as the supplier doesn't consider it a fast mover as others that are on display in the upper show area racks. So.. if you want it at $4.17 a board foot.. you call them to tell them how many board feet. They mill it to S-3 in whatever thickness yoiu want at no charge for the surfacing that day and you pick it up the next.
I am aware of this and that is why I purchased 60 board feet knowing I only need 30-35. I would love to purchase 1000 bf in advance so I can pick and chose grain.. etc. as others. But.. having attempted retiring two years before I am 62 does not allow me individually to laden my wood rack with surplus at $4.17 a bf.
I purchase what I can and have to take a look at what I get once the milling is complete. I chose from that the best grain match I can get. If I cannot be as picky as I am with other species.. the choice is to wait and gamble on getting it later when I have the funds or do the best I can with what I have. In this case the coffee table was needed as a large family function is going to be at my home around Nov. 9th.
So... I chose to take what I had and make it work as well as one can under the above circumstances. I have seen some take months to get exactly what they wanted for a gallery piece and right-fully so. But.. that can take time and they obviously have it to render the detail they intend.
Again as the corbels.. what you see is what you get. If it bothers me deeply in the future (as I knew this was not exactly the way I would have grain matched if given a free rein with a large inventory I could have seen in advance) the top can be removed by taking the 6 screws off the top fasteners. A new top can be made in 3 days from green to finish with cure time to replace.
But.. I seriously doubt that that it will bother me for the reason I originally stated in post #1 and the reason I don't personally consider it gallery quality. But then again.. it was not intended to be...
"I posted the pictures here as this was not intended to grace a gallery. Just meet the demands of abuse at family gatherings by small children who are allowed to use the piece as a work-bench... armed with crayons.. glue.. scissors and a host of other offenders. Their are no "Do Not Touch" signs as guest are made to feel as if they never left the comfort of their own home"... Sarge post # 1
With the economics the way they are.. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there might be others that might be in the same boat as me. We just have to find a way without Festool.. Saw-stop and a never ending supply of hard-wood! ha.. ha... ha..ha.ha..
Sarge..
whose will finds a way to satisfy function...
Sarge , If we can't pick on you , then what or who ?
I probably would have used the wood on hand for my own piece as well .
don't look back it's all good
cheers d
A spades a spade and the exact reason I have no intention of posting my work in the gallery. It should be reserved for "fine furniture builders".. I'm just a furniture builder seeking simple design.. qualtiy material and constructed in "righ-ful manner".
Could I build a piece that could be placed there? With someone's elses proven plan.. time to seek out the perfect matching stock and a pocket full of money. Unfortunately I don't fit into any of those categories so.. a spade is a spade. ha.. ha...
Sarge..
.....I have no intention of posting my work in the gallery. It should be reserved for "fine furniture builders"
I think you are selling yourself short. I don't recall you having a plan for the bedroom suite or the coffee table????? Straight from the little lady's specs to the drafting board.Most people here just talk trash and never post a thing - you seem to have a steady stream of projects and they all look fantastic.
I'm working on a few projects - none are quite completed - but even though I don't feel they will warrant "fine woodworking" status - I think I may give that newfangled gallery a try. I say go for it. I've got your back.
Lee
"Most people here just talk trash and never post a thing - you seem to have a steady stream of projects and they all look fantastic"... Lee
I couldn't dis-agree with that statement for the most part Lee.. and mainly the reason I do post pics of my pieces. They are not works of art and probably never will be but... I have never yet built anything that was not functional and served a purpose. Nor have I built anything that was not constructed well as my joinery skills are pretty well honed and I don't take short-cuts.
But knowing I am not a designer nor have the funds.. nor time to seek out exceptional grain as mentioned, its leaves me a choice. I can just continue to pump out functional pieces on a average of every month and a half or... sell my tools and buy pieces from someone that produces them on an assembly line as I can't afford the work of true "fine furniture builders" and in most cases prefer a much simpler style for the very casual life I lead.
