Popular Post Denette Posted August 26, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 As is true of many of us here, I enjoy watching the projects over on Ishitani's YouTube channel. My wife and I want a new kitchen table, and Ishitani's "Kigumi Table" caught my eye. I helped out a friend of mine who has a furniture shop and gets behind on occasion, and requested to be paid in my favorite form of currency: slab. He gave me three 8/4 cherry slabs that had been air-drying for a couple of years. Two were in great condition, the third had a gnarly crack and was thin in spots. All three were from the same tree, and contained crotch figure. In my initial stages of planning, I knew that I would definitely need some dovetail keys, so I played around with where to place them. My first draft was downright silly. The finished project won't have nearly so many. I played around with the idea of flattening the slabs with my hand plane, but decided that the time had finally come to set up a router sled on my Roubo. I made it out of two 8' long 2x10s screwed into the meat of the workbench top. I had never actually surfaced the Roubo when I made it, so I started by doing that. The sled was grabby on occasion, so I used some paste wax to smooth out its movement. I started out by using a crappy ¾" bit from a big bundle set my grandpa had given me, but it was just chewing up the wood. Lots of ripping and tearing: So I bought a Whiteside surfacing bit on Amazon and it showed up about a week later. Of course, a reasonably intelligent person would have considered that a week is a long time for home center 2x10s to remain in the same dimension. I did not check to see if the rails for the router sled were still level, and ended up really messing up my top thickness as a result - I probably lost ¼" of thickness from my slabs as a result. They'll still be a hair over 1.5" thick when the project is finished, but that still upset me. After fixing my rails, it was time to put the new router bit to work. It did very, very well for me! Getting a little closer to realistic with the dovetail keys, though still overkill: I keep waffling over whether to keep or lose the 4" of width that includes those curves on the far side in the above image. In a perfect world, I would have wanted the table to be 36" wide. With the curves, it's about 34", and without them it would be 30" or so. That's about as narrow as a table needs to get. I really think it will look better without them, but I'm afraid that if I remove that material I'll find myself feeling like I'm playing footsie with everyone who dines across from me. My father-in-law lent me some Transtint deep red and some ebony dust to get my epoxy the right color. I've already sealed most of the cracks & gaps, but need to do a few more. Here's the biggest one: I stabilized the super-dark pithy part of the tabletop with Minwax Wood Hardener. It was my first time to use this product. My take: it does its job, but be sure to have a way to contain it to where you want it to be. Also, even with the hardener in place, the softer wood still sands faster, so don't mess yourself up and sand too long and create wavy spots in your table. I'm going to have a little leveling work to do before long... I created a little painter's tape dam to keep the wood hardener in place. Man, that stuff is insanely thin. Also, it will eat nitrile gloves, so there's that. At this point, I had to have a little mineral spirits preview of how the finish would look - partly to reassure myself that the wood hardener wouldn't mess with the look when a finish went on: Ohhhh yeah. The third slab got cut up into smaller pieces for the trestle base. It was more warped and thinner than the other two slabs, so I got mostly 1 ¼" material out of it. It was at this point that I realized the material I had for the base was on the thin side and started this topic: https://www.woodtalkonline.com/topic/26544-is-my-wood-beefy-enough-for-a-trestle-base/ I decided that the legs would need a little lamination. The thing is that I don't want to change my lumber layout from the original setup because the vertical legs both have some beautiful crotch figure on them. I'll be resawing the legs on my bandsaw, then replaning them and laminating them onto a maple piece which will remain proud of the edge, like so: I just picked up the maple for this phase this morning. It should be more than enough to do what I want to do. I considered laminating up the top parts of the trestles as well, where they dovetail into the slabs, but I want the sliding dovetail to be as wide as it can be, and to make it out of the maple part would mean it has to be ¾" wide, which is nowhere near wide enough. In other news, I found a bullet in this thing! It was lead, so no tool damage. Really surprised me, though. I wanted to get a feel for how the whole table would feel once it was all together, so I did a mock-assembly with the body parts and clamps, just to get a feel for how it feels to sit at the table and see if any dimensions were way off. It sits well and feels right! And, finally, I've started putting the dovetail keys into the slabs. I warmed up with this one, which went into the underside of the table: And that pretty much catches me up to now. Next on the to-do list is to get the trestle base figured out and loosely assembled, so that means resawing and laminating the leg components, getting the mortise cut for the stretcher, cutting the tenon on the stretcher, getting the top parts of the trestle legs machined with the dovetail and the bridle joint. Honestly I'm at sort of a delicate place in the project, because I want the two halves of the top to slide onto the sliding dovetails of the trestle base from either side, then, once the two halves of the top are held tight in place by that long sliding dovetail, I'll put in the maple dovetail keys to connect the two halves of the top. But I also have to make sure that the vertical legs will fit to the bridle joint of the top part of the trestle. Order of operations. Tricky stuff. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted August 26, 2017 Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 Looks awesome! Really looking forward to see how this comes together! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted August 26, 2017 Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 Indeed. I'm digging it. I'm also jealous of your sketchup skills. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Eric. Posted August 26, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 I love that dovetail key tusk tenon. I am so stealing that one. