First Project - Walnut Coffee Table - With Questions

[Glencroft]

I've been reading these forums and various articles by the wood whisperer over the past few weeks as guidance for my first furniture project.  I figured I would sign up for an account and share my progress to get some feedback.  I also have some questions as I try to figure out the final assembly of the coffee table.  I would appreciate any advice!

 

The piece is a coffee table made of solid walnut, about 1.75" thick.  My fiancé and I really like furniture with a more simple, contemporary look, rather than the traditional look.  We found a picture of a table we really liked, and I tried to recreate it.  I definitely have to admit furniture making is much more of a process than it appears, and I've learned a ton throughout the project.  However, I've come to really enjoy it and am happy with the progress so far.  Throughout the project I've learned there were a few flaws in my design and execution so far, but hopefully nothing that will cause it to be a non-functional piece of furniture.  If it all works out in the end, I'll definitely be looking to start some more furniture projects and invest in some more tools.

 

My current progress is that I'm working on the final sanding at the moment, after which I'm planning on assembling the legs.  Then I'm planning on finishing the table with a few coats of Waterlox medium sheen, followed by coat of Waterlox original Satin Finish to reduce the glossiness.

 

The part I was hoping people could provide some guidance on is the assembly of the legs.  My original plan was to do a butt joint with dowels in between the table top and legs, and also screw two or three wood blocks to the underside corner of the tabletop and legs where they would not be very visible.  My concern is that if I simply screw the blocks in to the table top, that this would not allow the wood to move free with the change in seasons.  I'm also not sure if running dowels across the entire width of the table could prevent the wood from moving freely.  Are my concerns valid, and does anyone have any alternative suggestions?  I'm having trouble finding alternative jointing methods that would also be strong enough to keep the table together.  Unfortunately I do not have any saws other than a circular saw, so I would prefer a method that does not require complicated tools.  If there is no way around it, I can probably find someone with better tools to help me.

 

One other question.  Overall the glue-up went really well, with the exception of a few spots where it is a bit more uneven.  I've been going at it with 80 grit sandpaper on my random orbital, but it doesn't seem to be bringing it down much.  Would it be risky to use 40 grit sandpaper?  I don't want to put scratches in it that are difficult to get out, and would rather live with a few spots that are a bit more uneven.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

 

On a side note, I hope my lack of experience doesn't frustrate people on the forum.  As I've worked through this project over the past few weeks, I've come to realize the design lacks a lot of the fundamental construction techniques that quality furniture has, which may frustrate people on a fine woodworking forum.  I also was probably somewhat stupid when I decided to create my first project with rather expensive, solid walnut.  However, we love the look of walnut and realized we would likely have to pay well over $1K for an equivalent coffee table, so I guess we threw ourselves into the works with this project hoping it would work out.  It was definitely somewhat stupid in retrospect, but I'm still hoping the table will turn out to be a great looking piece that will last for years.  There's no going back now, which is why I was hoping to get some advice on the final stages to make sure it can turn out as good as possible.  Thanks!

 

 

[wdwerker]

If you use a coarse grit to grind faster you need to use all the intermediate grits to remove the scratches. 40 , 60 , 80, 100 , 120, 150, 180, 220 then you are ready to glue up, or stain and finish.

Flatness of the surfaces and 90 degree perfect ends leads to quality joints. A keen eye and increasing skill result from practice and better tools.

Your table looks pretty good for the equipment you were using !

[wtnhighlander]

I'm thinking the dowels might be strong enough, if you use plenty. Wood movement shouldn't be a big concern, since all the grain runs the same direction. If doweled joints alone don't feel strong enough to you, a block or 'cleat' hidden underneath and screwed in to both the top and leg should add a lot of support. You might consider a single apron ( probably the wrong term in this case), centered under the top and attached to the top and legs. That should remain fairly well hidden, but create sort of a truss structure that would be really strong.

[..Kev]

I'm thinking the dowels might be strong enough, if you use plenty. Wood movement shouldn't be a big concern, since all the grain runs the same direction. If doweled joints alone don't feel strong enough to you, a block or 'cleat' hidden underneath and screwed in to both the top and leg should add a lot of support. You might consider a single apron ( probably the wrong term in this case), centered under the top and attached to the top and legs. That should remain fairly well hidden, but create sort of a truss structure that would be really strong.

 

Aprons would be a great idea!  If the look is a concern, perhaps moving them towards the middle would help.

[wtnhighlander]

I forgot to mention that I love the looks of your design. Clean and simple, it really emphasizes the beauty of the wood. And walnut is awesome!

