This is the first post of my attempt to build a federal style table in mahogany modeled after one in a Fine Woodworking article by Steve Latta. This will be a semicircular table and intended to go against the wall in a hallway, unlike the more typical “card table” design where the top folds open to create a round surface.
I’ve done a limited amount of inlay before, but virtually no veneering. This will be my first attempt to do the string inlay and Bellflower inlay on the legs often seen in federal tables. I’m not really sure what I’ll do with the tabletop but I’m considering some sort of design with different types of veneer, which is certainly waaaay over my head.
The curved apron is built with a “Brick Laying” construction using 5 layers of 4/4 pine built up to achieve the 3 ˝” height of the apron.I started with a plywood template and then tried to figure out the angles I need to cut the first layer of pine to fit with the curved apron profile. I tried using geometry to determine the angles but that was an utter train wreck, so I ended up just making paper templates that looked right..
Grooves are plowed in the end grain to accept splines that will strengthen the joints between the pieces that make up each layer.
Here’s the first layer glued up.
I clamp the first layer to the template to draw the curved profile and then saw the curves on my cheesy bandsaw (the most difficult tool for me to tune correctly).