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minorhero Posted August 26, 2017 Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 Great look! Love the lamination for the legs. Kind of wish I did something similar for my cherry dining room table. I would be highly tempted to cleanup the area where the bullet came from, put it back and then cover it clear epoxy. Quite the conversational item that way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted August 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 Great look! Love the lamination for the legs. Kind of wish I did something similar for my cherry dining room table. I would be highly tempted to cleanup the area where the bullet came from, put it back and then cover it clear epoxy. Quite the conversational item that way. Had I not already taken it out and epoxied the hole, I might have done that! Well guys, good news and bad news. The good news is that I've got my resawing done. The bad news is that one of the vertical leg parts exploded: The good news is that I'm not hurt. The bad news is that my planer now has a bent blade and I'll definitely need to replace at least the blade - let's hope I don't have to replace more. The good news is that I can compensate for the screwup in my design, since the part I lost is the same width as the top piece of the trestle leg. The bridle joint up there will just swap out for a mortise and tenon. Nobody will ever know, and nobody will ever see the table from that angle anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted August 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 Here's my SketchUp version of the fix. It took 1.25" off the height of the table, which I'm not crazy about, but it was already 30", so 28¾" isn't too bad. Basically the top is a mortise and tenon instead of a bridle joint. Should be just as sturdy, and it will actually be easier to machine, too, because I won't have to worry about the sliding dovetail being in the path of the bridle joint waste. It's not quite as attractive as the previous plan, but it's really a small difference that nobody will think twice about. At least, I hope, haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 I am impressed ! I've done that clamped mock up for years. It has helped me catch serious mistakes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 I like the ice-cream sandwich legs! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisc Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 Looking like a fun project. Ishitani does some cool stuff. He makes it look so simple. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Eric. Posted August 27, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 Hey Russell, I spent a few hours last evening watching all of Ishitani's videos. I'd heard the name mentioned before but never took the time to investigate. Great stuff. I enjoy his relaxed pace and simple approach, and I can totally see why he inspires you. Thanks for turning me on to him. He does live edge the way it should be done: with thought. There is harmony in his pieces. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted August 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 Hey Russell, I spent a few hours last evening watching all of Ishitani's videos. I'd heard the name mentioned before but never took the time to investigate. Great stuff. I enjoy his relaxed pace and simple approach, and I can totally see why he inspires you. Thanks for turning me on to him. He does live edge the way it should be done: with thought. There is harmony in his pieces. I'm surprised you're just now checking him out, he seems right up your alley. I love his all-wood joinery. There's something magical about a piece that doesn't need screws. What, you mean you don't love seeing hairpin legs screwed to the bottom of a live edge slab that has been slathered with ten coats of polyurethane? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted August 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 I like the ice-cream sandwich legs! lol, hadn't thought of it like that. Now I want ice cream. I know the mixed-wood approach makes some people cringe, and I'm not married to it yet. I'll do a few tests to see how it'll look, but I think it'll look good. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 46 minutes ago, Denette said: lol, hadn't thought of it like that. Now I want ice cream. I know the mixed-wood approach makes some people cringe, and I'm not married to it yet. I'll do a few tests to see how it'll look, but I think it'll look good. We'll see. Is your primary turnoff not using the material from the same tree throughout the project, or the expense of buying additional cherry? I understand the sentiment if it's the former, but ultimately I don't think it will matter in the scheme of the project, since while it's obviously a single piece and consistency is always a priority, the top and the base are kind of two unique parts of a whole. My point being, you wouldn't have the same concern as if you were mixing and matching the boards in just the top or just the base, where color and grain-matching issues are front and center. The base and top are almost two separate entities and no one will be the wiser if you bought additional stock to build the base. Ultimately I think that would be your best option of the three we've discussed. Obviously it would mean additional cost, but it wouldn't be that outrageous considering the moderate price of cherry. If it's the latter and that baby's got you flat broke, then I get it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassAct Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 Oh my goodness. If only I could achieve something like this. Beautiful craftsmanship, Denette. Truly beautiful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted August 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 Oh my goodness. If only I could achieve something like this. Beautiful craftsmanship, Denette. Truly beautiful. I appreciate the vote of confidence! I hope it works out as well as you seem to expect it to, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted August 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 Ouch. A fine lesson for all of you out there: when routing the inside of a dovetail groove, be sure to remember which side of the bit is making contact. If you miscalculate, you may launch your board across the room and drag the very tips of your fingers across the top of the router bit. I just learned that lesson the hard way. Thank the Lord I only got the very tip of my middle finger. 