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A small conference table - the build

42093 Views 29 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  sbryan55
8
Preparing the boards

From my blog:

Now I start the full-size conference table for a client. This table will be 2X the size of this one I shared here, and submitted to the Winter 2009 Woodworking Awards:



But I will change the edge treatment as follows:



I want to be able do preliminary grain matching, before cutting the boards closer to size. Since at this stage I am not flattening the boards, the #3 is perfect and fast for the job:



Rough boards are not perfectly flat, so my planing stop did not do its job. Time to bring out something more substantial - the Gramercy holdfast - one good WHACK!, and I can resume planing:



Cleaned up, so I could use the floor to match the boards before cutting them to length plus about 6 inches:



Now I can better match the boards, and decide where to cut them:



Once cut, I use the power jointer and planer to make these perfectly flat. The edges needed a little tweaking, so I used the "other" jointer, to create a little "spring" in the joint, to minimize the risk of gaps developing near the ends of the table; the boards in the clamps are already done, and the surface between them is perfectly flat; but I still must do the third and fourth boards:



At the end of the day I had to peek at the grain on one of the boards for the aprons:



The build continues… Thanks for following along!

Al
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The top is ready for sanding



From my blog:

Whew!

Today was time to glue up the two halves of the table top. I trimmed each of the two halves on the table saw, using the crosscut sled. Leaving each half slightly over final length, I tackled the glue-up. Sandy came to the shop to lend a hand, as I did not want clamps moving and lumber falling to the floor.

Three hours late I removed the clamps, scraped the dry glue, and completed preparations for sanding tomorrow. I will drop off this panel at my friend's shop, and will wait for his call. He requested I write down final thickness, width, and length. I may not be able to share you this part of the job - but I hope to snap some photos of his shop.

Next: I will start milling the walnut legs, in preparation for glue-up; the legs will be 3 inches square, so I must mill two halves, and glue them to prepare the legs for final milling prior to machining the mortises on the FMT. I also have to mill some 4/4 (1-inch, rough) quarter-sawn white oak (QSWO), for the aprons; then to the FMT to machine the tenons.

I purchased gorgeous walnut and QSWO at Simpson & Sons, a large saw mill just South of town. The people at the mill go out of their way to help customers dropping in to buy one board, or a full truck load. Simpson has "… in stock walnut, maple, white oak, red oak, hickory, hackberry, red elm, and ash, and gun and rifle stock blanks. From 4/4 to 8/4 we have all your furniture grade needs. Planing is available on request. Stock lists and price lists are available by fax…"
Lookin' GREAT.
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