# Dining room table project



## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Here's a table I built for a lady in NYC.

The criteria: it has to look like the table in the catalog, but be made with heavy hardwood (no "cheap pine" or veneers). The wood can't be too pricey, must have some character. Red oak was the choice. The legs need to be solid, the top can't look flimsy. It needs to be easily knocked down, as she moves often. And, it needs to look rustic, yet refined. Then deliver it to Manhattan.

Other than that, I had free reign on the design. 

It's heavy, but a fun project :^)


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Nice table and well done. Sure doesn't look "flimsy". I like the pegged tenons.












 







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## pepe' b (Jan 26, 2009)

Nice job - I think you nailed it on the specs.


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## TGRANT (Jan 25, 2011)

Nothing like freedom of design from a client! Great job meeting all the specs and a very nice table. One comment. It looks like you have screws in runner of sorts that go with the grain along the side aprons. Are they free to move? If they are not free to move you might have problems with wood movement perpendicular to the grain as there will be restrained expansion and contraction with seasonal humidity changes.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

TGRANT said:


> Nothing like freedom of design from a client! Great job meeting all the specs and a very nice table. One comment. It looks like you have screws in runner of sorts that go with the grain along the side aprons. Are they free to move? If they are not free to move you might have problems with wood movement perpendicular to the grain as there will be restrained expansion and contraction with seasonal humidity changes.


The aprons that run parallel with the grain are screwed tightly. The aprons and cleats that run perpendicular to the grain are screwed solidly in the center, then the outboard screws are snug in slotted holes.


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## TGRANT (Jan 25, 2011)

Thanks - I was curious. So I it sounds like the short and long aprons are not connected to each other? That’s a clever solution to the wood movement problem. Again, very nice work.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Beautiful table. Well done.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Thanks all for the nice comments.

Trying to work within a customers requests is always challenging. The X legs pose their own mounting issues. The client wanted a 40x88.5"x1" thick solid wood top, and 2.5" aprons.

Weight would be an issue, figuring the moving often lifestyle. 2 things I wanted, weight saving and flexibility. So the aprons are 3/4" thick, glued to a 1"x3/4" runner. I set them back 4" from the side so they are inconvenient to use as handles. The short and long aprons are not connected, and they overlap by 5/16" guessing they will be flush in August. 

The legs are to sit on the floor, no glides or levelers. The top will flex enough to allow all 4 feet to sit solidly, even if one leg is on a 1/2" spacer. I hope these NY apartments don't have floors that are that uneven.


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## no1hustler (Nov 17, 2010)

Very nice!


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## Jason. (Jan 20, 2011)

Nice work, definitely looks like a sturdy table


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Here's a look at the underside, showing how I deal with seasonal wood movement. The screws in the center are tight, the ones in the slots are snug


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## IllPope (Feb 25, 2011)

Very nice design, it looks like you fit her description to the 't'! I too love the pegged tenons.
- Rich


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## hands made for wood (Nov 2, 2007)

I absolutely love the design! Well done, it looks fantastic!


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## mjdtexan (Dec 13, 2008)

Nice nice table. I am curious what method you used to mortise the X legs?


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Very nice design indeed. I like everything about it, especially the wedged tenons. Many refer to them as pegged but pegged tenons are a different joint. I love the wedged tenon joint even when knock-down isn't a criteria. Look forward to seeing it finished. 











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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

mjdtexan said:


> Nice nice table. I am curious what method you used to mortise the X legs?


I used a dado to notch each leg 1/2 way through. "Lincoln log joinery" :^)


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

TexasTimbers said:


> Very nice design indeed. I like everything about it, especially the wedged tenons. Many refer to them as pegged but pegged tenons are a different joint. I love the wedged tenon joint even when knock-down isn't a criteria. Look forward to seeing it finished.


Yes a pegged tenon is a different joint, and called in error. This particular joint is sometimes referred to as a "pegged tenon" which is a misconception of the difference between a peg and a wedge. Simply, a peg can be a dowel into a blind M&T into the tenon, finishing flush with the entry surface, showing when done, or could be a through dowel, showing from both sides. If a dowel is used instead of a wedge shape, what it could be called varies.

This particular joint treatment can be even more specifically called a "tusked mortise and tenon", very aptly described by phinds. News to me. And, there are many forms of wedged tenons as described here.












 







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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

I wasn't attempting a class on it though I believe I could from memory - I was just referring to the particular joint he used which no matter how one dances around it, is a wedged tenon. 
















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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Here's one of the benches that goes with the table.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Wow, that looks awesome. Great job on everything, from the design, to the execution. Fantastic job! Really well done.


