Doug has created a really enjoyable series of articles for building a project to fit a specific need. In this last installment, Doug completes the table top and attaches it to the base.
THE TABLE TOP
With the legs completed, I switched to working on the top. I started by gluing up three pieces of 4/4 (13/16”) stock so it was big enough to get a 24” diameter circle out of it, see Fig. 33.
Fig. 33
Note to you “Eagle Eyes:” Yes that is another leg being glued up in the background of this photo (Fig. 33). I figured as long as I had everything all set up I would build an end table for the family room as well.
Once the glue dried on the top, I used a belt sander, hand plane, and random orbit sander to get both sides flat.
Next, I mounted my circle cutting jig (from Woodsmith No. 51) onto my band saw, see Fig. 34. (Yes, I know, that’s an old-school band saw! Once again it is an original. It was the first band saw owned by Woodsmith magazine. I bought it from the company at an auction. So it has some historical value, but I love it! I can switch blades on and off this saw and readjust it about ten times faster than most of the modern band saws.)
Fig. 34
Then I drilled a small hole in the bottom of the top blank to fit over the pivot point on the jig and cut the circle about 1/8” oversize, see Fig. 35. I cut it oversize knowing that the band saw would leave a rough cut. Then I trimmed it up with a router and router trammel, see Fig. 36.
Fig. 35
Fig. 36
Then I rounded over the top and bottom edges with a 1/8” roundover bit in the router, see Fig. 37.
Fig. 37
After final sanding, I signed and dated the bottom of the table top, and applied four coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Oil & Urethane Topcoat to both sides of the top, see Fig. 38. (Note: I always sign, date, and write down the location where I built all of my projects. Hopefully, my great-grandchildren will appreciate it some day. Okay, that’s assuming I have great-grandchildren!)
Fig. 38
I topped the finish off with a coat of Briwax paste wax, rubbing with #0000 steel wool, see Fig. 39. After it dried, I buffed it with a soft cloth.
Fig. 39
The last step was to locate and screw the leg assembly onto the bottom of the table top. I positioned the leg assembly and measured it until each leg was equidistant from the edge and then marked the hole positions with an awl. Finally, I drilled small pilot holes and then screwed each leg down with a flathead woodscrew, see Fig. 40.
Fig. 40
COMPLETED!
Fig. 41 below shows the end table in place in our house. It’s remarkably close in appearance to the original photo of the cardboard prototype! About the only thing I might change is the thickness of the table top. Since I used 4/4 stock, it ended up just about ¾” thick. It might look a little better if I had used 5/4 or even 6/4 stock.
Fig. 41
Cathy decided to display some of her glass collection on the table, see Fig. 42. (Hmmm, it leaves less room for my lemonade!) There is one problem though. If we don’t move the glass collection occasionally, it will leave marks on the cherry that haven’t started to darken. You can see a square light spot in Fig. 43. (This would be really prominent if it was a doily!) But I’m not too worried. With the glass removed, this square will “catch-up” in darkness to the rest of the table before too long.
Fig. 42
Fig. 43
One final thought. If you’re wondering whether I have drawings with measurements available for this project, the answer is “not at this time.” Terry Strohman, the editor of Woodsmith magazine has shown some interest in maybe using it sometime in the future. But until that time, get out some cardboard and make your own prototype to fit your needs.