Comments on: 40 – End Table (Pt. 4)

By: Heath

Heath — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:40:53 +0000

Trying to get caught up on the videos (starting from beginning) and just watched this one. I know it’s all history now and I’m anxious to see how this table progresses, but I just wanted to chime in agreement that the legs look much better “upside down.” As you were building the legs, the design just didn’t jive with me. I think maybe it is that the feet curve in too far at the bottom, or maybe it looks top heavy. But as soon as you stood up the legs “upside down”, my thought was “now THAT is nice!” It looked much more balanced and stable and I could better envision a table top for it whereas that was difficult for me before. But regardless, this is a great project, I’m learning a lot, and I can’t wait to see the finished table as I catch up with the videos.

By: thewoodwhisperer

thewoodwhisperer — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:51:00 +0000

The clamps are just a bit of an insurance policy. I can certainly see why some folks wouldn’t use them. There really weren’t any gaps to speak of but clamping just makes me feel better. :)

By: Dave Brewer

Dave Brewer — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 01:55:25 +0000

Hi Marc

Im not sure I understand the need to clamp the legs on. From what I could tell the dovetail joints were pretty tight. Im sure you had a better view from where you were at but did you gain any gap closure if any at all when you applied the clamps?

Just curious

Dave

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:58:34 +0000

Hi again,
I thought it would be cool if you had a glass piece that would fit the table both upside down as well as right side up. It looked neat when you had it the other way.

Also, I thought that if you made a round wood top with a round hole in the center to show off the dove-tail center, and put glass in the center; that would be cool too.

Just ideas, I hope you like them.

ML, Tom L

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:48:07 +0000

just one thing. I noticed that you have the usual problem with black pencil and dark wood.
Me too!

My wife pointed out to me and then got me a white pencil from a store that sells cloth/sewing supplies. It works great on dark wood. makes a fine line like a black pencil so works great.

By: Pitou

Pitou — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:55:08 +0000

First of all, very nice project, extremely inspiring. Excellent website that I’ve just discovered with truly outstanding videos.

Now for the table top idea, may I suggest a complex but “light” design that should complement the legs : instead of doing a recess to get the top glass flat on it (this will actually magnify the end grains of your leg), you could slice a groove in each leg (but one) and insert the glass top in this groove (and of course round a bit the top of the legs).
Nos in order to do that, you need the last leg (with no groove) to be flush to the bottom of your table top. Finally you can bring back the missing piece of the last leg with a nice slideable dovetail.
It may sound complex but the table top will finally look like a diamond in a ring : hold by 4 small hooks.

Again, thanks a lot for sharing your remarkable work and enthusiasm !

By: Mike Altobello

Mike Altobello — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:26:19 +0000

jumping in late as I finally got caught up with the episode. I don’t think I’ve seen this suggested…how about a wooden donut? a round top with a hole in the center. This would be a lot like the inset glass idea, but without the glass, you could do a nicer edge treatment on the inside and outside faces. You’d also leave the joinery exposed…and I just think it would look cool. You’d have a much wider wood surface than what’s been suggested for the glass to sit in.

By: ORI

ORI — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 08:20:59 +0000

Hey Marc

Beautiful piece and very pleasant to watch. If it were my tabe to build I would now go for a top made of a ring routed from high quality ply, maybe 1.25 inch thick, with some scroll work patern routed along the top of the ring and a round plate of very lightly tinted glass, maybe amber or blonde, tempered of course, set into the middle of the ring. I would make the width of the ring about 1/7 of the total diameter for a clasic proportion, and make the scrol work about one third to one half of the width of the ring, set in its middle, using some writing maybe in japanese or even elven tongue (you can find those in
Tolkien fan sites) they both look strange but familiar at the same time to most eyes, and I like that efect. I yould leave the scroll empty for lightness. Or maybe a repeating geometric representation of plantlife like those used by Frank Lloyd Right in his early glass windows.

By: Ken Fayette

Ken Fayette — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:42:41 +0000

How about having a double ring, one that gets attached on the frame and sits just below the glass, and a second larger outer ring (up higher) with an inset that supports the beveled glass, the two gets connected to each other with four contoured out riggers (dovetailed). This makes for a nice overhang and tall enough for a reading lamp.

By: Art Mulder

Art Mulder — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:10:48 +0000

No! No! No! I most strongly disagree with those people. It looks fine right-side up. Those stretchers are very heavy, and IMHO, would look weird down by the floor. Not to mention the slight upward thrust of the stretchers would now point down. Heck, then why not slap a bucket in the opening and call it a plant stand! ;-) ;-)

As for the glass top… I dunno. I also prefer wood over glass. It’s not easy to visualize though, I’d like to see some options.

But speaking realistically, Marc. Just WHO is going to admire that dovetail? Don’t let all these woodforums fool you. In the real world, WE are in the minority. WE are the weird ones who crawl under tables to look at joinery. The average person who visits your home wouldn’t care if it was joined with hidden pocket hole screws. They’re just going to admire the form, not the construction techniques.

Hmm, y’know I’m really mostly an easy going guy in person. Despite how this post appears. Interesting piece. I was kind of expecting you to take it to an Oscillating Spindle Sander to work on the curves.

…art