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## RLFX (Feb 2, 2010)

So Nice !! Dude how many kids you have heheh..


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

RLFX said:


> So Nice !! Dude how many kids you have heheh..


This one is for a young couple, no kids yet.

For me, I have a bigger table, with leaves that opens to almost 12 feet. We have 4, ages 18-21, with significant others and friends it's not uncommon to feed a dozen or so.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Ok, been a while, but I'm nearing completion on this build. I lost 3 weeks trying to come up with the correct color. There couldn't be too much contrast in the grain. It had to be dark brown with auburn tones.

When your colorblind, this is nearly impossible, but I got it. The red oak was sanded with P100 grit, then one coat of minwax sedona red, followed by 2 coats of dark walnut. Then 3 coats of oil based poly.

The first 2 pics are from the catalog, that was what I needed to make. That was my design plans. The second two were previously posted. The last two are the agreed upon colors.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Some of the joinery...


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Brink, 

Very well put together, looks very sturdy and I like the joinery.

I'll be honest and say I'm not thrilled with the cross-buck design but that is just my opinion. I guess to me it looks too much like a picnic table I have. Could be the "rustic" you were looking for though.

Bret


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Lola Ranch said:


> Brink,
> 
> Very well put together, looks very sturdy and I like the joinery.
> 
> ...


Thanks, it's not my style, either. The lady I'm building it for loves it, and I enjoy the work.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Finally, it's beer o'clock!  

What a great day! Sunny warm, started working on tractors at 6:30, checked on a possible EV build after lunch, then worked on the table.

This is the home stretch. The legs, stretcher, and benches are done. The underside of the table is finished, including 3 coats of poly.

The top is sanded, and the base coat of red stain is on. Maybe tomorrow I can get the dark walnut stain on.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

First of maybe two coats of dark walnut are on. Now the grain is popping.


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## Chippin-in (Feb 4, 2010)

Awesome job. Top notch. 

I would like to make a new table for home. Ill keep that design in mind. Its gonna be a while tho.

Robert


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

I wanted to thank everyone who looked in.

I put the third coat of poly on yesterday. I just finished wet sanding and buffing out with synthetic steel wool. Looks like I'll nail the 5/22 delivery date. A couple of days to cure, then a final buffing to make the table feel like satin. 

I did have an issue with the finishing. To get the color, I really had to let the stain soak into the wood. When I put the first coat of poly on, I started to see small dark spots appearing...the color was oozing out of the pores and into the finish. Shoulda let the stain dry an extra day. Any way, I had to keep brushing out the finish to blend the spots until the finish started to stiffen up. Then wet sand the brush marks. It added about 4 hours, but turned out fine.

Once I clear the shop, I start a 4 poster bed...with NO hardware. I've got a sizable pile of rough cut red oak from FIL's farm and a new memory foam mattress.


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## dong (May 4, 2011)

It is pretty. I like that~ 


Brink said:


> Here's a table I built for a lady in NYC.
> 
> The criteria: it has to look like the table in the catalog, but be made with heavy hardwood (no "cheap pine" or veneers). The wood can't be too pricey, must have some character. Red oak was the choice. The legs need to be solid, the top can't look flimsy. It needs to be easily knocked down, as she moves often. And, it needs to look rustic, yet refined. Then deliver it to Manhattan.
> 
> ...


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

I just got the pics of the table. What a great project. 

The wife and I delivered it a couple weeks ago. As "Brink luck" would have it, we drove to the upper west side of Manhattan, got to the apartment building just as someone pulls out right in front of their door.  I had visions of carrying this almost 250 lb table top a couple of blocks.

As "Brink luck II" would have it, it was too big for the elevator  soooo, carry it up the stairs. Took a little doing to get it from the narrow hallway, through the narrow door, but got it in.


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## eigersa (Apr 17, 2011)

that really looks fantastic, i love working in oak, whether stained or natural, there's a warmth about oak i don't think you find in other timbers! i haven't read every post so sorry if i'm asking a previously answered question, but how did you laminate your top? just butt joints or f-joint or something?


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

eigersa said:


> that really looks fantastic, i love working in oak, whether stained or natural, there's a warmth about oak i don't think you find in other timbers! i haven't read every post so sorry if i'm asking a previously answered question, but how did you laminate your top? just butt joints or f-joint or something?


Thanks for looking, the top was jointed, then edge glued. After the glue up, it was flattened with hand planes.


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## JimRich (Jun 10, 2011)

Incredible Brink. I love all the joinery. Well done! :thumbsup:


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

JimRich said:


> Incredible Brink. I love all the joinery. Well done! :thumbsup:


Thanks, JR. For me, the joinery is the best part. Wish there were some dovetails in it.


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