[Eric.]

On a side note, I hope my lack of experience doesn't frustrate people on the forum.  As I've worked through this project over the past few weeks, I've come to realize the design lacks a lot of the fundamental construction techniques that quality furniture has, which may frustrate people on a fine woodworking forum.

 

You'll find this attitude on other woodworking forums, but not this one.  Beginners are welcome here and we're happy to help.  We were all beginners at one time and everyone has to start somewhere.  Besides, without newbie questions we'd run out of stuff to talk about.    So welcome aboard.

 

Dowels were good enough for James Krenov, so they're good enough for me.  Most of the time, however, I think there are "better" joints to use.  In this case, I think through dovetails would be best.  That may or may not be something you want to tackle.  You'd have to practice on some test boards for a while, obviously...but all in all, dovetails are not as difficult as they appear at first sight, nor as difficult as people in the non-woodworking world think they are.  With a solid understanding of the joint and some practice, they are quite doable.  But they do require practice.

 

The problem with your design is that there is nothing to prevent racking.  Krenov used dowels in casework, but in those cases there is a back panel in the carcass to help keep it square.  If you had some kind of stretcher, or aprons, as mentioned above, dowels would be perfectly adequate.  That's why I think the interlocking and self-squaring nature of dovetails would be the strongest joint for your specific design.  Without some additional reinforcement, I fear that you will have racking issues eventually, if not right away.

 

For your surface prep troubles, you may want to try using a card scraper, #80 cabinet scraper, or a #4 hand plane to do your initial smoothing.  I'll assume you bought S3S lumber, which, unless it was sanded at the mill will be quite rough...even 80 grit paper will take forever to remove those mill marks.  Dropping down to 40 or 60 then working your way back up through the grits will work, but using a scraper or smoother will do the same job much faster with far less dust.

[Beechwood Chip]

I love the look of the design, but I'm afraid that it will fold up under weight, no matter what kind of joinery you use.  If there are no kids, and people are careful with it, it'll be fine.  But I'd want to reinforce those joints with a bracket of some sort. 

 

Maybe a steel L-bracket mortised into the wood?  In the center of the table it would be nearly invisible.

[Guest]

Your sanding grit also depends on the sander.  80 grit on a orbital sander is a different animal that 80 grit on a belt sander.  Yes they are technically the same grit but you will remove a lot of stock a whole lot faster with a belt sander.  I used a belt sander on all my early panels and sometimes I still do to this day, even thought it is not a fashionable thing to do around the woodworking intelligentsia.   Its fast and it works!

[Janello]

This is purely just a suggestion, so take it with a grain of salt. If that were my project I would add a stretcher in the center (through mortise) and use dowels as suggested. But....I'd also drill and add cut nails from the top into the leg for ascetics. It's already got a rustic look, and with your skill level that is all doable. Really nice walnut by the way! I think it's awesome you went for it with quality lumber and you should not regret using it.

[woodieboy]

It looks simple but it's a very neat job. The walnut is nice wood and it appears to be sturdy and would serve you well. 

[Glencroft]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm glad others don't have the same concern as me about the wood movement and this design.  

 

I never really considered adding a stretcher, and I actually think that would look good, especially since  it would conceal the entertain. I also realize adding aprons would do a lot for the sturdiness. The problem with both those ideas is I bought all the remaining walnut from the store I purchased it, and it currently is all from the same tree. I don't think they have restocked yet. I could wait, but the store owner warned me the next batch could have a much different grain pattern or color, which is more common with walnut.

 

I'm thinking I'll try to assemble it piecemeal and assess the sturdyness as I go. I just did 6 dowels per leg last night, which held the legs to the top quite strongly, although they were fairly wobbly. Next I think I'll use a few scrap blocks of walnut on the inner corners, and bolt them into the legs and table top using a tap and die set. I have a feeling they will be strong after that, but if not I have a long narrow board left over which I could try the single "apron" down the middle of the table. We've also considered  a bottom shelf, but have the same dilemma with not have enough left over wood.

 

I ended up using 40 grit on the underside of the table for a test run. It definitely smoothed it out quicker, but I still couldn't get it perfect. I sanded up to 300 grit gradually and haven't been able to find any scratches or waviness, so hopefully it will look good enough finished. I may buy a scraper or hand plane to try to get the top a bit smoother, but haven't decided for sure yet. It's hard to have the patience not to rush through the end so that you can have a finished table. It feels so close!