kitchen table (trestle)

[Lucasd2002]

Parts are ready for finish.

The base (red oak) will be stained gray.  I have been experimenting with GF water based stain (whitewash color) mixed with black transtint.

The top (cherry) will have at least 2 coats of WDO followed by at least 3-4 coats of ARS satin.  I usually let the last coat of WDO cure for at least a week before the first coat of ARS.

The last real decision is whether the WDO will have any tint.  Here are a couple samples - actual offcuts from the top.  The sample of the left has 2 coats of WDO "natural" with one coat of ARS.  The sample of the right has 2 coats of WDO "medium walnut" with one coat of ARS.  

Apologies for awful indoor lighting and picture quality.  The picture below show exaggerated differences between the upper and lower boards (the top and bottom of each sample look much more similar in person - for both samples).

I know that cherry will darken with age.  However, the boss has asked for "more brown" and prefers the sample on the right.  I am leaning toward the "natural" WDO (sample on the left).  The main concern I have with the sample of the right (other than it may be too dark long term) is that there are some splotches on the lower board.  The sample on the left seems a bit more consistent.  I may be nitpicking.

What say the collective?

 

Here is the top ready for finish.

[Chestnut]

If your doing ARS I'd just not apply the danish oil. The tinted danish oil is going to blotch and look bad. The regular danish oil isn't adding anything that ARS isn't except for a long dry time.

[wdwerker]

Have you thought about letting the cherry get a suntan before you consider WDO or a stain?  Even a few hours on sawhorses in the driveway will make a noticeable difference.  Halogen floodlights with the UV filter glass removed will work too. Don't look into the lights, keep kids and critters away.....

Certain areas on cherry are gonna blotch. With no stain they are less noticeable after the cherry darkens naturally. With stain it stays more evident. 

[Lucasd2002]

Thanks guys.  The cherry top is sitting in the driveway now soaking up some rays.

[gee-dub]

This is coming along great Lucas.  Keep a close eye when sun-tanning your material.  I have split some choice parts here in sunny SoCal by getting distracted in the shop and leaving them out too long.

[Lucasd2002]

We put the new table into service yesterday.  First, the assistants helped assemble the base.

 

 

The base has some thinned water base paint with multiple coats of GF water-based clear coat on top.  The older (5 y/o) assistant signed and dated the underside of one of the upper stretchers (before the clear coat was applied).

We insert the lower stretchers into the two trestle assemblies.

Then, we add the top stretchers and insert the wedges into the ends of the lower stretchers.

I initialed and dated the underside of the top (before the finishing process).

 

[Lucasd2002]

It's difficult to see from the larger image of the top, but the two breadboard ends are cut from the same piece of cherry.  Both ends feature some lighter color sapwood.  My thought was that these would provide some symmetry at the ends of the top.

First end:

 

Second end:

 

[treeslayer]

 Beautiful work and always nice to have good help  breadboards look great with some sapwood, well done sir!

[Jonathan McCully]

Beautifully done.  Love that you got your kids involved. I keep trying to find a way to get my kids involved with my projects without doing something dangerous. 

[Lucasd2002]

2 minutes ago, Jonathan McCully said:

Beautifully done.  Love that you got your kids involved. I keep trying to find a way to get my kids involved with my projects without doing something dangerous. 

In the garage, my two girls enjoy:

(1) hitting objects with a hammer

(2) wearing dad's ear protection

(3) sanding random objects with leftover pieces of sand paper

(4) finding sharp objects when dad's back is turned

(5) repeat steps (1)-(4) as necessary

 

 

[Jonathan McCully]

My kids like to build with my cut-offs and I often use them for an extra set of hands during dry fitting. I want to build something with them, but don’t really want to build bird houses.  Haven’t pulled out hammers for them yet and they’d probably wear my hearing protection if it wasn’t always on my head. Thankfully haven’t found the sharp objects yet. I’m pretty aware of putting sharp things away and unplugging tools when I’m not using them.

[Jonathan McCully]

My next big project, after Christmas presents are done, is a trestle table as well, so I’ve really enjoyed watching you build yours. Planning a similar design but only planning for  one leg on each end with a stretcher down the center

[wtnhighlander]

1 hour ago, Lucasd2002 said:

 

(3) sanding random objects with leftover pieces of sand paper

 

My son once did this, to the hood of my truck. Dangers of a dual-purpose garage.

[Lucasd2002]

6 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said:

My son once did this, to the hood of my truck. Dangers of a dual-purpose garage.

Ha!  My 5 year old performed task #1 from my list above on the front bumper of my wife's SUV while I was making this table.  Luckily, she just grazed the bumper leaving a very small mark.

On a more serious note, as long as she has hearing protection on, the 5 year old likes to follow me around with the shop vac and collect dust/shavings.  This was probably the only task that was genuinely helpful.

[Lucasd2002]

Moving the new table into place included swapping the old table out to the garage.  The old mahogany top needs to be refinished.  The previous finish is probably varnish that my dad applied in the late '70s.

[Lucasd2002]

As a spinoff, the wife is interested in a bench to go with the new table.  My first thought was to make the bench as a miniature version of the table (pair of gray trestles with cherry on top).  However, the boss wants the bench to have a back, which (based on what I know) does not particularly align with a trestle design.

First things first, I have not found traditional bench length rules.  Does it make sense for the bench length to be approximately 75% of the overall table length?

In stead of a trestle design, I am thinking about a more traditional chair structure (e.g., 8/4 rear leg that extends from floor up to top of back) extended to the appropriate length.  My initial plan is to have 3 pairs of front/rear legs.  I haven't seen a good example online of what I'm thinking, but the picture below shows an example of a bench with 3 pairs of legs.  I'm thinking the back would be attached to the upper parts of the rear legs by mortise and tenon (not attached to the surface as shown in the image below).  I was thinking that the stretchers/aprons would also be mortise and tenon.

Any thoughts or recommendations before I start drawing?

[Coop]

Dang dude, really beautiful piece. I agree about getting the kiddos involved. Well done. 

[wtnhighlander]

You could modify the trestle design, slightly, to accomodate a back. Slide the seat forward a bit for balance, and extend the trestle top rails rearward to attach the back.

I suggest making the bench near the same length as the table top, and space the bench trestles so they fit outside the table trestles when the bench is pushed close. Fitting the between the table trestles looks nice, IMO, but creates a greater risk of someone sitting on the end and tipping the bench.

[Lucasd2002]

1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said:

You could modify the trestle design, slightly, to accomodate a back. Slide the seat forward a bit for balance, and extend the trestle top rails rearward to attach the back.

I suggest making the bench near the same length as the table top, and space the bench trestles so they fit outside the table trestles when the bench is pushed close. Fitting the between the table trestles looks nice, IMO, but creates a greater risk of someone sitting on the end and tipping the bench.

Thanks wtnhighlander.  Very good point about the locations of the base member to avoid tipping.  Interesting idea about the structure.

 

Is this this what you have in mind?

[Damon777]

11 hours ago, Lucasd2002 said:

 

Any thoughts or recommendations before I start drawing?

You could go ahead and just do these. My wife has requested similar benches to replace our dining room chairs and this is the exact image I sent her for approval. I could use some pointers.

 

The table is amazing as well.

[wtnhighlander]

22 hours ago, Lucasd2002 said:

Thanks wtnhighlander.  Very good point about the locations of the base member to avoid tipping.  Interesting idea about the structure.

 

Is this this what you have in mind?

Something like that. Although I think your trestle components are sturdy enough that the back supports could attach to just the extended top trestle rail, rather than extending to the floor. The bottom trestle rail could be extended rearward to prevent tipping when users lean back.