You know, one thing about posting this stuff up in "real time"... is that if you have screwed up everyone gets to see it!!!

And I screwed up big time...

My hats off to the likes of Steven Newman and Larry Buskirk who post up their stuff in progress every day.  @MaDeuce, I hope you are reading this.  We all make mistakes (well, I do anyhow).  We just have to back up a bit and give it another go.  I have only been doing woodworking for about 50 years, I haven't made all the mistakes yet!  But in this projec  I made two huge mistakes, both of which are glaring in the first two pics.  The first and most easily correctable was a planning mistake for the drawers.  I had sketched to scale the front apron with two options, a single centered drawer and a two drawer version.  I really liked the double drawer and proceeded accordingly.  When I cut the aprons and attached them to the legs I could see that the drawer depth just wasn't going to work out.  The drawers would have been about 5 inches deep!  And working depth about 2-3 inches.  I considered, briefly, simply making false drawer faces and putting the knobs on to give the appearance of drawers.  But my original plan was to have a functional drawer, so yesterday I cut and glued up a new front apron assembly.  Lesson learned.  Slow down and consider the whole piece, not just one view.

The second major screw up are the two lower mullions.  They did not meet at the center.  An error in execution.  The were cut out, new ones made and glued in yesterday also.

So today, I hope to make some progress moving forward...

 

Dan, it will not have glass inserts.  I have a few pieces of the fake marble tub surround that I hope to use.  If successful, I think it will tie it all together.  If unsuccessful... not going there!!!

Speak for yourself, Cal. I never make mistakes. Just kindling.

I hate finding the mistake after parts are built like that and it has happened more than once.  Who needs plans?  Redesign-redesign-redesign.

Edited January 11, 20197 yr by HandyDan

I was looking at that too, Cal, but thought the picture of the top was an optical delusion. For on the width of the 2 drawers combined looked too wide and the depth looked like the drawer would be angled on the back,short on the sides and long in the center. I had never made a drawer like that before, so was very interested how you were going to do that.

Glad you found your error before it was too late.

 

Herb

Cal, I get excited when I go an hour without an aw shucks (this is the g-rated version). On the other hand I make so many mistakes, I don’t really get mad at them yet (well most of them).

I did get things back on track yesterday.  Parts out of clamps, sanded and put in place.  Hope to do the drawer today, and on to cutting triangles.

 

Look great so far Cal. Moving right along even with the detour.

I saw the fasteners on the lower stringers and ????????  Then is dawned on me.  I see the future now.

Nice looking piece Cal & great recovery.

Aha, Cal, thats going to be a beauty! Your doing a great job. OH Yeah!!

That is SWEET Call..

not to mention mighty fine...

A very good day spent in the shop yesterday.  Drawer guides in and drawer made and left in clamps overnight.  Lower shelf cut from oak ply and then on to top triangles.  As I mentioned earlier, the inserts will be leftovers from the tub surround.  It is some sort of fake marble, but really just fiberglass resin mixed with stone dust maybe?  And then a thin top layer of "finished surface" containing the background color and different colored flakes, and topped off with a thin layer of clearcoat.  This stuff is a fairly uniform 7/16" thick.

When the tub surround was installed (and shower downstairs) I watched the crew simply cut this material with a circular saw with a carbide blade.  My efforts yesterday were not nearly so nice.  I kept chipping the clearcoat layer.  Not huge chips, but not suitable for a tabletop either.  I tried with the saw blade, I tried using some masking tape - but it kept delivering an edge with some amount of chipping.  Then the light bulb went off.  I cut close to the line with the saw, and finished it off with the belt sander.  Perfect!  Made a paper template the correct size, transferred that to the marble and laid a piece of masking tape on the inside of the lines.  First one done and I had to stop for the night.

With a little luck it will be in color by this evening.

Looking good...no, looking great. It's gonna be one sweet table. 

1 hour ago, Gene Howe said:

Looking good...no, looking great. It's gonna be one sweet table. 

+1

2 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

Looking good...no, looking great. It's gonna be one sweet table. 

+2...

7 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

Looking good...no, looking great. It's gonna be one sweet table. 

+3

+5

Maybe a silly question......this gonna fit from where you’re making it, to it’s final home?

4 minutes ago, Artie said:

Maybe a silly question......this gonna fit from where you’re making it, to it’s final home?

pick a spot and get in on the drawing...