Black Walnut Dining Table

[WDH]

Had a customer who came to buy some walnut for a dining table for his wife.  Somehow, he talked me into building it as he did not have the tools and skills to do it.  He wanted it all out of 2" walnut.  I warned him that it would be pricy, but he still wanted to go forward with it.  He sent me some drawings he made.  It is a simple design, more of a contemporary or modern design.  I have been working on it on and off for the last 5 months.  He came down (he lives about an hour and a half from me) four or five times to help, especially with preparing all those 2" thick walnut planks. 

It is no Tule Peak, but it is turning out very nice.  Here are a couple of pics of the table after a rough sanding.  The top is not attached yet as there will be no way to get this thing into his house without taking in the top separate from the base.  I do not think that two people can carry it.  The table top has a 45° chamfer along all four edges.



 



 

I hope to get a better pic of the base design, and a better pic of the whole table a little later on in the process.  His finishing skills are undeveloped, so he will be using 100% pure tung oil mixed 50:50 with mineral spirits, which is pretty easy to apply.  I am also building an accompanying bench made from a single slab of 16" wide walnut. 

[hackberry jake]

 smiley_eek_dropjaw

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Whats the dimensions? Beautiful but big.
I'll bet that thang is heavy.  :D

[Glenn1]

Danny,

Walnut is my favorite wood and the table looks great.  I like the accents of the sap wood with the heartwood.   Way to go!!!!!!

[beenthere]

[gfadvm]

WOW! What a gorgeous table. I can't figure out how the stretcher is attached to the legs but I like that design. Warn him that pure tung oil can take FOREVER to cure.

[WDH]

Andy,

Good catch.  The stretcher is attached only with glue at this point.  I am not satisfied with it.  I discussed two options with the customer.  1).  Fill in the gap below the stretcher with another piece of 2" thick walnut.  Glue it in place to the two sides where it would contact the legs and the bottom of the stretcher.  2).  Get some antique brass L-brackets and screw them on the legs and the stretcher on the inside of the legs. 

Any suggestions on how to better secure the stretcher to the legs would be appreciated. 

[hackberry jake]

I saw a 2" thick cedar table top once that someone had made out of 6" wide pieces. They drilled a whole through each piece width-wise and then put a piece of allthread through all of them. Put a nut on each end and covered it with wood plugs. Would be tough drilling through that much leg though.

[buzywoodliff]

I'm not a huge fan of walnut but that might just my mind!!   Beautiful!!

I'll be checking back to see the progress, thanks for sharing.

[WDH]

Jake,

I agree that the legs are too wide for the all-thread.  I have been trying to figure out a way to do it mechanically that does not look crappy. 

Putting a block under the stretcher between the legs will work fine, but it could take away from the look of the piece. 

[hackberry jake]

Holly or maple above and below the stretcher? Still have a similar look... Just not see through.

[Bill Gaiche]

Can you separate the legs from the stringer? If you can, how about drilling a couple of holes and add two 1/2" X 4" dowel pins on each end which would be glued in. bg

[mesquite buckeye]

How about a nice long tenon through the stretcher into both legs. If you want to get really crazy you can flair the hole in the legs and put a wedge or two in the tenon on each end. Or just big dowels...

[AK Newbie]

 

[LeeB]

Maybe dowel it from the inside of the legs coming in at an angle, somewhat like kraig screws? With matching mood it would be barely visible or with contrasting wood to be able to see it.

[Bruno of NH]

Nice !!
Bruno

[addysdaddy]

 8) 8) That's one beautiful looking table. Love to see some pics of underneath and how you plan to attach top to legs. Also following all the ideas for leg and stretcher joining.... Love this stuff ;D

[WDH]

Some good ideas.  I like the dowel one.  However, Elvis has already left that building, and I cannot take it back apart at this stage. 

The angled dowels are a good idea, too.  Just need to figure out how to drill a clean entrance hole so that the dowel can be cut off and sanded flush with out a ragged hole. 

The contrasting wood idea would be neat.  Will have to run that by the customer (his wife who is the Real Customer).

Mus-Keet, please say a little more about the tenons. 

[LeeB]

Danny,
Do you have a kreig jig? If not you could drill an angled hole in a block and clamp that to the leg to use as a starter guide. Do you have a drill press with an adjustable table? Use forstner or brad point bit to make the hole in the block to get a clean straight hole.

[Jemclimber]

Very nice Danny!!!  I would have pinned it (probably double on each side with a dowel jig) as well.  Does the top side of the leg directly under the table have a lengthwise board as well? Not sure if that would be called an apron or double stretcher?  I'm curious as to how the top is secured as well?   Thanks for posting your work. It's inspiration to rookies like myself.

As a mover in my younger years, I would say that almost any table as long as it's not the new bar height tables that are currently fashionable, can be moved in one piece.  Most entry doors are 36" and most tables are 30" tall. Turn it on it's side and carry it in.  ;D     I wouldn't think it's over 400 lbs, so "suck it up, buttercup, and pick it up"  old saying from the moving years.   :D   In all seriousness, making the top removable is a smart idea on such a heavy beautiful table.   

[isawlogs]

 Any blacksmiths around you that can hammer out a few angled peices, have them heat the peice up and wipe them down with beeswax, they will have a nice flat black antique finish.... I was seeing an angled figure eight hammered from a forge. I don't think it would take anything away from your "chef d'oeuvre"
 
Marcel, your want to be son......   ;D

[mesquite buckeye]

This is what I was talking about. They call it a foxtail tenon. Everything has to be perfect going in, as it ain't comin' out. 

 

Sorry about the crappy drawing, but you get the idea. The wedges open the tenon as the parts are drawn together. I would use a wood for the tenon that is very bendy like elm or hackberry. Out here you could use palo verde. You want a piece with very straight grain.

But as you say, the train has left with Elvis on board. (emphasis on board.) smiley_biggrin01

As usual, fabulous work. ;D 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

[mesquite buckeye]

Danny, I think I may have an answer that could work.

 

Inlay a butterfly that is thicker toward the center. Carve away part of the end of the stretcher leaving a tenon that is wedged into the butterfly.

Locked for lateral racking and end to end racking, leaving original glueup intact. ;D

Pretty cool, no?   8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Ahm good at fixin' thangs. ;D ;D ;D :new_year:

[WDH]

A lot of good input. 

My favorite just might have been the part about Mr. Buttercup, shut up, pick it up  :D. 

[gfadvm]

Danny, Being as it's already glued up, I would tend to leave it as is. Long grain to long grain glue joints should be stronger than the wood. IF it fails at some point in the future, it should not be too tough to repair.