I wanted to send this project to Marc, not for posting but to thank the forum members and him personally for the inspiration to get me out of the virtual woodworking mode. I wanted to try woodworking for a long time but never seemed to have the time or confidence to begin. I have watched The New Yankee Workshop for as long as I can remember, and incorrectly assumed that woodworking required a unique power tool for every different cut and joint! After accumulating some basic tools, I was ready to start. I watched Marc’s videos, read his advice, and gained confidence, but what really motivated me was Marc’s series of articles regarding Duane Moore, a woodworker battling cancer who wanted to make projects for his children. I was touched by Marc’s compassion and support and wanted to be able to create something from my own hands to proudly pass down to my own children.
I chose this table design because I very much like mission style furniture, or so I thought at the time! It had enough challenges for a beginner to learn from, but nothing insurmountable considering the limited tools and skills I have. My first shock was the cost of quarter sawn White Oak, so I decided to use less expensive Red Oak. Although I don’t particularly care for the look, it was a better option considering I was fairly certain I would make a lot of scrap, which turned out to be true.
The legs were the biggest challenge. I wanted to try different methods to make them. I was given a locking miter bit for my router table, but had a very difficult time setting it up correctly. Ultimately I made a couple of variations of a simple miter joint on the table saw, one leg with a spline joint just to see how it worked. The next challenge was the mortises. Since I do not have a mortising machine, I drilled and chiseled them. It may not have been pretty, but I enjoyed the process. I think what surprised me the most in this project was that I enjoyed sanding it! I really felt a connection to the project at this point and sanding did not seem to be a chore at all. The finishing is where I really chickened out. I didn’t want to screw up at this point, so I went to Rockler and bought a Mission Oak gel stain and polyurethane top coat. In hindsight, I wish I would have gone with a natural finish, but its all part of the learning process.
For me, the biggest lesson learned was the need for planning. Small mistakes up front lead to bigger errors in the end. I wound up retracing a lot of steps that would have been unnecessary had I thought it through better, in particular making sure tools are calibrated correctly. Oh, and I also learned I need more clamps. A lot more clamps!
This simple table turned out to be closer to firewood than furniture and I would be embarrassed to have this displayed next to the fantastic work I see on The WoodWhisperer site, but I really like it and had a blast making it. Again, thank you Marc and forum members for the help, I look forward to being a Guild member some day when I think I can handle more advanced projects.
Hey man it looks good. I know what you mean about the red oak. I made a built in bathroom cabinet out of red oak plywood and solid red oak, with the door panels being 1/4″ birch plywood. I discovered that I didn’t like the look of red oak, at least not the plywood I have . I’m glad the expanse of it isn’t visible as this cabinet is inset in the wall. Next time use the nicer looking wood. There are ways to get the quarter sawn look on table legs, for instance, without using a solid piece. But I’m going to agree with everyone else that this project looks great. We’re all our own worst critic. I can’t see any flaws in the picture. Keep up the good work!
Thank you everyone for the positive comments about my simple table, it means a lot to me. I was a little embarrassed to find out that this project would be posted, and even more so when I saw projects like the kid that built his own wooden band saw and the doctor that built museum quality furniture in his apartment bathtub. Now that’s talent!
New lessons learned, join the guild (birthday coming up), splurge on the materials I will be happy with long term and don’t allow myself to be overly critical. Again, thanks Marc for the website and personal support.
Tom
Very nicely done. The grain placement on the top and shelf both stand out beautifully with the finish.
Beautiful looking piece. I love the shean finish and the style of your project. Keep up the great work.
Great job – it looks terrific. We are always learning more and improving with practice.
Great job!!! Congratulations on the start of your journey. May it be all that and then some.
Yeah, firewood was my first thought.
Very nice, and I really appreciate your words on how much good wood costs… so many times you read about nice projects only to find out they spent hundreds of dollars on wood. And think there is no way my wife would let me spend that much on boards!
That’s a very good looking table, and I like the story you wrote with it. I often wonder if Marc has any idea of the number of people he influences with his writing and woodworking. I think the majority keep to themselves, yet they take very it serious and also practice what he says. Thank you Marc
Tom,
So I looked at the pictures you posted. I wish I had some firewood that looked like that. I think you have something to be very proud of. I have a couple of projects sitting in my garage/workshop right now that are in various stages of completion because I am not happy with some of the work on them. Now that I see how yours turned out maybe mine will be the same and look pretty good when completed. It’s time to finish them up. Thanks for the inspiration.
Jim
That’s a great looking table, my wife just pd $350. + for a table like yours, she said” she couldn’t wait a life time for me to make her one.”
That’s a really nice project Tom, don’t be so hard on yourself :-) I’d be very proud if I could produce something half as nice!! Well done!! Hope its the first of many.
That is a great looking table. Just keep making them and they will be better each and every time you make one. Join the guild today you will learn somthing every time you watch even if you dont build the project!
Dan I agree I see flaws in everything I make, my wife always says I would never have seen that….what are you talking about!
Good job Tom. We are always our worst critic, as we know where to look to see the flaws. For a first project, I think you did quite well. And not a particularly simple project at that.
Next time, you may want to go ahead and use the more expensive quarter-sawn oak. Considering the number of hours put into building, the extra expense for good wood is relatively minor. Plus, beautiful wood helps inspire you to do your best work. And the finished product will be twice as attractive.
DD
Tom,
You did a great job! Everything you learned and experienced with this project will certainly pay dividends on your next project… not to mention you have a great looking table to show for your efforts.
The guild isn’t about building advanced projects. The very first project (the shaker table) is very much in line with the table you built. Even if you don’t build along, you still gain valuable knowledge with seeing all the little details that go into a project and how to accomplish tasks you may not have seen before. Plus you get one-on-one support with Marc should you ever find yourself in a bind with any project… not just guild projects.
Thanks for sharing your project and your story.
I think it came out great! If this is your first project then you have a lot of quality woodworking in your future!