Gaming Table

[Coop 6576]

Well, at least that’s what he called it. My 17 yo grandson asked me to build him a table that he can play his electronic games on. My first thought was to get a lawn mower and mow yards or get a part time job while going to high school, but to keep peace in the family, I kept my opinions to myself. He asked that it be 52”W x 26”D x 31”H and not to be built out of good stuff. Yeah, right! Last year I met a couple of guys on here at the Amana Woodworking show and came across this piece and I took pics. This the end view and I really liked the leg design. 

So, with a minimal measuring devise, (cigar cutter) I took another pic.

So this will be my leg design, hopefully. 

P.s. I really enjoy watching journals but hate to create them so, bear with me.  

[fcschoenthal 13]

I like the leg design too, but the dimensions that he's giving sound more like a desk.

[Mick S 1748]

Looking forward to seeing this, Coop!

 

[Coop 6576]

5 minutes ago, fcschoenthal said:

I like the leg design too, but the dimensions that he's giving sound more like a desk.

And we can certainly call it a desk, just going by the dimensions he gave me. I compared it to my dining table and it’s 3/4” shorter in height. Don’t know how tall his chair is. 

[Coop 6576]

11 minutes ago, Mick S said:

Looking forward to seeing this, Coop!

 

Hope it meets expectations. After buying the rough cut lumber, I could have bought him 2 tables and then some from Ikea. We’ll see.

[Coop 6576]

This is the moutha that I hope to get the legs, aprons and stretchers from. Approx 7.5’ L x 18”W x 2,.25” thick. 

I cut this walnut tree down in 2015 in Louisiana and hauled it back to Houston to:have it milled. Been stickered since. I’m amazed at how stable these pieces have been. It’s been a pleasure to work with. 

[Coop 6576]

31 minutes ago, Mick S said:

Looking forward to seeing this, Coop!

 

Thanks Mick, wish it involved mesquite!  Love that stuff! 

[Chet 4318]

1 hour ago, K Cooper said:

I could have bought him 2 tables and then some from Ikea.

And a lawn mower. 

I am looking forward to watching this Ken.

[treeslayer 2807]

You know i'm in Coop, this should be fun to follow. i hope you have a couple of friends in Texas to help you lift that slab. Oh, and i think you've got a stalker, that guy in the blue jacket is in both pictures, looks like he could be trouble

[Steve B Anderson 172]

11 hours ago, K Cooper said:

Hope it meets expectations. After buying the rough cut lumber, I could have bought him 2 tables and then some from Ikea. We’ll see.

That’s going to be an awesome table Ken. I really like the leg design. Did you end up going to Masons for the wood?

[wdwerker 7642]

I'm looking forward to seeing how this comes out. I've got a feeling it's going to be a classy looking piece.  I think his grandson is getting far more than he expects. 

[Coop 6576]

1 hour ago, Steve B Anderson said:

That’s going to be an awesome table Ken. I really like the leg design. Did you end up going to Masons for the wood?

Thanks. No, the cherry top came from Clark’s and the walnut is being cut out of the slab pictured. With it being a little over 2” thick, I will be able to get the legs and resaw for the apron and stretchers. 

 

37 minutes ago, wdwerker said:

I'm looking forward to seeing how this comes out. I've got a feeling it's going to be a classy looking piece.  I think his grandson is getting far more than he expects. 

Thanks Steve. If based solely  on your advice it will but you have to keep in mind who’s building this! 

[Coop 6576]

I drug the slab off of the trailer and over to the sawmill (yard) . The legs will be about 30” long so I cut the slab trim a little under 6’ and with my some chalk and my trusty circ saw, using multiple passes, ripped two 2.5” pieces which will yield 2 legs each. The remaining piece  will be ripped into approx. 3.5” strips to be resawn for the aprons and stretchers. 

The approx. 30” end that was cut off cleaned up pretty good and will eventually become the top of a bedroom end table.

[JosephThomas 870]

Nice material. You sure you wanna use it on a table he's gonna cover with doritos and code red?

[Coop 6576]

Ha! Never thought about that! He would probably have been just as tickled with B.B. ply and 2x’s. 

[treeslayer 2807]

8 hours ago, K Cooper said:

He would probably have been just as tickled with B.B. ply and 2x’s. 

At his age yeah, but in 50 years he's going to say with pride " my grandpa made this beautiful table for me"

[bushwacked 491]

On 5/12/2018 at 10:26 PM, K Cooper said:

Thanks Mick, wish it involved mesquite!  Love that stuff! 

You get good mesquite down in H town? We have very little up here and I think the closet good supplier of more than a few board feet I could find was in San Antonio ... 

On 5/13/2018 at 10:56 PM, K Cooper said:

Ha! Never thought about that! He would probably have been just as tickled with B.B. ply and 2x’s. 

haha, you need to go watch some shaun boyd youtube, makes some really cool things, but has made quite of few projects out of ply as well. a rocker, desk, bench etc ... I will grab a link later today if you havent already found him.

[jussi 21]

On 5/12/2018 at 7:39 PM, K Cooper said:

. My first thought was to get a lawn mower and mow yards or get a part time job while going to high school,

 

This would have been the exact response I would have gotten from my dad.  Love the profile on the pictured table.  Looking forward to the build.

[wdwerker 7642]

I just had a thought, see if your grandson can help with any part of the build. Maybe being involved in the process will give him greater ownership & pride in the finished table.  Mention it should easily last the rest of his life if he takes care of it. Plus you get to spend some time with each other.

I treasure things I have that my grandfather made for me like my cocobolo chain. Still remember his face lighting up when I presented him with the challenge. He was on a kick making wooden chains out of every different kind of wood he could get his hands on. So I got the biggest piece of cocobolo I could afford at the time and cut it into the rough shape he needed.

[Ronn W 1466]

Looking forward to the build.  I took just one look at your first picture and knew where it was taken.  Good time.

[TerryMcK 1556]

Nice looking shop you have there Ken. The lawn mower will come in useful for flattening that bench top 

On 5/14/2018 at 3:42 AM, K Cooper said:

I drug the slab off of the trailer and over to the sawmill (yard) . The legs will be about 30” long so I cut the slab trim a little under 6’ and with my some chalk and my trusty circ saw, using multiple passes, ripped two 2.5” pieces which will yield 2 legs each. The remaining piece  will be ripped into approx. 3.5” strips to be resawn for the aprons and stretchers. 

The approx. 30” end that was cut off cleaned up pretty good and will eventually become the top of a bedroom end table.

 

[Coop 6576]

Thanks Terry. My shop is slowly evolving from being very disorganized to disorganized . 

[Chet 4318]

30 minutes ago, K Cooper said:

My shop is slowly evolving from being very disorganized to disorganized . 

If you would just up and retire you have the time needed to go from this ^^^ to organized and finally "always" organized.

[RichardA 4389]

1 hour ago, K Cooper said:

Thanks Terry. My shop is slowly evolving from being very disorganized to disorganized . 

And back again.

[Coop 6576]

I have rubber floor mats in front of my workbench and ts and my wife once remarked that I should paint yellow stripes on them like blocked off parking spots in front of a store. I can’t get any respect.