Building your own custom oval coffee table adds a unique, handcrafted touch to your living space. This project combines woodworking skills with creative design, resulting in a beautiful, functional piece of furniture. In this guide, craftsmen Norm Abram and Jeff Sweenor show how to build an oval coffee table using reclaimed wood, demonstrating the intricate craftsmanship required to achieve the end result.
Preparing the Wood for an Old Pine Coffee Table
Before diving into the construction process, you need to properly prepare the wood. This step guarantees your finished product will be both sturdy and attractive, laying the groundwork for high-quality craftsmanship.
Planing the Boards
The first step in wood preparation involves planing the boards. This process includes removing any rough or uneven surfaces, ensuring all boards are of uniform thickness, and eliminating any warping or twisting in the wood.
Planing not only helps create a smooth, flat surface but ensures the boards can be joined seamlessly, which is crucial for the final structure’s integrity. Accurate measurements and handling are emphasized throughout to ensure all pieces fit as intended.
Joining the Boards
Once planed, the boards are ready to be joined to create the tabletop and lower shelf. The craftsman use mortise and tenon joints, a traditional woodworking technique that reinforces the structure and promises longevity in the piece. This step is not just about functionality—it’s also a testament to the attention to detail of a custom project.
Preparation also involves choosing the right glue and clamps. Patience is key during the setting period. Rushing can compromise the strength of these joints, impacting the overall durability and finish of the table.
Creating the Oval Shape of a Coffee Table
Achieving the distinctive oval shape requires careful planning and execution.
Cutting the Oval
- Develop a template for the oval shape, ensuring it meets your dimensional requirements.
- Position the template on top of the glued-up boards with precision.
- Trace the oval outline meticulously onto the wood.
- Use a jigsaw, keeping a steady hand, to cut slightly outside the traced line for adjustments.
In the video, Abram and Sweenor provide advice on controlling the cutting tool to prevent errors.
Refining the Edge
Post-cutting, refining the edge of the oval to achieve smoothness is essential for the final piece’s look.
- Reattach the template to the cut pieces for reference and stability.
- Use a router with a straight-cutting bit, equipped with ball bearings, for edge refinement.
- Careful advancement in a counterclockwise direction is key to ensuring a clean, smooth finish.
- Finally, sanding follows to eliminate any residual roughness or imperfections.
This phase highlights the transformation process, demonstrating the transition from rough cut to refined elegance, a rewarding payoff for precise craftsmanship.
Crafting the Table Legs of the Coffee Table
The oval coffee table’s legs lend a unique character to the finished product. Constructed from two pieces of stock joined together, they complement the tabletop while adding flair.
- Cut leg stock to meet your specific design plans and dimensions.
- Adhere two pieces of 1.5-inch stock together to craft a sturdy 3-by-3-inch leg.
- Employ a dado blade to create notches accommodating the shelving, ensuring these align precisely for stability.
- Add a chamfer to the top of each leg, enhancing the decorative aspect.
- Craft a cove detail at the bottom of each leg using a sander, which adds a touch of sophistication to the table’s silhouette.
Crafting these legs requires meticulous attention to detail and a steady execution plan as even slight deviations can affect the table’s stability and look.
Assembling the Coffee Table
Attention to every joint and connection ensures not only stability but also a visually cohesive piece of furniture.
Attaching the Legs
Dominoes, also known as specialized loose tenons, attach the legs to the stretchers, a technique combining modern efficiency with traditional reliability. Apply glue diligently to the domino slots before placing them carefully. Clamps hold everything in place as the glue dries, solidifying connections that ensure the table’s long-term sturdiness.
Adding the Shelves
Insert the lower shelf into the cut notches on the legs. The top shelf, or tabletop, requires equal precision. Secure it to the leg framework via the precut notches.
Finishing Touches To Your Old Pine Coffee Table
Completing the table is as important as crafting its parts. These finishing touches finalize the table’s appearance and durability.
- Thoroughly sanding all surfaces, moving progressively from coarse to finer grits to achieve a smooth finish that invites touch.
- Apply a protective finish such as stain, varnish, or oil, chosen both for its aesthetic impact and its ability to shield the wood from wear and exposure.
- Attach felt pads to the leg bottoms to safeguard floors and enhance mobility.
Crafting a piece with such attention requires both skill and patience, culminating in a table that’s equal parts utility and artistry.
