[sanchez]

I am starting on a demilune table with a drawer for my wife. I have always enjoyed seeing the build threads around here, so I figure after being a member for over three years, I'll try posting my work as I go along.

At this point, I have no jointer, planer, or bandsaw. I have a table saw, miter saw, jig saw, and two routers. My power tools are in a plastic sheeted section of the basement. I will definitely have some tooling issues to work around. Unless I crack open the wallet....

I bought the wood from a lumber yard 5 weeks ago and let it sit in the storage room of the basement. That's long enough.

Lets get started!

 

[sanchez]

Okay, May 28 is the start date.

Here are the boards that I hope to make into a nice piece of furniture. Poplar and walnut in the first picture, curly cherry in the second.

 

[sanchez]

May 28

My full size template, the table will be 32" x 12":


I also printed a copy on regular paper, sprayed it to some mdf, for a template for the table top. I cut it with the jigsaw and a bit of sanding left it feeling very nice.


Once the template was done, it was time to find the section of the walnut boards I wanted for the table top.

 

[sanchez]

May 29

I cross cut the poplar on the miter saw to 33" for the 30" long legs, then using the edge ripped at the lumber yard, squared the other side.


I found the section of the walnut boards I wanted for the top. I cross cut those to length, then also ripped with the lumber yard edge.


I wasnt quite happy with how they came together, so then I put them on my tapering jig to clean up the edges. I built the tapering jig specifically for the legs, but getting a good edge on a board is a useful application as well.



I had the boards planed at the lumber yard, but they are still a bit off. I am going to make a router sled type flattening/planing jig. That will cost me a lot less than a new #6 plane, and it will be easier for my skill set.

 

[hands made for wood]

Sanchez, I can feel your pain with a less than industrial workshop... I'm still in a single garage. Which is very hard to work with at times. But it does the trick! haha I'm really looking forward to seeing this beautiful piece come together!

 

[bigcouger]

I'm Watching

 

[Reclaimed Wood Blog]

This going to be fun to watch. :thumbsup:

http://reclaimedwoodblog.com/

 

[guglipm63]

I'm in

 

[sanchez]

Okay, not a lot of productive woodworking this weekend. Saturday I did some yard work and the neighbors had us over. Today I went to church and my nephew's birthday party.

I got my flattening/planing jig together on Saturday.


I hope to get the two boards for the top glued together on Monday.

 

[sanchez]

Well, Monday night went rather poorly.

The two boards I had chosen (a little over 6" wide each) for the top didn't have a clean edge to glue up, so I tried trimming them on the saw and jointing them on the router table. After all that, they were 1/2" too narrow for the 12" top, so I decided to go with a three board top.

So I used my tapering jig again to cut the clean edge on the third board and ripped the three to 4 1/4" each. I was still having a bunch of trouble getting a clean edge, so I again tried trimming them down. BY this point I now had three boards that were barely going to be 12"!:furious:

So late Monday night I finally figured out the trouble was my tapering jig. My runner was a bit deeper than the miter slot, so the jig would rock just a hair as I pushed it through, making the cuts a bit cupped.

Lesson from Monday night. TEST JIGS WITH SCRAP, OR YOU MAKE YOUR GOOD WOOD CRAP!!!

 

[firemedic]

I'm along to watch as well! Looking good so far.

 

[sanchez]

Tuesday June 4, much better evening:

I planed down the offending runner on my tapering jig with my trusty free Great Neck #4.

I got perfect clean edges on all the boards, ready for glue-up. I took the cutoff from the center board and glued it back where the grain lines up. I hope with only a sawkerf or two missing it will look like one board.



Then since I was happy I cut the blanks for the 1.5" tapered legs.

 

[sanchez]

I'm along to watch as well! Looking good so far.

Thanks! I saw the cool demilune table you made out of cypress a while back. Very nice!

 

[Wema826]

Im in for the ride! your off to a great start!

 

[firemedic]

Thanks! I saw the cool demilune table you made out of cypress a while back. Very nice!

Thanks. I have another in Cherry coming up soon! I'll be watching what ya do... You already ahead of me, :laughing: I hardly sketch pieces much less draw em up in cad! :thumbsup:

 

[sanchez]

Thanks. I have another in Cherry coming up soon! I'll be watching what ya do... You already ahead of me, :laughing: I hardly sketch pieces much less draw em up in cad! :thumbsup:

That's not cad. That is MS Visio. I am only patient enough to draw out one dimension. :laughing:

 

[sanchez]

June 5:

I got home late from work, so I didn't get a lot done. I got the three (and half) boards clamped together after cleaning them up last night. They looked great, no gaps!


I put the template on them and adjusted a bit for looks.


I glued up the three boards for the top. Yes, those legs I cut last night make good cauls.


Probably no updates until the weekend. I am going to the ball game tomorrow night at the company luxury suite :thumbsup:. Friday night is for my girls.

Saturday I hope to get the legs tapered and mortised. And maybe a start on the bending forms for the apron/drawer front.

 

[sanchez]

June 8:

There wasn't a lot of progress today. I spent most of the day out with my wife and youngest daughter.

I got the top cut. I cut it to rough size and shape with the jigsaw, then nailed the pattern to it and used a flush trim bit.





I also got the templates done for the bending forms. One for the drawer part of the apron and one for both of the sides.

 

[sanchez]

June 9:

Today I made the bending forms for the aprons and started on the forms for the drawer.

I ripped a bunch of 3" wide strips of 3/4" plywood. I cut them in batches to 12" wide for the aprons and 16" wide for the drawer.

I cut out the 3/4" plywood with my jigsaw.



I used the template nailed to the plywood and matched it up with a flush trim bit.



I screwed each piece to the prior layer and trimmed to match.



Shortly after the first few times, I figured out I could attach two layers at once on opposite sides and trim to match the center.



And finally, the male/female bending forms for the side aprons are done. I can use one for both sides of the apron, they are just flipped vertically.



.

 

[sanchez]

June 12

It's been a while since I updated. Today I got the bending form done for the drawer.


I made a tall auxiliary fence to help when I have to resaw the laminations. Which will actually only be about 3 inches tall, but hey, why not make a tall side on the aux fence...


I put the legs on the full size drawing to mark off the width of the aprons and drawer so I could mark for the mortises.


Now I can mark off the appropriate placement for the mortises.