Tag Archives: Tables

The Barnsley Hay Rake Table

Inspired by the agricultural tools of rural England, this massive oak table is awash in hand-worked details.
By Don Weber
Pages: 60-65

From the February 2009 issue #174
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As a young fellow growing up in the countryside of Wales, I clambered over many a farm wagon, climbed into many a loft in barns that were jointed and pegged, and tripped over many a hay rake on my adventures.

I have always appreciated the simple, utilitarian, yet pleasing design of the vernacular woodworking of the countryside. My inspiration for furniture forms has always been the work of the wheelwright and coach maker. And the inspiration for how to build things came in part from Sidney Barnsley and Ernest Gimson.

Barnsley and Gimson were men of the Cotswolds school of craft architects. They were part of a group of London architects who moved to the countryside in the 19th century and set up what is known today as the English Arts & Crafts movement (along with William Morris at Kelmscott Manor).

These free thinkers broke away from convention and began to design not only the buildings, but the furnishings as well. And they turned to the rural countryside for their inspiration.

The hay rake table built for Rodmarton Manor was an example of how Gimson and Barnsley adopted details from farm wagons, carts and farming implements that were still in use in the Cotswolds.
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I Can Do That: A Tapered-leg Table

Tapered legs lighten the look and add ‘spring’ to a table’s design. By Glen D. Huey Pages: 26-27 From the February 2010 issue #181 Buy this issue now Small tables are useful just about anywhere in the home. They can be easy to build, but a good design is important. To make the design more … Read more »

White Water Shaker Table

We set out to reproduce a simple side table from the White Water Shaker community. We failed. By Christopher Schwarz Pages: 38-41 From the June 2010 issue #183 Buy this issue now The first time I encountered this table in the White Water Shaker collection, it was locked in a storeroom with more than a … Read more »

Queen Anne Dressing Table

This period reproduction shouts ‘high-style’ on the outside, but the inside structure is all ‘I Can Do That.’ By Glen D. Huey Pages: 26-33 From the June 2010 issue #183 Buy this issue now At first glance, a novice woodworker might turn the page on this Philadelphia-style dressing table thinking that the craftsmanship is too … Read more »

I Can Do That: Victorian Side Table

Pattern routing makes quick and easy work of these urn-shaped sides.
By Megan Fitzpatrick
Pages: 30-31

From the December 2010 issue # 187
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While vacuuming a few weeks back, I was thinking about what to build for this issue’s “I Can Do That” project when it hit me … actually, when I hit it with my vacuum. I’ve had a small Victorian table/bookshelf in my guest room for years, tucked away in a corner where I rarely see it. It’s suffered from a broken foot for as long as I’ve had it. I decided the time had come to fix the problem so that I could put the table where it belongs – next to my favorite reading chair.
Plan: Download the free SketchUp plan for this project.
Articles: All the “I Can Do That” articles are free online.
In our store: Online and DVD video instruction on woodworking basics.
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Magobei’s Dining Table: Part 2

The fear of a sagging tabletop leads to a solution that incorporates Western joints and Japanese aesthetics.
By Toshio Odate
Pages: 46-50

From the October 2010 issue # 185
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Many countries have their own woodworking traditions, which are often a combination of mythology and ideology. The Japanese are no exception, and those traditions are part of the foundation of my work.

There is a temple that ancient Japanese carpenters built. Its columns, hewn from trees, are positioned as when each was a standing tree. That is, the south side of the standing tree, when used as a column, also faces the south.

Though the tree’s south side has more knots, period Japanese carpenters believed that, if these trees had faced the sun for 1,000 years, as columns they would stand another 1,000 years if positioned the same.

Japanese woodworkers also try not to use wood upside down, even on small objects. And the heart side of the wood should always face the inside of a carcase or object. As a result, Japanese carpenters do not bookmatch material. Even for table legs, the core side should face the inside.

I follow these traditions as much as possible, especially the ideology used to indicate the two lives of a tree. Today, when making a sculpture or cabinet, I use materials that mostly come from my surroundings. There must be a strong reason to make an exception.

I don’t just hope – I carefully construct a table to exist at least 300 years.

Video: Learn to calculate the sizes of the drawer needed for your project.
Article: Discover how to sharpen your chisels properly from long-time sharpener and author Ron Hock.
Web site: Study the Tansu style and read about the history of the Japanese chest.
To buy: Purchase a set of Japanese chisels and other woodworking tools.
In the store: Pick up “The Drawer Book” for information about drawer construction. Read more »

I Can Do That: Factory Cart Coffee Table

This reproduction of an industrial workhorse will give you years of use in your living room.
By Drew Depenning
Pages: 24-25

From the October 2010 issue # 185
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At the turn-of-the-century, no factory existed without several industrial carts (also known as trucks) at its disposal. From hauling lumber to carrying crankshafts to serving city ice, these workhorses served many functions.

Today, many of these antique carts have been restored for another purpose – furniture.

But if you don’t have several hundred dollars (or more) to spend on a restored antique cart, you can build one that will serve for years in your living room.

Plans: Download the free SketchUp model for the Factory Cart Coffee Table.
Articles: All the ‘I Can Do That” articles are free online. Read more »