Purse Table

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This is a project that was finished in April 2021 and posted on LJ.  It is one of my favorite builds.  The 4 first pics are from the original posting plus the narrative below.

Project Information
DW asked if I could make her a table to sit her purse on. It would be smallish as the AZ home is tiny. So I said yes and off to the lumber store I went.

Table top is 17" x 15" with the lower level 13" x 12". It is 29.5" tall. The "Purse Table" name came during one of my shop Orientation Training evenings. Near the end of it one of the new shop members asked what I was working on? I answered a Purse Table.

Never have done a floating top table before so started thinking and sketching.

Tapered legs and M/T joint for the aprons were in the evolving drawings. Made a tapering jig for the legs, easy-peezy, had some 1/2" birch plywood long enough and some extra pine left over from making a test tapered leg. Tapered all legs on the two out side faces. Mortises on the square inside face. Had to cut the mortises prior to the tapers.

Made the legs and aprons from cherry, top from walnut, cherry and a center strip of maple (had maple on hand).

Lower level is walnut and cherry.

First time attempting to use Tung oil finish. I like it but is a labor of love. Both levels have 5 coats on them but think I am not done yet, maybe 2 more. I used Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish.

A couple of things I would change. I have 1.75" from the top of the table legs to the bottom of the table top, would cut that down at least one half inch. For some strange reason thought the supports for the floating top would hide better if black. So I stained them black. Not so good, so next year when we get back to AZ will veneer them with 1/8" cherry or other light wood.

Last thing I would change is trying to sand out a table saw blade burn mark that came about on the last tapered leg and tapering sled got off a straight path near the end of the cut. Before I knew it there is a slight bow in the leg, now designated to the back side of the table.

We leave for the great PNW in the next week or two so may take more pics and add in the commentary later if the finish gets completed.

daveg, SW Washington & AZ

10 Comments

nice little table dave.

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

Pottz
Thanx for the comment.  I was making edits to the post while you replied.  I added one more pic that was for the community news letter in April 22. In this picture the saw blade burn mark mentioned in the verbiage can be clearly seen on the back left leg.

daveg, SW Washington & AZ

Beautiful looking cherry Dave!

How are those table top supports joined to the aprons? I can't detect any signs of a plug on the outsides so maybe just pockets?
Nice build Dave. 

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

SplinterG,

Table top supports are fastened by mortise and tenon joints.  Pretty small 1/4" wide x 1" tall.  I am a creature of habit and make all my tenons 1/4" wide and shoulders 1/4" deep on 4/4 stock.

daveg, SW Washington & AZ

Nice looking table. Even when you mentioned where to look for the burn mark it still took me a while to find it!
A beautiful table, with a great design, the floating top makes it really pop out. And a great choice of wood combinations that work well together.

Main Street to the Mountains

Nice table design and build.

Well done


Petey

I like the look especially the tapered legs and the floating top. 

James McIntyre