Ash Hall Table With Pommele Makore Veneered Top

[Stew Hagerty]

This is a Hall Table that I made for a local Charity Auction. It's probably at least 80% made using only hand tools. I cut the frame rails and top pieces to rough size on my TS, I made a template then cut our the general shape of the legs on my BS. All of the shaping, joinery, and smoothing was done by hand. OK, I did use a vac bag to apply the veneer. I finished everything with Amber Tiger Flakes Shellac, then applied 2 quick coats of Behlen Gel Finish to the top to make it more durable. It was a really fun project.

Sawn I ready to build
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Vac Bag
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My pump
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Fresh out of the bag
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General shape cut on bandsaw
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Turning square to round
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Spokeshaving
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Whew... One down, three to go
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[Stew Hagerty]

More photos:

Sides applied with Dominoes
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Shooting the ends
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Domino tenons on the ends. In addition to glue, I also pinned them (23ga) in place from the underside for added strength.
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Planing the mating edge of the breadboard ends. I added a slight spring joint to them.
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Narrow mortise in the center with wide outer ones. I used shop made mahogany (for color match with the Makore) dowels to drawbore the ends into place.
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On to the leg mortises. Too late I realized that I should have chopped these BEFORE cutting them to shape.
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Marking out the tenons
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[Stew Hagerty]

Still more photos:

Final planing for the frame pieces

cutting tenon shoulders
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Planing the shoulders
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Final planing. I absolutely love this LV Bevel Up Smoother!
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Using my drill press to make the decorative corner cutouts
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Test Clamp-up
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Glued & clamped
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And the frame is done
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Here's the top ready for finishing
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[Stew Hagerty]

Last set:

Frame after 4 coats of Amber Tiger Flakes Shellac
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Signed & Dated
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After 3 coats of Shellac
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The top's done
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All finished & assembled
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[Mel Fulks]

That top can't be wood, my guess is it's gathered satin! Beautiful stuff! Looks like the design would allow the top to touch a wall with the legs easily forward from the base board. To me ,that's what qualifies a piece to be a hall table. And versatile is good.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Very nice piece Stew. If you have a picture from the front that illustrates the "floating top" I'd love to see it. Well done!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nicely done Stew!

[Michelle Rich]

great legs and I like the bold color contrast between the veneer and the base. But I have to be honest and say that I find the busy ash / lots of grain, takes away from the pomelle....just an opinion ...I know I would have made a quiet cherry base and the pomelle top...maybe I'm too old and conservative....but the table is quite well done.

[Stew Hagerty]

That top can't be wood, my guess is it's gathered satin! Beautiful stuff! Looks like the design would allow the top to touch a wall with the legs easily forward from the base board. To me ,that's what qualifies a piece to be a hall table. And versatile is good.

Thanks Mel. I was very fortunate to come across this piece of veneer. But it was only 10" wide X about 60" long so I was limited to a project like this. A smaller piece like a box or something, wouldn't have shown off the grain as well. And yes, the top sits just beyond the top of the legs by about 3/8" on the front & back (a bit more on the ends) and just over 1/2" at the bottom of the legs.

[Stew Hagerty]

Very nice piece Stew. If you have a picture from the front that illustrates the "floating top" I'd love to see it. Well done!

Well... You know, I just looked and it appears I didn't get any front views that were at a low enough angle to see the gap. When I get the table back I'll have to take a couple with that kind of view. Oh, and thank you.

[Stew Hagerty]

Nicely done Stew!

Thanks Ken, I appreciate it!

[Hoang N Nguyen]

Beautiful!!!

[Stew Hagerty]

great legs and I like the bold color contrast between the veneer and the base. But I have to be honest and say that I find the busy ash / lots of grain, takes away from the pomelle....just an opinion ...I know I would have made a quiet cherry base and the pomelle top...maybe I'm too old and conservative....but the table is quite well done.

Wait.... I didn't post any photos that show my legs!!! LOL

Seriously, thank you.

I actually chose Ash for a couple of reasons.
1. I like the bold grain and wanted to make a statement, not only with the Makore, but with the whole table. I do see what you mean about it taking away from it, but I see it as adding to it.
2. All of the Ash here in Indiana is dying thanks to the Emerald Ash Borers. So I gathered up a bunch of it so that I could preserve it in my work. In fact this piece has several tracks in it.
3. I didn't want to use anything close in color, such as Cherry or Mahogany. I also didn't want to use anything dark, like Walnut. I did consider Maple, but I thought it about #1 & #2.

[Jim Tobias]

Beautiful table and excellent work! You have got to be very proud completing a piece like this.

Jim

[Pat Barry]

I agree with the others _ very nicely done!