Function over Form Coffee Table

I’m seeing that as I worked, I was receiving advice that I should have applied. Maybe I’ll have to repost this table in a year and see if it’s still holding up!

I made our dining room table pretty much the same way 5 years ago:

Now anyone with a lick of woodworking ability could point out all kinds of little flaws with this dining room table, but we are still eating Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners from it, and it’s holding up fine, even if imperfect.

For whatever reason, it reminded me that I did attempt some woodworking 15 years ago. I made this ridiculous chair, bought cushions for it, and insisted it be in our living room:

Could be why my first wife asked for the divorce!

-- "What do you mean, 'Give me some wild cherry gall?' What do you think, this stuff grows on trees or something?"

So, not so new as you say. That old table and yes, the chair too, look pretty good.
Question, did you glue the edges together? Was the wood so straight from Lowes that it fit tight? If you did glue the edges, how did you clamp it? You got clamps?
Pretty good job hiding those screws and blending in the edges. Good idea on using the old base. Now that 110-dollar expense looks pretty good. You’d pay more than that for a nice table like that, plus, like you say, you have a lot of leftovers for clocks.
She should love it and your effort.

-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.

Nice little table! I love the look of that maple. I must admit though, what really caught my eye are the floors in your house. They are absolutely beautiful!

-- Jerry H - Holland Michigan

Did well Van, and finished ahead of schedule.

For fillers, minwax makes a number of fillers, oil base, which can be mixed to blend in the color if the wood and stain you are working with. I have used it in the past filling after the first coat finish. It is stainable at least they say.

-- Eric, building the dream

Hey Jerry… thanks! The floors looked even better three years back when I refinished them, but that entry way take a beating!

Nice little table! I love the look of that maple. I must admit though, what really caught my eye are the floors in your house. They are absolutely beautiful!

- Thedustydutchman

-- "What do you mean, 'Give me some wild cherry gall?' What do you think, this stuff grows on trees or something?"

Thanks, Eric!

Did well Van, and finished ahead of schedule.

For fillers, minwax makes a number of fillers, oil base, which can be mixed to blend in the color if the wood and stain you are working with. I have used it in the past filling after the first coat finish. It is stainable at least they say.

- Eric

Did well Van, and finished ahead of schedule.

For fillers, minwax makes a number of fillers, oil base, which can be mixed to blend in the color if the wood and stain you are working with. I have used it in the past filling after the first coat finish. It is stainable at least they say.

- Eric

Did well Van, and finished ahead of schedule.

For fillers, minwax makes a number of fillers, oil base, which can be mixed to blend in the color if the wood and stain you are working with. I have used it in the past filling after the first coat finish. It is stainable at least they say.

- Eric

-- "What do you mean, 'Give me some wild cherry gall?' What do you think, this stuff grows on trees or something?"

i gotta agree with your wife on that glass table ! yours is much better,that ambrosia maple is beautiful.

-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

Nice work on retrofitting that table. Ir looks great.

-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com

It is beautiful wood!

i gotta agree with your wife on that glass table ! yours is much better,that ambrosia maple is beautiful.

- pottz

-- "What do you mean, 'Give me some wild cherry gall?' What do you think, this stuff grows on trees or something?"

Thanks, Swirt!

Nice work on retrofitting that table. Ir looks great.

- swirt

-- "What do you mean, 'Give me some wild cherry gall?' What do you think, this stuff grows on trees or something?"

Yeah, way back a long time ago, I did a few woodworking projects. The edges do have some glue, but they came pretty darn straight right from Lowes. I do have some clamps… just trigger clamps or C clamps.

She flies home tomorrow night… can’t wait for her to see the table.

So, not so new as you say. That old table and yes, the chair too, look pretty good. Question, did you glue the edges together? Was the wood so straight from Lowes that it fit tight? If you did glue the edges, how did you clamp it? You got clamps? Pretty good job hiding those screws and blending in the edges. Good idea on using the old base. Now that 110-dollar expense looks pretty good. You d pay more than that for a nice table like that, plus, like you say, you have a lot of leftovers for clocks. She should love it and your effort.

- mtnwild

-- "What do you mean, 'Give me some wild cherry gall?' What do you think, this stuff grows on trees or something?"

That looks very nice to me. I gotta side with your wife though, I hate glass tables. Even your ex wife must have not liked it. Lol. Good woodworking!

-- Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might

Well, my ex wife didn’t like much of anything… certainly not me! My current wife (because I collect them) will walk through the door to a very happy surprise when she sees the new table.

Thanks for looking!

That looks very nice to me. I gotta side with your wife though, I hate glass tables. Even your ex wife must have not liked it. Lol. Good woodworking!

- JCamp

-- "What do you mean, 'Give me some wild cherry gall?' What do you think, this stuff grows on trees or something?"

I like the top – not too sure about the base

-- Dick, Malvern Ohio - my biggest fear is that when I die, my wife sells my toys for what I told her I paid for them

Nice table.

I hate glass tables. Can’t stand the noise – the clatter every time you put down something hard – like a coffee mug or glass or whatever.

-- I intended to be a woodworker, but turned into a tool and lumber collector.