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Coffee Table

5K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  CaptainSkully 
#1 ·
The Design, The Client, The Price.

So the mother-in-law needs a new coffee table! Well, really, she does; the old one is falling apart.

So her favorite son-in-law is stepping up to the plate. Requirements: Simple, beautiful, lower shelf.

Here's what I came up with:







It's looking like the materials will be about $150…and I'm thinking $100 for labor. Cheap, I know, but it's the in-laws, what can you do? LOL.

The dark wood you see on the top and feet are ebony inlays. The top is 4/4 Cherry. The bottom stretchers all have a slight arch. Difficult to see, but the legs taper up, and are off center.
 
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#2 ·
Looking good, but are you sure you want the top to be that thick? I went 3/4 with mine (http://lumberjocks.com/projects/30549) and tapered it at the edges to 3/8. Feels more than sturdy enough and honestly I wouldn't want the table any heavier. That said, the proportions of your Sketchup look good. If you make the top thinner you'd probably end up wanting to make the legs skinnier as well.

Final comment, instead of dropping the bottom shelf into a rabbet on all 4 sides, which honestly is a little tricky to do and have it look tight (been there doen that on my entertainment center), you might consider using a tenon that fits into the end rails. Sure it isn't as strong but as long as the table isn't that long it probably will be just fine. For reference my bottom shelf was 3/4 and without any support along the length it's doing just fine. This is hard wood we're talking about, not pine. :)
 
#4 ·
Will, thanks for the thoughtful comments.

Yes, I think 1" for the top. I also did 3/4 on a previous coffee table, and it felt just thick enough. 1" seems to me to be more "solid" for lack of a better term…and it's what the mother-in-law wants…so, to keep the peace….LOL

And thanks regarding supporting the bottom shelf….I'm going to have to figure out how to do that…...
 
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