The afterthought Table

[Bmac]

I wanted to share this build, it really goes quickly and it's a design that I came up with while posting the story on the log, the slab and the table. The joinery is simple and by varying the size of the legs it can serve as an end table, a plant stand, or (fill in the blank). I like how there is a certain flow that develops from the underside of the table down into the legs. This area is refined and sculpted after the table is put together. @Mark J noted in my previous build post that he liked this small table better than the table the post was about. I tend to agree with him. I'll take you thru the thought process, the build and the final piece all in one post. This really is a long weekend project for me and the build I show here will end up being a plant stand instead of a table, so it is only 14" tall instead of 22" like the original table was.

Here's the original "afterthought table" from the other post;

So to start on this table I made a pattern for my leg. This leg is much shorter than the leg I developed for the table above. Also I used a "leftover" section of the hexagonal "post" I made for the original table. Since there are three legs, you need the six sided post. I also like the three leg design because the table always sits flat without rocking, even on an uneven floor;

The leg can really be any shape, as long as you have a square inside corner. This corner is the key to this project;

NOTE: You can accomplish the below operation also by starting with a wider board that has a straight edge and has a corresponding 90 degree cut. You can place the pattern in the corner and just cut out the leg from there. But I do it the way shown below to develop a grain that follows the curve of the leg more, resulting in a more attractive look and stronger grain orientation.

So I milled up some stock that is pretty close to the thickness of one of the sides of the hexagon. Working out the three legs on this stock;

You'll notice in the above pic and the below pic I draw an extended straight line that is part of the key right angle at the top of the leg;

I cut along this line with the bandsaw first;

Next I true up this line on the jointer;

Now I can cut my 90 degree angle on the table saw;

After that it's simply cutting out the rest of the leg with the bandsaw. But it is important to save these top cut off pieces for glue up, you will see me use these later;

Here's how the leg structure fits together, the legs will be glued to the hexagonal post and it will be a nice long grain to relatively long grain glue joint;

On to the top, a hunk of figured wood in rough form;

Milled to thickness, around two inches wide and cut freehand on the bandsaw to 11" round. Showing each surface;

I picked the surface in the second pic for the top side of the table. I then found the center point and tried on the legs;

Some critical landmarks; an outline of the hexagonal post, the center point, and the end point of each leg;

Center 1/2" dowel hole and a circle representing the circle the legs "make", basically a circle that falls on the line where the legs end;

Beveling the underside starts at the bandsaw;

Then to the bench where I use a Festool RAS  to develop the rough bevel;

Corresponding 1/2" hole in the hexagonal post (both holes drilled on drill press) and the 1/2" dowel ready to be glued;

Gluing post to top;

Some shaping of the post on the faces the legs will not be glued to;

Shaping the legs, done with rasps;

 

Gluing first leg. Need to glue one leg at a time and the cut off pieces from the legs are put to use now for the glue up. I also glue the top part of the leg to the underside of the table. That's a weak end grain to long grain glue joint, but it doesn't hurt to do it anyway;

All three legs glued on, now to the final shaping;

Goal is to blend the bevel into the legs;

Like this, and then making the bevel uniform all the way around the top;

A little cleanup at the post/leg joint, do this with a sharp chisel;

And finished, sanded to 320 and Osmo finish;

 

Hope this was helpful post. This shows a pretty straight forward construction without elaborate joints. It's a versatile table that can be made at different heights and for different uses. 

I'll be making more of these in the future, it also is a good use of figured chunks of wood and doesn't use much wood in the construction. I do think the 2" thick top is a little excessive with this table and I'm going to make the next one with a 6/4 top. The first table's top was about that thick, 6/4. I also think the longer legs with the taller table look more elegant than the shorter planter sized table.

I'm wondering if I could use this design for a lamp build, a lamp table combo, how's that sound @JohnG?

 

 

[Chet]

When it made its first appearance in you thread for the coffee table, I was thinking there was more to it.  But seeing this now, it is pretty simplistic in design and still a pretty nice looking table.   Good work yet again Bmac.

[JohnG]

3 hours ago, Bmac said:

I'm wondering if I could use this design for a lamp build, a lamp table combo, how's that sound @JohnG?

I fully support this plan!

[Mark J]

Very Nice.

I'm continually amazed at how you (and others) can just whip something like this up.  A long weekend project!  It would take me a long weekend just to think the thing up, let alone do drawings.

[treeslayer]

Another beautiful table @Bmac, great construction, solid joinery, and a journal that’s easy to follow for anyone, well done sir!

[Coop]

Thank you for sharing this! I’m impressed (definitely not surprised) and inspired. You are right, fairly simple but eloquent. The trouble with building furniture is that at some point, you just run out of space. This table will fit anywhere! As my wife will now have a reading area in our newly enlarged bedroom, a taller version will make an excellent lamp table. Perhaps I should hold off until you make yours and @JohnG‘s combo table? 

Bmac, have you ever been to any professional Woodworking schools? 

[Bmac]

10 hours ago, Mark J said:

I'm continually amazed at how you (and others) can just whip something like this up.  A long weekend project!  It would take me a long weekend just to think the thing up, let alone do drawings.

