Building a Table

We’re building a table. The new house needs a table, and it has been a subject of much discussion. At first the plan was to buy a suitable farmhouse style table, preferably and antique of some sort……but we couldn’t find anything we liked. Then we talked about building one. I admit I was a bit resistant to the idea at first. Of course, I always thought it would be great to build a table. There is something about a kitchen table that feels like the heart of the home, and building it would be special somehow. But I knew we lacked the skills to put together a table as a carpenter would, the proper joinery skills. I can be sort of a purest about these things and I somehow worried that putting together a table with screws would not be right. Ah, but then there was more discussion, and more thought……and eventually I began to feel that I was being a bit snobby, and not recognizing that the building it, the doing it together, the making our own, was infinitely more important. Building a table, even with screws, would be fun, and it would be special because we made it. (and it means we can transport the wood to the house in the car and put it together there!)

We are using a this design found on Knock-Off Wood, though we have adjusted it to be the size we want. Lots of calculations. Today we are measuring our all the pieces. I will keep you posted our progress with the table.

Little White Shelf

After my last success I was eager to continue with woodworking, so I decided to build a little shelf with the scraps of  left-over wood. (plans found here) Very simple straightforward construction. I did, however, learn a lesson this time when I discovered how a tiny error, a piece cut just slightly too short, can make a big difference, and ended up with a lop-sided shelf with an optical illusion effect. But I was determined, so I knocked it apart and made some adjustments. The result is slightly less wonky. Some wonkyness is due to a lack of necessary wood, requiring me to  cut a 1×4 in half LENGTHWISE with my jigsaw, which was hard to do nicely.

I painted it quickly with a wash of the same paint used for the bench mixed with water. I know, I know…..it is  a tad boring. But I don’t know what room it will end up in, and we haven’t made any big colour decor choices, so it’s white for now. (Having said that, it looks quite pink in the photo, but it is white!) Of course, in the new house the shelf will be attached to the wall – just use your imagination for now.