Frankly I got involved in WW as it served a purpose in my life. I couldn't afford fine furniture in 1975 with my first marriage so I built functional pieces to serve my families needs. I found that I really loved working with wood and that was icing on the cake of need. At this point I am on my 3rd set of house-hold furniture as two sets are gone with the wind so to speak. A good thing as I see it now.
I love doing joinery.. I love wood.. I love machines and tools in general and have no intention of selling them as it would serve no purpose what-so-ever other than leave me idle time I could talk about WW all day on a computer without ever putting hands and tools into action. A lovely solution to never building a mediocre piece. :>)
So... I head to the shop this morning as she needs a new computer desk. She comes from a Steel Mill family that she and 4 sisters slept in one bedroom in a very small house. It will not be a fine piece built with the gallery in mind.. but a functional piece that will serve a purpose to someone that doesn't necessarily see flaws in something much better than they ever had from child-hood through adult-hood.
Off.. off and away to dwell amongst the aura of tools that need my guidance.
Sarge..
Sarge (and Dusty),I too have the limited timber stocks, as all of mine is reclaimed or otherwise got free. One must not waste the stuff; but it doesn't usually come from a continuous series of boards or the same tree.One way to get a piece of near-quarter sawn oak to show it's ray fleck is to cut off a slim "wedge" from each plank-face so that the grain ends up at exactly right angles to the faces. (That is,make it truly quarter-sawn). I saw this tip in FWW but can't find it online just now.Of course, this assumes that one's plank is thick enough to saw wedges off and still leaave a piece as thick as the bits one already has; and for the intended purpose. Unfortunatley, mine would have gone too thin, so that ray fleck had to stay buried in the surface just out of sight.In the end I settled for making the glue lines disappear by blending the rest of the grain colour and direction, so the top looks like one piece. Only 2 of the 4 planks involved show the nice ray fleck; but I did manage to keep it all looking symetrical. It's these grain-matching needs that are the most difficult aspect I find, once the basic design and joinery stuff is second-nature.Lataxe
I have never heard that tip on revealing the fleck on white oak, Lataxe. I do have some learning to do on design.. normally I am a good at grain match but.. normally I am working with cheaper stock that I can be much more selective with.
Several have ask me why I used red oak on various projects, especially the 4 piece BR suit I started last Oct. and finished 3 months ago. And now you know why I worked with red oak in that case as those 4 pieces used a ton of board foot-age on not only the surface but the extensive drawer runners.. drawer side.. etc. etc.. with 11 large drawers.
Again.. I am not a "fine furniture builder".. I am only a furniture builder seeking simple design.. quality material but not necessarily the most aesthetic which relates to much more expensive.. and constructed in a "right-full manner".
I am over my head with design.. the grain match is not that bad and I find building in a "right-full manner" a piece of cake compared to both the former as you do. But.. even with my poor design ability.. lack of funds to seek out inspiring grain.. the projects remain functional for the purpose I build them.
Sarge...
just a furniture builder having a good time as was originally intended 38 years ago... ">)
Very nicely done! It looks like it was done by a Mission veteran!
Oh, I've seen many Mission styles executed and have borrowed a few aspects from many styles here and there, Heartwould. I have just never followed a given style almost to the letter. That's what she chose in this case and I basically looked at a few pictures and delivered to the best of my ability.
The style is really simply designed.. simple to build and I like simple and functional. It reflects who I am as a person I suppose. A formal piece at my home would be as out of place as a hooker in Sunday school. :>)
Sarge..
Sarge, I'm with you! The furniture "style" for My Young Bride and I seems to be Early American Attic. Your piece should fit in very well in just about any setting as it is well made with a rather universal appeal.
Btb, the only real place that a hooker should feel welcome is Sunday school.;>)
"Btb, the only real place that a hooker should feel welcome is Sunday school". ;>)
You have made a very valid point Heartwould and so valid.. you will get my vote as a write-in on Nov. 4th. ha.. ha... ha.. ha..ha..
Sarge..
Oh, my! The only job in the world guaranteed to make you unpopular with most of the people some of the time and some of the people most of the time is President of the United States! In the words of a wise man, "If nominated I will not run, and if elected I will not serve."
