Popular Post Chet Posted January 25, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 25, 2018 Our family room, were we spend most of our time is limited on usable space. One wall has an 8 foot wide sliding glass door, one wall has a wall to wall fireplace and one wall is mostly a step up to the dinning area. This arrangement doesn't leave a lot of options for furniture, but next to the couch there was a need for some kind of end tables to set the occasional beer or other beverage on. Next to the couch on one side is the barrister bookcase I built a while back and it wouldn't take much of a table to block that in an unsightly way. So all in all we needed something small. I recently completed a new media cabinet and I had a stack of scrap lumber left over from that and I thought it would be interesting to see if I could complete this project with just the scrap and with out going to the lumber yard.I was able to pull it off, but lesson one was, this was a dumb way to go about this project. Something I have never tried before was a through tenon. Lesson two was, I really don't like the look. Doing a Morris chair is on the top of my list so I won't say I won't ever do it again but other then that project, I probably won't do it again. A mistake I made in this process was I wasn't thinking through the whole thing and I cut the tenons to short, I think that they should have protruded a little and then have a rounded edge to it. I think this would have looked better, lesson learned. The other thing I wanted to try was to see if I could duplicate the stain outcome that I used on the media cabinet. I don't stain a lot, hardly ever, never. I did on the media cabinet because I wanted a certain look. Because the tables will be in the same room I figured why not try and again I had the stuff on hand from the other project.These tables are just 18 inches tall the tops are 9" X 12" these pictures are from the phone, Lighting in the shop is bright and the lighting in the family room is not bright. The stain match I am real happy with.I was mostly making this up as I went along, but I am real open to constructive criticism on proportions, design and anything else anyone has to offer. I can't learn if I don't let myself be pick on. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted January 25, 2018 Report Share Posted January 25, 2018 Excellent work, Chet! And that's a very good match on the stain. David 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted January 25, 2018 Report Share Posted January 25, 2018 I love them, I like the through tenon and i really like the style. Helpful critique: The bottom shelf seems like a bit of an afterthought. It's nice and useful but kinda looks tacked on. On the highly nit picky side i don't know that the curves match the console. I don't know if a taper would look better or not i have a hard time visualizing how to do that but that's my initial though. I mean the leg curves not the apron curves. Chet i hope you and no one else takes this the wrong way if i made these i'd be as happy as a pig in $@*$. The console looks great though the proportions of it are excellent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2018 Drew you are absolutely correct. The shelf was an after thought. First I wasn't going to do anything and when I started dry fits it looked "empty" So I added a solid shelf but after the leg assembly was glued up when I set the self on it looked heavy and squaty. So I came up with what you see which, to me look the best but would have looked almost perfect if I had used mortise and tenon (not through) on the front and back apron so the self was flush. 16 minutes ago, Chestnut said: i don't know that the curves match the console No, they don't really and the tables aren't by the media cabinet, they are on both sides of the couch across the room. I mainly took that picture to see and show if I was able to duplicate a stain process that i had used on the media cabinet... just a little exercise for me. And truth be told my furniture projects are a bit of a hodge podge. If I see something I would like to build, the fact that it does or doesn't go with other things doesn't really enter in. In this one room I have the Barrister bookcase, the media cabinet and these tables. I am sure an interior decorator would gag but my wife and I are okay with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted January 25, 2018 Report Share Posted January 25, 2018 Ahh the proximity of things makes sense i read initially that the barrister was close and that style is different from either of these IIRC. So the curves don't really need to make sens then. In that case i like the style even more. Like you mentioned the shelf would look better if they were mortised in but a shelf in this manner is better than no shelf. All in all for a winging it project still really well done. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted January 25, 2018 Report Share Posted January 25, 2018 Chet they turned out great! The only comments I would have made you and Drew already pointed out, one I think the tenons would have looked better if they stuck out an 1/8" or so and two the shelf. Although not sure how I would have dine the shelf's different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted January 26, 2018 Report Share Posted January 26, 2018 I like'em. Drew pointed out some good points, but overall.......Ya done good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 26, 2018 Report Share Posted January 26, 2018 I like them, Chet. Sure, some small details like pillowed or wedged through tenons might make them shout "I am a Fine Furniture piece!" slightly louder, but I hear them clearly already! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2018 17 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said: Sure, some small details like pillowed That was my intention before I had a brain fart and cut them to short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted January 26, 2018 Report Share Posted January 26, 2018 They are so cute! Great work, Chet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2018 3 minutes ago, shaneymack said: They are so cute! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 26, 2018 Report Share Posted January 26, 2018 Nice job Chet! Having been in your living room, I can see where those will be a great addition to the room! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted January 26, 2018 Report Share Posted January 26, 2018 Nice tables. I've got a couple of places in my house that need very small end tables. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown craftsman Posted January 26, 2018 Report Share Posted January 26, 2018 Those are nice but do you think they will be strong enough? A cup of coffee and paper can weigh a lot. Aj 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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