# Sycamore and Walnut Coffee/End Table Top



## Augray (Sep 15, 2019)

Here's a new project I've been working on, first attempt at a jointed table top. It's about 36"x18"x1". Nothing fancy, just some pretty wood. Not sure if I like the contrast or not...I think so. Thoughts and critiques are welcome, also ideas for the legs (I'm thinking hairpin or those u-shaped ones in matte black maybe?).

Reactions: Like 7 | EyeCandy! 4 | Way Cool 1


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## Nature Man (Sep 15, 2019)

I do like the wood combo, because of the knots in the Sycamore. Super nice! Chuck

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## woodtickgreg (Sep 15, 2019)

Nice looking wood contrast, dont know if you allowed for wood movement in the design though. As far as legs go I think it would look better with some wood legs made of the same materials as the top. I personally do not like those black hairpin steel legs, I think they look cheap, but that may just be my taste. I would put some thought into the design of some legs that will complement the top.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Nubsnstubs (Sep 15, 2019)

Matthew, that Sycamore sure is beautiful. I hope you have more, or at least can get more. The table top looks like a lot of care went into getting it done. I don't know what you started with, but I wish you could have used longer Sycamore pieces and orient them on the longer length instead of the way you did it. You have 7 pieces to swell and shrink over time that could possibly cause your joints to separate. I believe the contrast wouldn't be so harsh had the orientation had been different. ............ Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## William Tanner (Sep 15, 2019)

I don’t know much about flat work but like the appearance. I turn a lot of Sycamore and also enjoy the contrast here. I agree with Greg on not using steel legs.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Chris S. (Sep 16, 2019)

woodtickgreg said:


> Nice looking wood contrast, dont know if you allowed for wood movement in the design though. As far as legs go I think it would look better with some wood legs made of the same materials as the top. I personally do not like those black hairpin steel legs, I think they look cheap, but that may just be my taste. I would put some thought into the design of some legs that will complement the top.


 
I get so annoyed when see hair pin legs screwed to a plain old slab of wood and thrown up for sale as a custom live edge table. Damnest thing is people keep buying them so supposed woodworker keep using them.

Nice looking top. Do it justice and make a nice wood base and legs for it. As for wood movement, I have a end table with big crack in side and top to remind me all about what happens when don't account for movement. You will learn all about it as time goes on. Enjoy the top, looks nice.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Augray (Sep 16, 2019)

Hi Chris, do you think it will crack as much once it's slathered in poly?


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## Chris S. (Sep 17, 2019)

Augray said:


> Hi Chris, do you think it will crack as much once it's slathered in poly?


Sadly probably. Most likely the sycamore will expand and push apart your miter joints on corners. Wood moves no matter what you do. However, only time will tell how much. Use it and enjoy it. See how it does for next few seasons. After that if does push apart can always make new boarder taking into account movement and work out something off what you learn as it changes. Never know, may get lucky and it never move at all.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Augray (Sep 18, 2019)

Yeah, the sycamore was air dried for well over a year, but only 2-3 months in "board" form, and i know it tends to move more anyway. I did this as more of a trial run though, as I'm more of a carver than woodworker and haven't made anything quite like this before.


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## Nubsnstubs (Sep 18, 2019)

Augray said:


> Yeah, the sycamore was air dried for well over a year, but only 2-3 months in "board" form, and i know it tends to move more anyway. I did this as more of a trial run though, as I'm more of a carver than woodworker and haven't made anything quite like this before.


For not doing anything like this before, you sure have a knack for choosing beautiful wood. I hope to see more of your work.. .... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 2


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## Chris S. (Sep 19, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> For not doing anything like this before, you sure have a knack for choosing beautiful wood. I hope to see more of your work.. .... Jerry (in Tucson)




He right, for trying out this is great work. We all build things that are partly experiments. My end table I was all excited to try out my new pocket hole jig so went to town screwing everything!!! Well, late one night watching tv sounded like a gun went off right beside me. Well, there was the wood releasing tension because I screwed it together nice and tight. So tight nothing could move. However mother nature always wins. It split side panel and top so the wood could move. I was reminded at that moment to always remember wood moves, always. Still use end table to this day. When build similar ones I now allow for movement. Everything we do is a learning experience. Keep at it, great first piece. Look forward to final product.

Reactions: Like 2


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## FranklinWorkshops (Sep 19, 2019)

Matthew, I think the table is beautiful. How did you attach the sycamore panels to the walnut side rails? If a loose mortise and tenon, then all the movement will push out the end rails and not buckle the top. That's easy to repair once the movement happens, as it certainly will. If the ends of each sycamore panel is tightly fitted into the walnut side rails, then you're likely to get buckling in the top, not good. We all learned this from having done it. Every piece of antique furniture I have is cracked from wood movement that the makers didn't anticipate. They had no idea about central heating and air conditioning 200 years ago. I heard a furniture conservator at Winterthur Museum http://www.winterthur.org/collections/museum/furniture/ say that he immediately suspects a fake if such cracks are not present in period furniture he is examining. 

As far as legs go, it all depends on what your other furniture has. If you have other pieces with steel legs, then go with your plan. The industrial look with steel, iron and galvanized pipes is very popular these days.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Augray (Sep 21, 2019)

FranklinWorkshops said:


> Matthew, I think the table is beautiful. How did you attach the sycamore panels to the walnut side rails? If a loose mortise and tenon, then all the movement will push out the end rails and not buckle the top. That's easy to repair once the movement happens, as it certainly will. If the ends of each sycamore panel is tightly fitted into the walnut side rails, then you're likely to get buckling in the top, not good. We all learned this from having done it. Every piece of antique furniture I have is cracked from wood movement that the makers didn't anticipate. They had no idea about central heating and air conditioning 200 years ago. I heard a furniture conservator at Winterthur Museum http://www.winterthur.org/collections/museum/furniture/ say that he immediately suspects a fake if such cracks are not present in period furniture he is examining.
> 
> As far as legs go, it all depends on what your other furniture has. If you have other pieces with steel legs, then go with your plan. The industrial look with steel, iron and galvanized pipes is very popular these days.


I used dowels to join the panels to the side rails and glued them. My thought was that perhaps the relatively small width and thickness of the panels coupled with a generous coating of poly on the top and bottom surfaces and glued joints would help keep movement to a minimum, but it sounds like maybe that's the wrong approach. It will be interesting to see what happens with it over the years.

Reactions: Like 1


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## FranklinWorkshops (Sep 21, 2019)

Keep us informed of what happens. We are all still learning in many ways. Wood movement after assembly is variable according to humidity and species of wood. You may get lucky but it's not the end of the world if it happens more than you planned.


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## Chris S. (Oct 8, 2019)

@Augray how is the project coming along? Love to see finished table if all wrapped up with it.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## T. Ben (Oct 9, 2019)




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## Augray (Oct 11, 2019)

Well... the sycamore panels did indeed separate from each other, but none have split or pulled away from the Walnut thankfully, at least not yet. Would a colored filler/epoxy look nice perhaps?


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## Chris S. (Oct 20, 2019)

Augray said:


> Well... the sycamore panels did indeed separate from each other, but none have split or pulled away from the Walnut thankfully, at least not yet. Would a colored filler/epoxy look nice perhaps?


I would just let it be until get through winter and back to summer, have a feeling going to move more and doing any filling of anything now may just be a waste of material and cause more issues as time goes on.

Reactions: Like 1


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