Well you are right, the idea took awhile to figure out. When I realized I needed a smaller table in the other thread I started playing around with some ideas. I was struggling with how to do the leg structure and attach it to the top. Thinking to use the hexagonal post started me toward this design, and it wasn't until I realized since the top was going to be thicker that I could use a decent sized dowel to hold the top to the leg column that I figured this design out. And the first table took a little longer to build. But once that was taken care of, this second table really was a long weekend project. 

8 hours ago, Coop said:

Bmac, have you ever been to any professional Woodworking schools? 

No schools, but I will say that doing some of Marc's projects with his instruction are like schools. I've also done other projects with plans and video instruction. Picking projects that get you out of your comfort zone is also helpful. The Sculptured Lecterns project was really a project I picked because it was a challenge and there were certain techniques I wanted to tackle. In the end I gave those lecterns away but retained the lessons from the making of them. To me that was the real purpose of that project.

My profession as a dentist helps too, I work in a 3-D world making and building things all day long. I am also a voracious reader of woodworking books. 

[Coop]

@Bmac, the hexagonal “post”, you mentioned was left over from the “original table”. Is the original table the journal on the “The Story of A Log”? I re-read that journal and don’t see the post being used. 

The reason for asking is, I was wondering if the width of the “post” was proportional to the width of the table top on this Afterthought Table?

[Bmac]

2 hours ago, Coop said:

@Bmac, the hexagonal “post”, you mentioned was left over from the “original table”. Is the original table the journal on the “The Story of A Log”? I re-read that journal and don’t see the post being used. 

The reason for asking is, I was wondering if the width of the “post” was proportional to the width of the table top on this Afterthought Table?

Yes in theory the size of the post would be a factor. Both table tops were close to being the same width/size. But there is some room to play with, the leg could have a bigger sweep or curve to meet up with the table top bevel. This is as good as an alternative as changing the size of the hexagonal post. 

As for how I came up with the original size for the hexagonal post,  that was purely just to make the glue surfaces of the hexagon to be around the same width I wanted the legs to be, which was a little bigger than an inch. If you make the hexagonal post bigger than you either have wider legs or a wierd leg post interface. 

If I went with a bigger top I think I'd keep the size of the post the same and alter the sweep of the legs, I think that would be the nicest looking solution.

[Chestnut]

I'm irritated with you Bmac. Not only is this an awesome project and I really want to make one. Your post is also so inspiring to make something similarly cool that I want to trash can all my current boring projects. Stop being so inspirational and having such good ideas!

I want to use this idea and technique to make a new stool for my shop. My current stool is a bit too short and I need a taller one for the computer. The shorter one is still great for work at the bench though. I have the PERFECT slab of cherry in my shop that is earmarked for a project exactly like this.

 

[Mark J]

On 2/4/2021 at 4:17 AM, Bmac said:

As for how I came up with the original size for the hexagonal post,  that was purely just to make the glue surfaces of the hexagon to be around the same width I wanted the legs to be, which was a little bigger than an inch. If you make the hexagonal post bigger than you either have wider legs or a wierd leg post interface. 

If I went with a bigger top I think I'd keep the size of the post the same and alter the sweep of the legs, I think that would be the nicest looking solution.

One could enlarge the hexagon without also enlarging the leg mounting faces.  The hexagon need not be equilateral (6 identical sides).  Keep the leg faces fixed at 1 inch or so, but make the non-leg faces much longer until you have the size you want.  This will create a 6 sided figure that looks like a triangle with the 3 points nipped off.  

As an alternative to keeping the long sides of the hexagon flat that might look better one could make these surfaces concave.  In which case I might cut that curve the same radius of curvature as table top.  

Just a couple of ideas.  

[Bmac]

1 hour ago, Mark J said:

One could enlarge the hexagon without also enlarging the leg mounting faces.  The hexagon need not be equilateral (6 identical sides).  Keep the leg faces fixed at 1 inch or so, but make the non-leg faces much longer until you have the size you want.  This will create a 6 sided figure that looks like a triangle with the 3 points nipped off.  

As an alternative to keeping the long sides of the hexagon flat that might look better one could make these surfaces concave.  In which case I might cut that curve the same radius of curvature as table top.  

Just a couple of ideas.  

Very viable options that I had not thought out. 

[Coop]

I was so impressed with this that I went to my office today and brought home another 8/4 walnut slab. I shan’t wait on @JohnG‘s combo table! 

With @Bmac‘s permission to use his design as an inspiration?

[treeslayer]

17 minutes ago, Coop said:

I was so impressed with this that I went to my office today and brought home another 8/4 walnut slab. I shan’t wait on @JohnG‘s combo table! 

With @Bmac‘s permission to use his design as an inspiration?

And you thought you’d have nothing to do when you retired  journal, journal, journal 

[Coop]

Sharon assured me years ago, that if and when I retired, I would not be without something to do, thus the reason for still keeping an office open to me as a respite for her and me. 

[Bmac]

1 hour ago, Coop said:

I was so impressed with this that I went to my office today and brought home another 8/4 walnut slab. I shan’t wait on @JohnG‘s combo table! 

With @Bmac‘s permission to use his design as an inspiration?

Permission granted, enthusiastically. 

[h3nry]

I really like the simple elegance of this table.