1/16" deep flesh wound. Alcohol and neosporin to the rescue. At least I am not repeating my mistakes. I hadn't had that one happen before... So that means I'm done for today, haha. In actual project news, I have decided that since the trestle top connection has to be a mortise and tenon, I want the top rail of the trestle as wide as possible. To save ½" of height (and therefore gain ½" of tenon depth) I decided to route a dovetail groove in both the underside of the table top and the top of the top trestle rail, and machine a dovetail key to join the two. I made the dovetail keys without much trouble. The narrower side will go into the trestle base; I needed to make the key narrower so enough material would still be there on either side of it on the base. I decided to save my dovetail bit some strain and cut out the majority of the trestle top's waste on my table saw. I then adjusted my router table fence, cut the first pass without a problem, and then when I reversed the board to center the cut... Zip! And suddenly I was reminded of how much I love all my fingers. I've never had a router table just grab something like that. Man. Here is the dovetail groove as it looks post-launch: So I'm gonna go lick my wounds and take it easy for a day or two. Y'all stay safe out there. Remember to consider which side of a dado your router is grabbing onto, otherwise you might get hurt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 Glad your ok! So how did this happen? Not sure I understand, if I and others on the forum can learn from this unfortunate accident at least something good will have come of it. Thanks for sharing and hope your finger is on the mend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Denette Posted August 27, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 42 minutes ago, pkinneb said: Glad your ok! So how did this happen? Not sure I understand, if I and others on the forum can learn from this unfortunate accident at least something good will have come of it. Thanks for sharing and hope your finger is on the mend. Sure! I went ahead and spent a half hour working through understanding exactly what happened, in order to ensure it never happens again. So, you know how you can cut a groove on a table saw, then pick up the board and reverse it along its length to make sure that the groove is centered? Like so? Push it across the TS for the first cut: Then reverse it: Then push it across to make a second cut, and work your way up to having a centered dado: Well, genius that I am, I thought I'd just apply the same line of logic to the router table for the sliding dovetails. What I failed to take into account was the rotational direction. It matters whether you are upside down, use a fence, have a bearing on the bit, and so on. The rotation direction is super important. With a fence it becomes too important, as I learned today. Well, here's what happened. For the first cut, I pushed it across with no problem. This was no surprise, because the blade had wood to cut into on either side, creating an equilibrium that didn't yank the board away. Like so: After that, I reversed the board and pushed it across in what I very quickly discovered was the wrong direction. The blade was spinning in the same direction as I was pushing, and it was not good. The red bit on the board in the picture was the part that grabbed and yanked right away from me. I had a loose grip on it with my left hand, which was pulled along for the ride. Fortunately, my injury was super mild. I'm still typing with all my fingers, and all I needed was a bandaid. So what happened? The first cut took away half of the material, and I pushed the board across the router in the wrong direction relative to the material that remained. The moral of the story is that what works on one tool doesn't necessarily work on another. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 1 minute ago, Denette said: The moral of the story is that what works on one tool doesn't necessarily work on another. Oh gotcha! Thanks for clarifying!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 On 8/26/2017 at 0:36 PM, Denette said: In other news, I found a bullet in this thing! To bad you couldn't leave it in there, it would make an interesting conversation piece. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted August 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 To bad you couldn't leave it in there, it would make an interesting conversation piece. By the time I realized it was a bullet and not a nail I had already gotten it out. I only realized it was a bullet because it was so soft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted August 28, 2017 Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 Russel, a good practice to follow, assuming the dovetail dado is wider than the bit, is to start the groove with a straight bit no wider than the opening of the slot. For through dados, the ts could work, too. This removes a lot of the waste, and gives your dovetail bit room to eject chips with less clogging. The feed direction is still important, though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Gary Posted August 28, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 Wow, really enjoying this. Love the piece and the inspiration. I'm really sorry to hear about your accident, but I'm glad that you're OK and got away with only a minor injury. I'm even more glad that you've taken the time to do an RCA (root cause analysis) to fully understand what went wrong and why. That's a good mentality to have and it will serve you well. Good luck, looking forward to more! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted August 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 Russel, a good practice to follow, assuming the dovetail dado is wider than the bit, is to start the groove with a straight bit no wider than the opening of the slot. For through dados, the ts could work, too. This removes a lot of the waste, and gives your dovetail bit room to eject chips with less clogging. The feed direction is still important, though. What's crazy is that I actually did do that. I ran the pieces across the table saw first. The first pass across the dovetail bit went great and the second sucked right out of my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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