| Project by CharlesA | posted 03-12-2016 01:30 PM | 5126 views | 7 times favorited | 15 comments |  |
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This is my first mid-century modern piece, largely from the Mid-Century Modern Furniture by Michael Crow. The legs are quartersawn walnut from my local sawmill. The stretchers and top are made from wall panels from a courtroom that my brother-in-law bought in an auction. I got 30 77×10.5” boards. He’s a mid-century modern fan, so this is my payback.
Here is the original Finn Juhl:
I followed the plan other than the legs. In the book, Crow redesigns the legs from their original turned style. I re-did them by making them from solid walnut instead of gluing two pieces together into an L shape as Crow did. I like the way the legs ended up, but I spend a fair amount of time shaping them (the longest process in the build). I used the jointer (similar to tapered legs technique), bandsaw, microplane rasp, rasp, and sandpaper
The top sits on 6 pieces of brass rod. I cut them with the metal blade on my Bosch jig saw and then filed a chamfer on the ends.
I used a circular saw (with a very nice Freud thin kerf blade) and a guide to cut the 18.5° bevel on the edges.
I finished it by first using garnet shellac to give it the rich color and then spraying it with General Finishes High Performance poly. I’m becoming a convert to sprayed finishes.
Thanks for looking.
-- "Man is the only animal which devours his own, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." ~Thomas Jefferson
15 comments so far
SuperCubber
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#1 posted 03-12-2016 01:38 PM
Gorgeous table, Charles. Good idea with the brass rods.
-- Joe | Spartanburg, SC | "To give anything less than your best is to sacrafice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine
CharlesA
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#2 posted 03-12-2016 02:38 PM
Thanks, Joe.
-- "Man is the only animal which devours his own, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." ~Thomas Jefferson
a1Jim
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#3 posted 03-12-2016 02:52 PM
Fantastic looking table Charles
Handtooler
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#4 posted 03-12-2016 02:56 PM
Extremely beautifully crafted and finishes. You are a real artisan. I thoroughly enjoy anything from walnut or pecan, but the design is certainly not of my favorite styling. Much prefer late 1800’s early 1900’s.
-- Russell Pitner Hixson, TN 37343 [email protected]
CharlesA
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#5 posted 03-12-2016 02:58 PM
Russell,
I’m not and cold on Mid-Century Modern, but I really like this table now that it’s done.
-- "Man is the only animal which devours his own, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." ~Thomas Jefferson
kaerlighedsbamsen
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#6 posted 03-12-2016 03:02 PM
Superb table you made there. An instant favorite!
Love MCM and this nails a lot of the tings that make a great looking mcm table – especially the floating top, the shaped legs and brass rods
Looking forward to see more stuff made from that nice courtroom valnut!
-- "Do or Do not. There is no try." - Yoda
helluvawreck
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#7 posted 03-12-2016 03:16 PM
This table is so nicely done.
helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
tyvekboy
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#8 posted 03-12-2016 03:35 PM
Beautiful table.
-- Tyvekboy -- Marietta, GA ………….. one can never be too organized
Snipes
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#9 posted 03-12-2016 04:39 PM
nice work charles! do you have any close ups of how the top is attached?
-- if it is to be it is up to me
CharlesA
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#10 posted 03-12-2016 04:51 PM
If you look in the fifth picture (of the six at the top), you’ll see a 1/4” hole drilled 1/2” deep. There are six such holes in the stretchers and identical holes in the top. Brass rods are inserted in the holes. That’s it. Here’s a pic from head-on.
-- "Man is the only animal which devours his own, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." ~Thomas Jefferson
BB1
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#11 posted 03-12-2016 05:38 PM
Wow. Love the floating top. Wood and the finish is just beautiful. Thanks for sharing the details. I am thinking that a floating top may just need to be part of one of my future projects.
theoldfart
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#12 posted 03-12-2016 05:55 PM
Nicely done. Elegant in an understated way. Excellent craftsmanship Charles.
-- "With every tool obtained, there is another that is needed" DonW ( Kevin )
pottz
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#13 posted 03-12-2016 08:52 PM
that table is absolutely gorgeous,i love how you did the top with the pins,makes the top appear to levitate over the base.wood and finish just beautiful.
-- sawdust the bigger the pile the bigger my smile-larry,so cal.
Alexey Khasyanov
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#14 posted 03-13-2016 09:44 PM
I love this. Masterpiece.
-- @alexey_Khasyanov
Snipes
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#15 posted 03-14-2016 04:11 PM
Thanks for the feedback, yep that’s a cool table.
-- if it is to be it is up to me
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