# Walnut coffee table



## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

I started making this coffee table a little while ago after i saw how much furniture stores wanted for a nice table :no: that and i couldn't really find one i liked. I got all the walnut for pretty cheap and i had some spare time after losing all my overtime at work (damn economy) i made the mistake of not having a plan before i started. Needles to say there was a little bit of head scratching and frustration. this is the first thing i have ever made that is not a countertop :laughing: its not quite done yet i have lots of sanding and still need to decide on a finish.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Nice job!! I like that you matched the grain on the drawer faces with the surrounding frame. Nice touch. Make sure you post a photo of the finished product.
Ken


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## joesdad (Nov 1, 2007)

Looking good! Nice proportions. can't wait to see it with the clear coat on it.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I like the idea of the drawers in the bottom portion. Shows some imagination.

It will look beautiful when finished.

Do you have any children in the house? Or will there be children? If so you might consider easing the sharp corners and edges. As a grandfather this is something that I have lately learned with children running around the living part of the house.

George


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## rag (Dec 23, 2008)

Very nice work. Nice wood too.


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## AZ Termite (Dec 20, 2008)

Great design for not having a "plan". That table is going to be beautiful when you get it finished. Keep up the good work and show us some pics when finished.


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

Thanks for the compliments :smile: what kind of finish would you guys recommend that will be pretty durable. I will probably stain it a darkish brown but not too dark, i want to see the grain still. i have a spray gun that i have painted with but i have never done any actual wood finishing. do you always brush stain ?? I don't really have a clue!... i will probably soften some of the corners a bit. no children now but i plan on keeping this table for long enough it will see some kids :yes: not to mention my own safety :laughing: this was the original picture of what we wanted, but i changed it up a bit as i went. the top pic i edited on the computer to see what the drawers on the bottom would look like. looked way better IMO. I also was worried about the top getting scratched so i got some glass to put over the veneer on the top.


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## jfs477 (Jan 16, 2009)

that table is going to look amazing when it is done!!! i personally like wipe on polyurethane for projects like this but i don't know what it would come out like on the walnut. i would honestly say this is a good candidate for the good old color/finish check on some scrap peaces to see what you like the best. also i have found that if i am going with a clear coat on a project a coat of bush oil before you put a coat of polyurethane(the only thing i have used over the oil so far) brings out the true color and grain pattern


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## ecologito (Jan 27, 2008)

Do you have any rough dimensions of it? MY wife saw your pictures and wants me to build her one so... since this would be my biggest and most ambitious project so far I might build one out of poplar and after that I might build one with better wood. Your table looks great !


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

ecologito said:


> Do you have any rough dimensions of it? MY wife saw your pictures and wants me to build her one so... since this would be my biggest and most ambitious project so far I might build one out of poplar and after that I might build one with better wood. Your table looks great !


thanks that's quite a compliment :icon_smile: ill take some measurements and post some more pictures in my album if it helps. it is about 2ft by 4ft and maybe 15-16 inches high. i figure you may as well use nice wood the cost difference really isn't that much considering all the time you will put into it. i spent around $200 on wood and another $100 on slides and glass :thumbsup:


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## bramclean (Jan 13, 2009)

I love the Walnut table.. You didnt seem to have too much trouble as you said as it look great!


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## kalebhjones (Jan 13, 2009)

Wow, that is a terrific looking coffe table.. Great work! 

Kaleb


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

bramclean said:


> I love the Walnut table.. You didnt seem to have too much trouble as you said as it look great!


thanks! it is turning out good in the end, but i was starting to have some doubts. the underside looks kind of like an abortion because i never planned how to mount the drawer slides so i had to L bracket some plywood in there so i would have something to mount to. also if i would have drawn it out my shop time could have been more efficient :shifty:


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## Knot Home (Feb 14, 2008)

*Finish*

Nice work, but your shop is way too clean!

Wipe on stain with a rag (old T-shirts work well). Personally, I don't stain walnut, it's dark enough just with clear finish, and I really like to see the grain in it. 

