I was at a store that sells exotic hardwoods just looking around and came across this amazing grained African mahogany that I just HAD to buy (I’m sure some people can relate to that feeling). I had no idea what I was going to make with it but I just “knew” it would be a good idea to have it for when the inspiration hit me.
I’ve needed a coffee table for some time but didn’t know what I wanted it to look like so I thought I’d just wing it and make one using the lumber I bought. I thought my girlfriend’s coffee table was kind of nice because it had glass in the center which spawned the idea of having a glass centered piece.
The legs and aprons were all mortised and tenoned by hand and I made corner braces to reinforce the joints. Being new at woodworking and only knowing what I’ve read and a little correspondence with my dad, it was dreadful to produce good looking mortises. I was humbled by learning that regardless of how much I read about woodworking, practice and experience will always produce better results.
I decided to make the table top mortise and tenon as well so I ended up buying a bench top mortiser instead of doing them by hand. On the underside of the table I locked the mortises in with dowels and made the drill holes on the outer part of the tenons slotted to compensate for movement. Before I assembled and drove the dowels home, I rabbeted the inside of the boards for the glass to sink into.
I think I was getting a little impatient by the time I got to attaching the legs and aprons to the table top which is why I made the blocks that are holding them together. They won’t compensate for movement so I don’t know how they’ll hold up in the long run.
I made a test board for the finish and I was torn between one coat of transfast brown mahogany dye and two coats. I went with two coats because for some reason in my head, dark wood looks more rich to me. I brushed on the boiled linseed oil and wiped the excess off. I tried padding on the shellac and didn’t end wiping with the grain so I had pad swirls all over so to fix that I just brushed on the same cut of shellac and all those swirl marks were gone. I then topped the table top with three coats of poly, measured for the beveled glass and ordered it, and then let everything cure for a week while the glass was being made. I’m really happy with how it turned out (which was exponentially better than I ever thought it would have). I just hope that it’s not destroyed by the blocks holding the top and bottom together.
I really love those simplistic designs.
In fact, I am pretty sure I will copy your idea :)
I found some nice mahogany during my last visit to the devil’s nest :p and I really want to start replacing my IKEA furniture :)
I like it too. I have yet to make my first real piece of furniture as I have been stuck in perpetual reno hell. Someday?????
I am very proud that my son has been pretty much self taught (with the right genes though!).He has gone past the point that I have and mastered furniture making in a short time.
Love the tone/color of the wood along with the overall look! Great looking piece!
W O W ! For a first attempt, you’ve made a bullseye!
Kyle what a great first table, I wish my first table had turned out that well. You are well on your way to being a fine furniture maker, keep up the great work
Looks good Kyle and I can totally relate to the “gotta have” feeling when visiting the local lumber yard. Don’t sweat the movement aspect. If it hasn’t blown up in the year since you built it you’re golden. But if it ever does, it’s in your house and you can always use it as a learning experience when building its replacement.
Thanks guys… I learned a lot on this project from where to start and how to finish. It’s been a year now and I still love looking at that grain.
If you’re going to all the trouble to build a piece of furniture by hand, it makes sense to use good material. The cost of the wood is a small thing compared to the hours spent in construction. Plus, good wood inspires you to do your best work.
DD
Very nice… Beautiful finish!
Beautiful piece of wood and awesome table Kyle…you did good! I agree with Bob,
this table will be an heirloom!
What a great first project! Movement will be minimal since it will be in your living room where the moisture level of the “conditioned” air will be more constant. Unless you have a wood stove. I wouldn’t sweat it, that table will be in your grandkids house. Welcome to the fraternity!
Nice table! It won’t explode since it’s basically a frame with all long grain. Nice job on the finish!
That’s a handsome little table. I’ve worked some with African mahogany, and yours has got particularly nice grain.
DD
Very cool table. The glass will be nice for a coaster free area. I know that my wife freaks when people put drinks with no coaster on the coffee table I built for her. It seems like you have been bitten by the wood bug.
Nice!
Very nice table, regarding the joinery: unless I am missing something could you not just redrill the blocks with slotted holes to allow for wood movement?
Very nice table. I really love African Mahogany. I’m new at woodworking too and it seems like every project calls for a new tool.
Awesome Table. I do know the feeling of just “Having to have the wood!” Just don’t tell my wife. She still doesn’t know how the wood rack keeps growing and growing.
Kyle,
Well done. No substitute for getting in there and trying. You may build many more furniture projects with better joinery, but you’ll never build another first.
Congratulations. Enjoy your table.
alan
Kyle- very nicely done…by the time it explodes, you’ll be ready to make something new anyway!