Table build thread - lots of pics

I made lots of progress on the Egg table. Now that the table top and the legs were done, I could set the dimensions of the aprons. I used the underside of the table top to lay out exactly where the legs would go and measured the resulting distance between each leg. I was surprised how far out I had to push the legs to fit the large Egg. Since I bought a BGE cover for it, I was trying to stay within the 24 inch width the cover was made to fit. I had to push the top aprons out as far as I could so they would not interfere with the 21 inch opening in the table top.

Then it was time to cut the mortise and tenon joints. There were 16 in all for the legs and aprons.

Looking at it now I should have made the tenons a little beefier. Hopefully 3/8 inch thick will be strong enough.

With the joints on all the aprons cut it was time to dry assemble the structure and see how everything fit. This was also an opportunity to record measurements for the lower shelf and the braces that will go in the middle of each shelf and under the Egg.

Unfortunately, I didn't like the way it looked when assembled. It was too "blockish". I decided to cut some arches into the aprons to soften the lines a little. I marked those using a 21 inch radius on the short aprons and a 14 foot radius on the long aprons. I cut them on the bandsaw then sanded to get them all consistent. They didn't come out perfect, but they aren't too bad.

Next I dry assembled everything again to fit the braces. I like the look of the aprons a lot more now.

I cut one brace for the center of the table top and one for the lower shelf. I added two more heftier ones to help support the weight of the Egg. (8 more mortise and tenons!)

Now it was time to cut the lower shelf to size. Just like the top, the shelf was made by gluing several boards together and sanding smooth. It is just a plain rectangle and needs to have notches cut at each corner to fit between the legs. The notches were cut on the bandsaw.

I tried to leave a gap around each leg to allow for expansion and contraction of the shelf without pushing against the legs. I hope this is enough of a gap.

Here is a sequence of photos of the entire table assembly. First the lower aprons and braces.

Then the lower shelf.

Then the upper aprons and braces.

Then the table top.

And finally the tile.

You may have noticed the distance between the lower shelf and the table top is greater than the 15 inches needed for the large Egg. I thought the table didn't look right with only 15 inches between the shelves and I also thought I'd have trouble storing stuff on the lower shelf with such a small gap (10 inches) between the lower shelf and upper apron. So I decided to lower the shelf and build a platform to raise the Egg to the necessary height. The platform, and lots of sanding and finishing are coming up next.

If an 8-sided thing is an octogon, what do you call a 12-sided or 16-sided thing?  I picture making something like that and rounding it on the table saw the same way I rounded the paver. I do not have a lathe.

Do you think that might work?  If I go with 16 sides, I think each piece has edges cut at 11.25 degrees.  I need to compute the length of each side to get an 18 inch outside radius, but I should probably plan for a 19 inch outside radius so the paver sits inside the "tube".  This is going to be tricky.

EGGASM said:

ETBee,  your handywork is inspiring!  Awesome job!  What is the approximate cost of the cypress for this table?  It's pretty pricey in North Florida.  That 22" cypress cutout would make a nice end table top!  Thanks for the posts.

I don't remember the exact per-board-foot cost, but it was something less than $3. It isn't very expensive here in Tennessee. I think the total purchase of rough lumber was about $170. This is not "sunk cypress", just the normal above ground stuff.

That's not a bad idea about using the scrap round cutout to make a small table. I may just utilize some of the extra Corian and make a little table that picks up the look of the Egg table.  I have three 4-foot boards left over I can use to make legs.  Thanks for the idea! 

dweebs0r said:

ETBee, what part of TN do you live in?  Munford, TN here (close to Memphis).  When you are done with this one, would you consider building a second table to sell?