I also like to use wipe-on polyurethane for the final finish. It goes on in very thin coats and leaves a perfect finish that is also quite durable. It's easy to use (darned near fool-proof) and dries quickly between coats (2 to 3 hours). Build up about 6 coats or so (more on the top). Use the fine 3M pads in between coats. :thumbsup:


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## drcollins804 (Jan 11, 2008)

I personally would also use the wipe on poly. Here are a few walnut shadow boxes I used it on. I didn't do as many coats as I would for a table but still love the look of walnut. Hate to think about adding additional stain.

























David


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

drcollins804 said:


> I personally would also use the wipe on poly. Here are a few walnut shadow boxes I used it on. I didn't do as many coats as I would for a table but still love the look of walnut. _Hate to think about adding additional stain_.
> David


that's what everyone at work keeps telling me... as if i am sinning by adding stain :laughing: i see it as you are enhancing the natural beauty of the wood. i will still see the grain. they are acting like im painting it or something. i really like the look of walnut just with a clear but the stain i picked is going to look great.... Thanks i am going to go with poly which is also pissing off a guy i work with. he was suggesting i lacquer it, i guess he is just annoyed that i asked his advice and then never took it :shifty: how does the poly compare to lacquer?


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## kalebhjones (Jan 13, 2009)

Nice Dr Collins, I love the squirrels there. Very nice work


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## djonesax (Mar 3, 2008)

I prefer lacquer over poly. It has a less plasticy look to me. Poly is still nice I just prefer lacquer and lacquer dries faster so I get less problems with dust in the finish.

Also about the stain. I stained some walnut last week as a test and it made it look nice. I think the key is not to change the color but to enhance the color. I would not want to make walnut black or something like that. But I think adding a little bit of something to slightly change the shade or make the grain pop is not bad. For instance, I tried, Dark walnut danish oil and water based american walnut over top of walnut. It just made the shade a little darker and looked nice. I also tried a couple coats of black transtint dye, it made the walnut darker and really brough out the grain. Even with all that said I would personaly would probably go with a cheaper wood though if i was intending on staining.


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

thanks everyone :thumbsup: i think i am going to go with lacquer i did some test pieces and the lacquer held up to everything i could throw at it  boiling water, hot pot straight off the stove, hot coffee cups stuff like that. the poly not so much.... the hot water took the finish right off, all the way down to the stain :blink:


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## John Minnick (Jul 31, 2007)

I really like this design. I have been looking all over for a set of plans but haven't found anything close. Would you be willing to share the measurements for the design?

Thanks,
John


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## granimal (Jan 26, 2009)

That table looks fantastic. Great job!

I am currently building my first big project and am also using walnut. I have been battling the stain question too. I would really like to see a finished picture of your table.


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## 42Hickorysouth (Nov 24, 2008)

Nicely done!!! It looks very heavy, and will last many life times.


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

:whistling2: hopefully i will finish it this weekend then ill take some measurements and stuff and some more pics. i have done about 200 samples for stain until the wife finally decided on one :laughing: it is going to be just a tint darker, i diluted the stain with 3 parts methyl hydrate to get the shade she liked.


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

42Hickorysouth said:


> Nicely done!!! It looks very heavy, and will last many life times.


 thanks... i thought it would be heavy but its pretty light ... seems like walnut is a lot lighter than maple ?


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

so i finally got around to finishing the table. takes a long time when you only get a couple hours at a time to work on it :yes: im pretty happy with how it turned out. just wish i hadent glued it all together before i stained and lacquered it. it would have made thing a lot easier :wallbash: the lower level is quiet haze from over spray but other than that its pretty good.


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

heres a few more


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## AZ Termite (Dec 20, 2008)

The finished product turned out real nice. Good job


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

I finally got around to making the matching end table :thumbsup: kept it pretty simple no drawers or anything. sorry to anyone who was asking about dimensions i forgot to measure it and post them up :blink: if you still want the measurements i can get them, if you are still interested


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## Eusibius2 (Jan 6, 2010)

Chris - looks as good as the firs! Great job


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## Itchy Brother (Aug 22, 2008)

Very nice,One day if I live long enough I'll try my hand at furniture.Itchy


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