Rustic Trestle table?

[joestyles]

A friend asked me to build him a heavy trestle type table. He wants it to look heavy and bulky and provided me with some 2x8 fir to make the top with. I have not measured it out yet but there should be enough to laminate four legs out of the same stock. It wont be pretty but it will be heavy. I have a few ideas in my head but nothing firm yet the basic dimensions will be a top of 30" wide by 72" long top will be 30" high. The use for this table is for a guide and chopper pilot table. They write daily reports on it and there is usually four or five people using it. Guests of the heli-skiing operation may see this table so I want to do better than asked by my friend. They currently use a collapsible six foot table. It needs to be sturdy and stable more than look nice but I can't help wanting to put a little something in the design to catch the eye. Any thoughts on the matter are welcome.

Thanks.

[Dave H]

It sounds like a fun project, maybe do something like wedged through tennons on the stretcher. Maybe a cool helicopter theme, or Co. logo inlay in the top to spice it up. Thats all I can think of for now good luck with it.

[Dave H]

Joe here is the wedged tennon joint that I think looks like fun to build and here are some trestle table designs I found

[joestyles]

Joe here is the wedged tennon joint that I think looks like fun to build and here are some trestle table designs I found

Hey thanks for the pics was thinking along those lines wedged tenons would work well with the rustic theme. Had a closer look at the lumber today and it is not so good looking checked a bit but I can get more for it pretty cheap eight footers run about $3 each here for fir and I can pick the pile. I am gonna use the sketch up to do the plan good way to learn it and I got until Sept to do it so lots of time to build just need a decent plan. I like the look of the first pic you have there might modify it a bit.

[Dave H]

I was looking for an issue of Fine Woodworking magazine that i have (who knows where). In it Gary Rogowski built a really nice trestle table with wedged through tennons. So I looked on line for the issue # and found his video instead check it out http://www.finewoodworking.com/build-a-dining-table-video-preview/

[Chris Adkins]

I have built several benches and tables using through tendons and wedges. They tend to be very strong and help dress up a more rustic table. Good luck and post pictures.

Chris

[joestyles]

This table is a great opportunity for me. My friend owns and runs snowwater heli-skiing and Valhala powdercats two back country ski operations. The people who go there to ski pay around $7k a week to ski there. This will expose me to some high end customers. He has approached me before about some projects and I have had to turn him down I did not feel confident I could provide a high enough quality product yet. I worked for him during the building of the main lodge a 30' by 30' three bent timber frame. I was his foreman there and know what his standards are Even though he is looking for rustic it must be well made sturdy enough to handle some abuse IE: if the sides of the top had some wane on the outside edge this would be ok with him even some wane on the legs or the stretchers ok this will add to that rustic look but if it wobbles that would not be ok so the wedge tenons are a good solution the seasons up there are harsh to say the least. fortunately the dry hot season is measured in days. It stops snowing up there around mid June and starts around 1 Sept. This means that for all but 2 months of the year the table will be in a warm environment. Elevation at the lodge is 5600 ft the heat is provided by a wood fired boiler. Most of the year it is very cold and dry there. 90% of the precipitation there falls as snow.

The above is not a sales pitch for the skiing he does not need any help there but just want to let you all know the unique situation the table will be in so if anyone can see any pit falls here please let me know. I know from the reaction of the large timbers in the lodge over the past 19 years that if there is any moisture in the wood it will shrink lots. The main beams in the lodge were green when we joined them some of the douglas fir twisted pretty good but the design allowed for this lots of checks in the beams but that is normal. The sheer amount of change and movement is a little intimidating. The wood I have for this is inside my shop but was stored in a similar environment to the lodge all of last winter so I expect the moisture is a little higher right now. I plan to let it dry until July before I start to work with it. This will allow up to two months to build it. It also gives me a month to learn to use sketch up better than my first few attempts. I am going to draw a design by hand in the next few days hoping this will allow me to learn the program by copying the design onto the program for now.