Thanks for the thought, but no thanks! ;>)
Sarge , another fantastic job for sure , your finishing makes the rays really pop , What are the dimensions on the table ? I would like to try this on my next project . Thanks for posting , I also think you need to put in the gallery : ) Gary
Thanks DT 59. The table is 22" x 42" by 18 1/2". I came up with those dimensions by measuring the width of the couch and just how much space I wanted the CT to cover in front with consideration that a love seat is parked in an L to the main couch. Basically just an eyeball call in this case as I wanted to cover X amount but had to consider traffic pattern of the L on the inside by the couch and love seat.
I rarely go over 48" on a coffee table with half in width. But.. I take an over-view of how much space is left on the outside and allow the eye to adjust the width to not clutter a main traffic pattern. Sort of a seat of the pants call on my part trusting my eye to give me the final size but.. it has always worked for me so... :>)
Sarge..
Sarge,
That's a very flecky table. 30 hours ain't half bad, especially considering the lack of blasted metal joinery! Are you happy with it?
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Thanks Chris... I suppose after many years I don't waste many steps as the fact is.. if time could have been wasted, I probably have over 38 years and learned from those mistakes. This was really an easy build and I look forward to doing more of this style without singling it out as exclusive.
I do have a mortise machine that gets er done and cutting tenons hasn't really changed in 38 years to my know-ledge. No hand cut DT's on this one.. one simple drawer with wooden runners. And yes I am happy with it as it was like being on spring break after a 6 drawer and 5 drawer chest. And I really like the simple style.
But.. it is not so much a matter of "am I happy with it"? The real question at my shop is "she happy with it"? In this case she was very elated as she chose the design and simply ask I compliment the existing furniture with color tone.
Obviously I did in her eyes as she gave the command for a new computer desk with cabinet which I went in search of appropriate stock for this after-noon. No rest for the weary. :>)
And BTW.. about 36 years ago when I first en-countered QSWO with rays I spent about two days trying to sand them off. Fortunately my ex father-in-law who was a WW laughed his hinny off before he explained them to me as very desirable. Ahhh.... to be young and stupid again as those were the days! ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..
Sarge..
Sarge,
Yes, 38 years is certainly lots of time to learn from mistakes. I love it - sanding out the ray flecks! That would be a good prank for the new guy - right up there with the old standby of the board stretcher!
I stand by my original question: are you happy with it. Quite often, everyone else will look at your work and find everything to be wonderful - nice figure, smooth top, etc., whereas you look at your workpiece and see the gap left because you cut the board too short, or where your miter didn't quite work out... you get the picture.
Good luck on your next project! Is it another "quickie"?Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I stand by my original question: are you happy with it?.. Chris
Not altogether as there are two things I would change about it and neither are the board on the top glue-up I knew was not the perfect match before I glued it. That arose from economical necessity and I won't make an excuse for that as I don't personally feel it necessary to do so as I have already explained.
But.. #1.. If I had been given a free rein I would not have included the drawer on a coffee table. She insisted and wouldn't back down as she wanted it to store 2 remotes and coasters. No amount of argument would change her mind and I don't like fighting losing battles I know I can't win.
By adding a drawer you have to make the top apron wider than normal. You could off-set that by making the lower aprons wider to more appropriate proportion to the top. But.. this style calls for slats. If you widen both top and bottom and keep the table top at the appropriate 19" that I feel it should be.. you have to shorten the slats. By doing so you over-power them with wider look apron to the point they look fat and stubby so to speak.
I used a couple of scrap boards to do just that and that's the impression I came away with so.. I had to compromise somewhere. In this case make the top apron wider in proportion to the bottom apron and don't look back. Why.. ?
Because she insisted on a drawer that created the mess to begin with even though I think the items she intended for it could be stored elsewhere. But.. I just work at this joint and follow instructions so to speak in these matters so I can save the real.. macho saavy for decisions of much larger proportion. :>)
#2... I would use a different approach to making the front drawer flush as it doesn't compliment the surrounding grain as I would like. Back to insisting on the drawer but the blame here goes to me and not after the fact the drawer is called for. I cut the hole with a barrel grip which left a drawer plug that once edge jointed would be much to narrow to use as the actual drawer. The gap would be too wide on a flush drawer.
