Team Savoy

Without legs, the table is just a slab of wood. Not much fun to eat a deep fried turkey at. If you recall from the drawing, one of the main design features is the legs and the flare they have. I’m not super proficient at SketchUp, so I was unable to show how the legs curve in the drawing where they only curve along one axis. But in reality, they curve on two axes.

In prior tables I’ve made, the legs simply taper which is perfectly fine. But, I was looking for something with a little more interest and complexity. One of my influences was a display table by David Marks, and so I set out to make a leg along those lines, but appropriate for supporting a very heavy dining table.

Let’s show a picture to get a better idea of what’s going on:

On the far left is a template made from 1/8” hardboard. I drew out the curve using some simple guides and tweaked it as needed. After honing it with sandpaper, I made a master template out of 1/2” MDF (2nd from left). This master is what was used to trace all of the legs. Each template is a projection of the curve in one dimension.

In the middle is a sample leg made out of cheap pine. This makes it easier to visualize what the leg will look like and it’s a very valuable step. In fact, this set of legs is the 2nd set I made. I had an earlier design, but once I got to the sample stage, I decided that it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. So, I started over without wasting any good lumber.

To make the leg, you take a block of wood that the leg can be cut from (2nd from right). Now, finding a block of walnut 3” x 3” would cost a fortune (if it could be found). This blank is actually 3 1” thick pieces of walnut face glued together. Even so, each leg cost about $40 in raw materials (whereas the pine leg in the middle cost about $2).

To curve the leg in two directions, you first trace the template on one face. Then on an adjacent face, you flip the template and trace it again. Then, you cut along both traces and when you’re done, you get a leg that curves in two directions (far right). After some scraping and sanding, the leg is ready for joinery.

I’m sure that many of you have heard us talk about the mythical dining table. Some of you may have wondered how that project is going. I am finally ready to start a series of updates of the dining table as it goes from raw wood to finished product.

The goal is simple: create a table for the dining room that facilitates eating and gathering - not just holding junk. We’ve currently got a card table that is excellent at holding said junk. Not so good at the eating, though. Ideally we’d like to seat 8 comfortably and 10 under duress. It must have a design which sets it apart from the typical items you’d purchase at a furniture store. Oh, and it must be awesome. Here is a drawing of what the table should look like once it is complete:

So how far along are we? We’re doing great for the timeline given (it must be done by Thanksgiving). The table boards are cut, leg templates are cut, aprons are cut, and we’re getting close to putting things together.

The main design points are the ratio of width to length, the under bevel, and the curved legs. The ratio is similar to a foyer table I built that we really like. The under bevel is meant to help keep the table feeling light (too many tables out there feel too “heavy” in my opinion). The curved legs are meant to give the table a feminine quality and aid in the lightness. It also shows a growth in my skills as a woodworker (or that I bought more tools) as compared to earlier pieces.

Here’s where it all started.

Picking out boards at Owl Hardwoods in Lombard.

Old trees become new furniture.

Stay Tuned!