Coffee Anyone? (22)

Post 22 in the series. I’ve been describing the design and construction of a joined hardwood coffee table with a glass top. Previous posts are to be found in the blog archive to the right side of the page.

Lat post, I finished off the assembly and then showed a picture of the turned leveler feet. These were the last pieces to make for the table and were largely made on a wood lathe. Once they were shaped, and each one is slightly different due to the way they were made, I fitted a short piece of threaded rod to the leveler:

Previously I had fit T-nuts to the counter-bore at the bottom of the table legs. The leveler feet go straight in and screw down:

 Installed:

The leveler feet allow for about 1/4″ of adjustment at each corner, which should be plenty for the coffee table given its relatively petite footprint.

During the design phase of the project, I had gone back and forth on whether or not to fit these small pads to the bottom of the legs. They are a feature I like on many piece of Ming furniture, and I drew several iterations. In the end, after a bit of humming and hawing, I chose to go with the feet, especially since they allowed for the leveling function. Now that they are in though, I am surprised just how much visual effect they add to the piece as a whole. They really make the bottom of the legs with their little ‘stirrups’ stand out and give the piece more of a light feel. I’m really glad I went with the leveler feet and it goes to show that 3D drawing cannot convey 100% of how a piece will look when constructed and placed in front of you.

With the construction phase at a close, I did another few rounds of finishing work, culminating in a steel wool rubbing, and a couple of coats of wax.Then I fitted the glass, which I then sealed at the edge of the frame with a bead of clear silicone. I think the client chose wisely in opting for a grey glass, as it goes very well with the wenge shelf panel. Here are some unofficial ‘studio’ photos of the piece, with delivery slated for tomorrow:

I hope you’ll agree that the tiny leveler feet add more to the piece than one might have suspected.

Here’s a shot from the design phase:

And the completed piece for comparison:

A closer in look at a corner of the table:

A pic from the early design phase, with legs more radially curved, without feet detailing, and a thinner shelf:

The later drawing:

And the completed piece:

That draws to a close the build of Client L’s coffee table. I hope readers have had an enjoyable time following along.

I’ll be getting some professional photography done soon and will post up the pics on my other blog at a later date.

Thanks for coming by the Carpentry Way. Comments always welcome.