The proper solution would have been to rip the apron the drawer would be housed in into 3 pieces with the middle piece slightly wider than the drawer face. Then cross-cut the drawer from the middle of that middle piece for the drawer. Glue all three pieces back together and you now have a grain match cut out for the actual drawer face that came from the exact spot you cut the opening.
Why did I not do that. Because I am stupid and didn't think of it. I have built hundreds of drawers but.. they all had false fronts which relies on a different approach. The styles I have always built didn't call for flush drawers. This is my first.
So... I blew this one on my own. I take credit for having never run across the rip and re-glue method. It just never came up as all my drawers have always been false front. Old dog.. new trick as I am still in the learning mode.
Other than that Chris.. I am satisfied.. Scratch it.. water stain it.. sit, stand or dance on top of it. I can replace a top within 3 days with glue-up and all. It's a solid.. functional piece and ready for the rigors of living people that aren't afraid to live with gusto.
Sarge..
Sarge,
I know that it's after the fact, but did you consider hanging a drawer from the table top? That would not require any aprons.
Congratulations on building a good-looking functional piece what will be used as intended. I like to turn pens as gifts for friends and family. They accept them and unfortunately appreciate them and cherish them. I say unfortunately because they put the pen on a shelf because they are afraid to lose it. It is a pen, for cryin' out loud! Use it!
Anyways congrats on a job well done. One thing I struggle with is doing a good job on something I don't believe in.
You are wise to pick your battles.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I know little about Mission (I did buy a book today) but I would never hang a drawer from anything unless I was making generic office furniture and you would have to pay me to do that. :>)
I prefer aprons and as Ray Pine says... I've just alway done it that way which is the only way I have ever done a coffee table.
Sarge..
Sarge,
Hanging the drawers would have a different effect, kind of a wow factor. Maybe not your style though. I'd call it contemporary. I've got some ideas to create that effect using sliding dovetails...Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I would call it contemporary also and as I see it... contemporary and Mission don't mix well together. I like the looks of a slab used on slab legs as the one being currently tauted but... not in my family room where there is no contemporary for it to blend with.
Which leads to an interesting point IMO... the Nakashima "inspired"coffee table being featured here is whoa... wow... rah-rah-sis-boom-bah.. a true masterpiece to be. Hmmmm... a slab that basically is joined to two additional slabs. Breath-taking indeed.... I'm certainly excited.
When I was growing up that kind of thing wouldn't be considered for a masterpiece to be. It would have been deemed more a necessity created by one without enough skill to create something more traditional using joinery. Perhaps there are elaborate.. hidden Japanese joints I missed that makes it so intriguing to many?
Then again.. perhaps it is just a slab connected to two pieces of smaller slab. A personal call no doubt and the times are a changing I suppose.
Sarge..
Well said Sarge! Would that all my projects come out like that! Ready to be used by people who live with gusto!
Kell
Gusto was a diplomatic way of putting it, Kell. With young neices and nephews "abusive" would be a better term but my wife makes me be diplomatic when she is peering over my shoulder as she was at the time. ha.. ha...
Regards...
Sarge..
I can see you now when someone comes even close to that top with a magic marker......
Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
Tops are replace-able cherry-john. Look at how the celebrities do so well with face lifts after the fact. :>)
Sarge..
You may not have intended for it to grace a gallery, but it certainly could!!
Beautiful stuff.
Thanks Quickstep. It was placed in it's final resting spot on Sunday but hasn't seen much rest since. Five foot-ball games.. snacks.. meals.. drinks latter.... is just a break-in period getting ready for the rough stuff. Got young nieces and nephews coming over Nov. 9th but.. I built it to with-stand just that kind of un-controllable force. In comparison they can make a Category 2 hurricane look like just a normal windy day in the park. ha.. ha...
Again.. thanks for the kind words...
Sarge..
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