Project Information
I've been on LJ's for a while and have yet to use this "My Projects" deal… so bear with me. Someone requested that I put up some of the build pictures for this table. I apologize that there aren't many build photos as I wasn't planning on sharing this.
I ran across a Paul Sellers coffee table build a while back about the same time that I got a bunch of reclaimed oak and beach from an in-laws cabin in West Virginia. The cabin was built in early 19-who-knows-when and most of the wood I got was 3-4" thick rafters all about 10' long. Absolutely none of it was square. Heavy twist and cupping as well as some very old powderpost beetle damage. But I live in Texas and we don't ever just luck into that much solid oak… so what to do with it? I don't own a power jointer/planer so I started squaring it up by hand (which is normal for me and I'm one of the weirdos that enjoys that).
About a week into the planing process, I got a little nostalgic thinking about how people worked wood in the good ol days and decided I would build a coffee table (which the wife had requested) without the use of any power tools. I enjoy hand tool work, but own a respectable amount of powered tools that get used often. I am not a neanderthal purist or anything, this just sounded like a fun challenge. I know I can build a piece of "fine furniture" with all my regular tools, but this would be the first large piece attempted with only muscle power.
I liked the basic design of the table Sellers had made, but if I wasn't going to use the table saw or router, I was going to cut joinery that I enjoy. The tusked through tenon's kinda throw you out of whack if you try and classify the style of the piece but I really like the engineering of that joint as well as the aesthetics. If it bothers you, sorry, not sorry
The last photo is a prototype table that I built out of SPF 2×4's from big box. I wanted a dry run to proof out all the joinery, dimensions and design. You'll notice a few small differences but I kept most of it. The tusked tenon is gigantic on that prototype table as I have never cut that in soft wood and didn't want it to split when I drove the tusk in. If you design your own furniture and don't make prototypes, you should. I almost always end up slapping some finish on them and selling/gifting them.
Anyway, that's my Hand Tool Challenge (which I don't think is a thing but maybe we should make it one?) build. It took approximately 400% longer to not use any electrons but I have to say that - despite how cheesy it may sound - I have a much deeper connection/pride with this piece of furniture than I think I have to any other.
I ran across a Paul Sellers coffee table build a while back about the same time that I got a bunch of reclaimed oak and beach from an in-laws cabin in West Virginia. The cabin was built in early 19-who-knows-when and most of the wood I got was 3-4" thick rafters all about 10' long. Absolutely none of it was square. Heavy twist and cupping as well as some very old powderpost beetle damage. But I live in Texas and we don't ever just luck into that much solid oak… so what to do with it? I don't own a power jointer/planer so I started squaring it up by hand (which is normal for me and I'm one of the weirdos that enjoys that).
About a week into the planing process, I got a little nostalgic thinking about how people worked wood in the good ol days and decided I would build a coffee table (which the wife had requested) without the use of any power tools. I enjoy hand tool work, but own a respectable amount of powered tools that get used often. I am not a neanderthal purist or anything, this just sounded like a fun challenge. I know I can build a piece of "fine furniture" with all my regular tools, but this would be the first large piece attempted with only muscle power.
I liked the basic design of the table Sellers had made, but if I wasn't going to use the table saw or router, I was going to cut joinery that I enjoy. The tusked through tenon's kinda throw you out of whack if you try and classify the style of the piece but I really like the engineering of that joint as well as the aesthetics. If it bothers you, sorry, not sorry
The last photo is a prototype table that I built out of SPF 2×4's from big box. I wanted a dry run to proof out all the joinery, dimensions and design. You'll notice a few small differences but I kept most of it. The tusked tenon is gigantic on that prototype table as I have never cut that in soft wood and didn't want it to split when I drove the tusk in. If you design your own furniture and don't make prototypes, you should. I almost always end up slapping some finish on them and selling/gifting them.
Anyway, that's my Hand Tool Challenge (which I don't think is a thing but maybe we should make it one?) build. It took approximately 400% longer to not use any electrons but I have to say that - despite how cheesy it may sound - I have a much deeper connection/pride with this piece of furniture than I think I have to any other.