Journaling again
I'm inspired by clevernonsense and his continuous stream of projects. I think it would give me inspiration and make me more productive if I posted my own.
Current project: Coffee table with corks.
I have been working on this for about 3 weeks now, and it is nearly done. Karen and I have had the general idea of using the hundreds of corks that we own to make a table, and several weeks ago I started to look for examples around the net of tables with corks, and I decided that none of them looked quite like what I vaguely pictured. I then found this table: http://ana-white.com/content/tryde-coffee-table and decided that a table like that, with wood around the outside and corks in the middle was what I wanted.
I then read a lot about making a table with corks set in a resin, though I was concerned about bubbles, and about getting a flat top, which I know are big issues from my manufacturing days when we would use giant centrifuges to get urethanes to set, flatten and debubble. I came up with gluing corks on a piece of wood set down into the center of the table, and then setting glass over that. So, I then had to correct the plans for that, and figure out the dimensions of a standard pane of glass that I could buy. I also had to figure out how to rabbet out a ledge for the glass, so the whole table top ends up flat. I ended up mentioning this to a work colleague who let me borrow his router, which is the exact right tool for this.
So, I bought a jig saw, which isn't very great at cutting straight though I do OK if I go slow. I have a hand saw but haven't used it on this. I also bought a countersink drill bit, a sandpaper holder, some wood glue, some stainable wood putty, a planer, some clamps, some wood chisels, a square (? - for getting right angles), and all the wood (pine or whitewood depending on what Home Depot had in that size) and screws. I had Home Depot cut some of the wood for me, and realized that is very slow. I think I only had them make 10 cuts total, which took about 45 minutes and had others waiting in line behind me to have things cut start getting very annoyed at me.
Anyway, Lyle and I built this table in a couple of weeks. I made the mistake of checking the glass fit when the frame was together, and it was perfect, but then I put in the board for the corks to sit on, and I had to kind of force it in, and I didn't recheck the fit. I also somehow miscalculated and mismeasured and ended up having the top hang over one side, but be flush with another side. It looks fine as long as you don't walk around it, low to the ground, comparing everything. I finished gluing on about 212 corks last night, and went to put the glass on, and it just barely didn't fit. I ended up having to get my wood chisel and shave the rabbeted ledge a little wider in 2 places. Now, I have to clean that up, sand it again, and restain that area. I also still have to buff out the polyurethane coating I put over it, because it is shinier in some parts than others, and looks kind of weird.
But, it is coming together, and it is the first piece of furniture I've ever built.
Current project: Coffee table with corks.
I have been working on this for about 3 weeks now, and it is nearly done. Karen and I have had the general idea of using the hundreds of corks that we own to make a table, and several weeks ago I started to look for examples around the net of tables with corks, and I decided that none of them looked quite like what I vaguely pictured. I then found this table: http://ana-white.com/content/tryde-coffee-table and decided that a table like that, with wood around the outside and corks in the middle was what I wanted.
I then read a lot about making a table with corks set in a resin, though I was concerned about bubbles, and about getting a flat top, which I know are big issues from my manufacturing days when we would use giant centrifuges to get urethanes to set, flatten and debubble. I came up with gluing corks on a piece of wood set down into the center of the table, and then setting glass over that. So, I then had to correct the plans for that, and figure out the dimensions of a standard pane of glass that I could buy. I also had to figure out how to rabbet out a ledge for the glass, so the whole table top ends up flat. I ended up mentioning this to a work colleague who let me borrow his router, which is the exact right tool for this.
So, I bought a jig saw, which isn't very great at cutting straight though I do OK if I go slow. I have a hand saw but haven't used it on this. I also bought a countersink drill bit, a sandpaper holder, some wood glue, some stainable wood putty, a planer, some clamps, some wood chisels, a square (? - for getting right angles), and all the wood (pine or whitewood depending on what Home Depot had in that size) and screws. I had Home Depot cut some of the wood for me, and realized that is very slow. I think I only had them make 10 cuts total, which took about 45 minutes and had others waiting in line behind me to have things cut start getting very annoyed at me.
Anyway, Lyle and I built this table in a couple of weeks. I made the mistake of checking the glass fit when the frame was together, and it was perfect, but then I put in the board for the corks to sit on, and I had to kind of force it in, and I didn't recheck the fit. I also somehow miscalculated and mismeasured and ended up having the top hang over one side, but be flush with another side. It looks fine as long as you don't walk around it, low to the ground, comparing everything. I finished gluing on about 212 corks last night, and went to put the glass on, and it just barely didn't fit. I ended up having to get my wood chisel and shave the rabbeted ledge a little wider in 2 places. Now, I have to clean that up, sand it again, and restain that area. I also still have to buff out the polyurethane coating I put over it, because it is shinier in some parts than others, and looks kind of weird.
But, it is coming together, and it is the first piece of furniture I've ever built.