Australian Wood Review - June 2018

98 Australian Wood Review

PROJECT

After gluing up I used the domino tool to make small

mortises for the table buttons that would secure the top

to the frame (photo 6).

Extras

Even though the jarrah top would be strong and heavy

I wanted to have a centre rail underneath it. This allows

for a table button below it to make the table very rigid.

The centre rail is butt-glued in place and secured with 45°

angle blocks that are glued and screwed in (photo 6).

Angle blocks are also fitted at all leg corners to triangulate

the corner joints. Possibly overkill, but at least I know the

table frame will never break.

Lower assembly

The long lower rails are cut to length next, also at 5°. They

stiffen the legs and add weight to the design. Deciding

where to position the lower rails was a matter of playing

around to see what looked best. The small ‘shelf’ between

the lower rails adds another detail (photo 7).

To determine the size of the shelf I would usually also play

around until happy with the final length and width. In this

case though for fun I used the Golden Mean, a traditional

proportion of 1.62 to establish the size. I wanted it to be

75mm wide so multiplying by 1.62 gave me a length of

121mm (photo 8). The top inlay is the same size as the

lower shelf (photo 9).

The lower rail lengths were thus established and sawn

at 5°. The rails and shelf were first glued together and

then this lower assembly butt-glued to the lower short

rails. After the glue had dried I inserted a long dowel

through the short rails into the long rails to secure

everything. The dowel wasn’t made of jarrah and so

was stained to match.

The top

The top boards were selected and arranged for the best grain

pattern. I work out my final dimensions so that on glue-up

the panel is the final desired width but oversize in length.

The amount of overhang of the top over the frame is

critical. I spent time experimenting to find what, in my eye,

seemed the most pleasing overhang. Here that ended up

being 100mm. With this length established, the top could

now be sawn to final length.

Finishing

The top is fine sanded on both sides and the edges

rounded over to match the edges on the legs. The top is

fixed to the frame with table buttons. There was more

work to do on the top but I didn’t want to risk any cupping

or twisting so it was secured to the frame as soon as

possible. When the wood settles into its final resting place

I want it all flat and straight.

The top inlay can be fitted now. I traced its outline on the

top with a knife and routed and chiseled the waste out.

When happy with the fit the inlay was glued in place, then

planed and sanded flush.

A final sand and detail is now needed before the polish of

choice can be applied. In this case five coats of Whittles

hardwax oil were used, followed by buffing with a soft wax.

Photos: Raf Nathan

Illustration: Graham Sands

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Raf Nathan is a woodworker who lives near Brisbane

and designs and makes furniture and tools.

Email [email protected]

7. Gluing in the lower
   rails and ‘shelf’.


8. Close-up showing
   the figure in the
   small shelf.


9. The top inlay
   was made from
   fiddleback jarrah.

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