The Original Request

My sister's Pastor asked if I could make a communion table for their church. In the past, I've made a lectern/pulpit and a kitchen work table. This seemed like it should be an uncomplicated build.

The pastor supplied me with his original thoughts and an image-

He picked this particular image for it's size/proportions, however, the "arts and craft" style was not his first choice. That style didn't really fit with their church's other furnishings. He said he didn't really want a drawer. He wanted the materials to be maple, walnut and birch to coordinate with other pieces of furniture.

My furniture building/designing experience is limited. Some research on the Internet lead me to believe that most all communion table designs lean towards the more massive proportions. When I mentioned this to the Pastor, he agreed but said their church is small and they felt a "lighter" piece would fit into their space.

We worked back and forth thru Sketchup making design changes. His original image morphed into more simple, final design-

The base will be made from maple, the top from birch ply and the top trim created from walnut.

The top trim/banding will overlay the plywood slightly. The pastor supplied a profile of what he wanted-

I think I'll start with the trim piece first.