Thread by @JeremyMorrell

Thread: if I’m lucky this pile will turn into my new dining table

This first step is breaking these large boards down into workable sizes. Making these decisions early on are always a bit stressful

It’s an optimization problem. “Can I get the sizes I need out of these board dimensions?”

But also an aesthetic problem. Should I incorporate the lighter sap wood into my design or cut it off? Cut around a knot or incorporate it in the design?

I cut it a bit close on material for the top. In theory I have enough but there’s little room for surprises or errors. The boards are from the same tree and if I have to buy more it’s unlikely to match 🤞

Today I cut some big heavy things into some smaller, but still very heavy things

The boards are too large for the jointer (the make things flat and square machine) so I’m using a hand plane to get the slight bends out

Prototyping the joints on some leftover scrap before I try it on the real thing.

The makerspace has a nice set of jigs so I’m saved the effort of making my own for this project 😊

babby’s first joinery 🙀😻

One issue with community shops is that you can never be 100% on the state of the tools. The table saw fence was slightly loose and that nearly ruined these pieces 😰

These cuts should be perfectly aligned...

The stewards taught me how to tighten the fence, and I added a new item to my checklist 😅

And it all worked out with this cut

Needs a little more fine-tuning by hand but progress! 😀

I have decided this is my least favorite cut to make. I may have taken up the community table saw for the better part of two hours 😅🙈

Everything needs some refinement to fit together just perfectly, but all the joints are cut and verrry close 😀

Biggest glue-up to date ✅

I had kinda forgotten how pretty this wood is over the holidays 😍 Getting excited again 😀

Joinery is done! This was the bit that stressed me most about this design, but it came out 👌

babby’s first sketchy circle router jig 👍

Jigs are so cool y’all 😍

The jig was too thick for the bit to cut all the way through, so I used a flush trim bit to finish it up

The top bearing rides along the edge and the rest of the bit cuts in line with it. I’m pretty sure these things are literal magic ✨

Absolute unit 🥰

Solid wood expands and contracts quite a bit, maybe ~3/4” across my table top. This means you can’t just screw the base directly into the top. Over years something will give and your table can crack 😱

(This is also one big advantage to building things w/ plywood)

This is my attempt at working around that movement. The inner bolt can move around some laterally, but the outer washer should keep it snug against the table top, at least in theory

Countersinking the washer keeps all of the hardware hidden from view 😊

I find this soothing

With the final tapers for the legs cut, we’re ready for sanding and assembly 😄

This is the underside of the table that approximately nobody will ever see, but the hardware is nice and hidden from view

The base is now glued up 😁

Presented without comment 🙈

Installing the hardware (except the leveling feet because I haven’t ordered them yet 🙃)

Oh shit, now I need chairs

Finally found some time to take some real photos and show off this table. It’s definitely my favorite project yet ☺️

(Chairs are temporary, picked up from a thrift store. Matching chairs are a future project)

This is the design I was trying to copy nakashimawoodworkers.com/furniture/roun…