Oval kitchen table....?

[Dennis Peacock]

Tod,

I've done some bent laminations before, but on a more "narrow" scale, like 1" wide for the backs of curve backed chairs. I'm just trying to figure out how I can do this table without it taking me 3 months work to make. This of course will require new jigs to be built and borrow clamps from Joe Meazle since I don't have enough clamps for that scale of a glueup.

[tod evans]

good reason for a vacuum pump....02 tod

[Jamie Buxton]

Tod,

I've done some bent laminations before, but on a more "narrow" scale, like 1" wide for the backs of curve backed chairs. I'm just trying to figure out how I can do this table without it taking me 3 months work to make. This of course will require new jigs to be built and borrow clamps from Joe Meazle since I don't have enough clamps for that scale of a glueup.

You can buy semicircular aprons for lots less work than it'll take you to to set up to build them. One source is http://www.tablelegs.com/tableaprons.htm#rndaprons

[Dennis Peacock]

good reason for a vacuum pump....02 tod

I've gotta vac-pump....just no platen or vac-bag.

[Ted Jay]

Dennis,
Here are three drawings I just did in AutoCAD of different ovals. Depending on the ratio of width to length that you want.

What you can do is just print these out. Get a pair of dividers and measure from the center to the intersection of the oval, you can then multiply that distance to be as large as you want for your full size oval table. The angle for each line in the drawings is at 12 degrees for your reference.

(If you want I can draw it up to scale and give you the exact lengths at each angle. All you would need is to tell me the length and width your wanting. it doesn't take long.)

The third drawing shows the difference that the ratio has on the shape. The 2:1 would be better for a dinner table and a 3:1 would probably be better for a coffee table.
Have fun,
Ted

[Gideon Yuval]

There's a jig I use to creat any arch I want in minutes,so long as I know the length and height.
First I tack 3 nails onto the ply sheet or table top or whatever so that the center nail is at the center at the high point and the other 2 at the two ends of the base of the arch. Next I take 2 slats of ,say, 5-6 mm ply and staple them together so that the one slat is parallel to the base of arch and the other is leaning against the other 2 nails. Holding a pencil up against where the 2 slats meet while sliding the jig along 2 of the nails to one side. The pencil will draw half of the geometrically correct arch. Repear the process to the other side and you've got a perfect arch. Do the same thing at the 2 ends of the table and you've got yourself the elipse of your choosing.
The attached skp should make the explanation clearer.
Hope this helps.