Dining Table and Chairs

This week’s project comes from John. Let’s see what he has to show us:

“I visit your website almost daily with the intention of furthering my woodworking knowledge and being entertained. You have yet to disappoint me. Attached are a few pictures for your Project of the Week. I just completed this dining table and chair set which replaced a far more traditional piece of furniture that no longer meets our current decor taste.”

“Thirty-five years ago my wife fell in love with a Thomasville dining set. But times have changed and so has my wife’s taste in furniture. So out with the old, in with the new. The new table measures 68 x 44 which is the size of it’s predecessor. The table base and breadboard are walnut, although since I eventually ebonized it, the wood could be almost anything. The top is 1” MDF veneered with quarter sawn raw wood cherry. The inspiration for the finish came from some high-end audio speaker cabinets. The first step was to add the black stripes. This was done by applying black dye to some grain patterns and immediately wiping away as much as I could. I then sanded it to leave a faint amount on the top. I mixed General Finishes Cranberry and Golden Oak stains in a 5:1 ratio for the basic color. This was followed by spraying 4 coats of General Finishes Top Performance glossy polyurethane followed by two coats of satin.”

“Since I had never made a chair before, I needed some help. I purchased Jeff Miller’s Chair making & Design and essentially copied one of his basic designs. The wood I chose was poplar since it would be ebonized and is cheap. The joints are mortise and loose tenons except for the side rails which are angled tenons. The angled tenons were the most challenging part of the construction. The finish is black dye followed by a black stain because I like a very black black and dye goes places that stain doesn’t. This was followed by three coats of gloss poly and two coats of satin. I have to credit my wife for making the seat cushions. This was her first upholstery attempt, and I think she did great.”

“The dining set now sits proudly in our dining room along with some of the other projects I have done. The corner display and floor standing clock have been around for about a year and nicely complement the table and chairs. Thanks, Marc. And keep on whisperin”.