I have not been accepting commission this summer due to the lack of time in the shop. I wasn't going to take on paid work and then take forever to get the project completed. However, I did accept a commission for a friend back in April. She understood that it wouldn't get completed until I was in the new shop. Well I have been in the new shop for about 2 months and have still not completed it. Because I will be taking my time, trying a few new techniques and a few new tools on this table, & documenting this build, I have decided not to charge her. Starting next week I will get moving on it. This week with school starting, my son's first year, I have been busy.
She wants a sofa table, but wants to use it under her wall mounted TV in their bedroom. The only specific requests she had was to make it 47"w x 12"d x 32"t and to have a bottom shelf. I did a lot research and decided I like a design that Fine Woodworking featured on their Start Woodworking Series. It is a night stand but I took the elements that I like and made them bigger. Here is the link to the video series: http://www.startwoodworking.com/getting-started.
Here is the overall design of the table. I will use all dowel joinery. It will be finished using General Finishes Java Gel Stain with Arm-r-Seal topcoat.
These will be the approximately finished dimension.
The bottom shelf will be placed low enough to fit large items on. The bottom shelf will mount just above the tapers on the legs.
The legs will have a taper starting 15" up from the bottom. It will start at 1 ½" at the top and taper down to 1" on 2 sides. I will have to create a table saw sled to get all the tapers correct.
The table apron will feature a ¼" bead on the bottom of all 4 sides. I am not sure if I will use a shutter beading bit that has a V groove on the top or a regular beading bit. We will have to see when that time comes. I will also have to build a temporary router table since I do not own one yet. The aprons will be set in from the legs ⅛".
I will finish the tabletop off with a 45° chamfer. The chamfer will go about ½ way through the top of the table.
I am not sure this one will be videoed as I plan to video the next build which is a dining room table. I will be featuring it when it is complete with pictures.
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After 3 years of my wife asking for a table I have decided to build it. After searching the internet for design ideas, I couldn't find what I wanted. Marc Spagnuolo, The Wood Whisperer, happened to put out a plan that I liked, it just didn't suit my needs fully.