Project: Cherry Dining Table

[Stan Mitchell]

Great project!

[Matt Meiser]

Here's tonight's progress. The mortises are cut in the feet and the tenons are rough cut (plus a piece epoxied back on two side of the tenons due to a forgetting which side of the blade I should measure to .) The tenons are fitted on one, still need to do it on the other. The legs are just rough cut--I wanted to get this far so I can take the legs and the template up to a friend's tomorrow night and use the Byrd head on his shaper to finish shaping them.

I have used the band saw on this project more than my previous 10 years of woodworking. Glad I upgraded a short time back.

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[Art Mulder]

I hope your Mom's floor is absolutely totally 100% flat, or she's going to regret insisting on those flat feet.

Byrd head on a shaper? Never heard of that!
Otherwise I have to say that looks like some very nice clear straight-grained cherry you've got there. It's going to be gorgeous.

[Matt Meiser]

Its going to get some small pads (felt pads or "magic slider" type pads) so that will account for the out-of-flat issue but not let you see the dirt that gets under the legs. At least until you move it. But yeah, I agree as does my dad but you know how that goes.

The Byrd head is awesome. We template cut a bunch of pieces for doll beds last year with it. Even curved cuts in hard maple that would have probably ripped the heck out of the piece with a straight bit were tearout-free.

[Prashun Patel]

Matt-
yr skills are way above mine, but a quick followup question to Art's comment. Could you cut a 1/8" recess on the bottom of those long feet? Won't detract from the look at all, but will provide four smaller bearing points that can be individually leveled instead of two long ones. I'm sure you thought of that already.

[Matt Meiser]

No I hadn't. Definitely something to consider.

[Matt Meiser]

Lots more progress. First, I determined that the slides are intended to be supported from the center. Supporting from the ends leads to LOTS of sag in the middle--but not much perceptible to the eye when supported from the middle. That led to adding a center stretcher which will add a lot of rigidity. Note the large nut on the stretcher between the legs. That will be getting a blackened finish by heating and quenching in oil before assembly to give it an "old" look. Also note the storage for the leaves inside. I want to add a couple guides here to keep them from getting hung up in the slides, especially the alignment pins.

I've tried a chair at numerous places around it and there won't be a bad seat in the house. Even caught straddling a leg isn't bad as they are about at the sides of my knees and the foot really doesn't get in the way much.

I still need to do the sanding and glue-up of the legs which will be epoxy for strength. I also need to fabricate a support post that will go at each end when the table is fully open. That's a loooong span. These won't be designed to add any lateral stability, only reduce the bounce at the ends.

Hoping to get that all finished up the next few days so I can do all the final hand-sanding and apply a coat of Seal-A-Cell next weekend.

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[Matt Meiser]

Well, I wrapped up construction yesterday. The leg assemblies are glued up using epoxy--right or wrong I felt like that would make for stronger joints.

I got the two auxiliary legs made which are really needed because the table gets very tippy when fully open. I did run into a dilema. It seems the slides actually are designed to bow up when open to counteract sag. So the height of those legs for a perfectly flat top is about 1/2" less than open and clear. I ended up leaving them so they don't touch figuring there will be some wear over time and it does make it easier to mount them. Once you get a little weight on the top, they touch.

I also got the hardware blackened. I did this by heating until it was glowing orange and then quenching in motor oil. Obviously this is an outdoor activity but it looks great.

I need to fill some pitch pockets in the top with epoxy, all the show surfaces need a once-over with 220 grit, and everything underneath needs edges softened. Then it moves into the finishing room. I'm hoping to get a coat of Seal-A-Cell on it before the end of the long weekend.

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[Kent Parker]

Great project Matt. Thanks for the post and the tip on blackening. Is Seal a Cell your only finish ? I've never used the product before and was wondering on its durability.

Cheers,

Kent

[Matt Meiser]

No, that's just the first step. After that It gets a coat or two of the Target WB Shellac, then a couple coats of Target EM6000. Then the top gets a coat or two of Target EM8000 which is a very hard product that resists scratches. Other than the EM8000 its a finish schedule I've used a few times now, including the cabinetry for the kitchen this goes in.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Matt,

Very nice table. Thanks for sharing the project. Forgive me if I missed it, but what kind of slides did you use? I will be tackling a similar project soon and I'm looking for slides. Do you like them? Any regrets?

Thanks!

Peter

[Matt Meiser]

Thanks. We ordered them from Osborne Woodworks and they seem really good. I originally planned to support them from the ends but found they were designed to be supported from the middle. That's all I really ran into with them.

[Art Mulder]

?? are the aux legs permanently attached, or do you slip them in when opening it wide?

[Matt Meiser]

They are removable with a couple knobs. I'll post a pic later.

[Marshall Border]

Beautifully done , Cherry is always a great choice - it'll be nice to see the finished piece ...........MB