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Table Project Options
Jacob Adams
Posted: Friday, September 4, 2009 11:37:59 AM
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Joined: 2/4/2009
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Location: Jefferson City/MO
I am starting a design project for my year long advanced classes. What necessary skills must a student have in order to successfully design and construct a coffee table?

I have been thinking about the obvious (tool use, design basics, and joinery) but are there any that I need to keep in mind?

Also, my plan is to give them a set dimension (L x W x H) and they must construct a table to fit it. I am thinking 30" x 16 " (planer width) x 18" maximum but give me your thoughts

Jacob
mrb1977
Posted: Saturday, September 5, 2009 7:04:48 AM
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Joined: 3/5/2007
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Location: Albany, ny
Other areas to consider are, types of finishes(ex.stains, top coats, paints). Other concepts could include Furniture styles,(ex.shaker,Jacobean,Early American,Queen Anne). With the many different furniture styles, there is a huge arena of leg styles to create as well. Have a great year!
Mr.B
mikeb
Posted: Saturday, September 5, 2009 10:31:51 AM
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Location: North Kingstown/RI
I use to make trestle tables with my high school students many years ago. They loved that project and we had to design and laminate lumber together to make the widths that they wanted.
klandin
Posted: Saturday, September 5, 2009 10:50:17 AM
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Location: Connecticut
I run a full semester class just like the one you are describing (we run on a block schedule, so each semester is actually a year’s worth of contact time). The first half of the semester focuses exclusively on learning design skills, sketching skills, and traditional joinery techniques. Then during the second half of the semester each student is expected to design and produce an original "studio quality" table. All of these students have already negotiated their way through my basic level “Machine Woodworking” course, so they already know how to use all of the major machines. Since I do not have access to a classroom full of CAD equipped computers, I start them out with a sequence of simple technical sketching exercises. I teach them how to make three view orthographic projections, isometric and oblique views, proper dimensioning techniques, and exploded assembly drawings. This is not a formal drafting course, my school doesn’t offer one. It is just a series of rough and ready exercises geared towards getting the students to understanding the rudiments of technical sketching well enough so that they can effectively draw their own project plans. Concurrent to this, I also have them drawing and making a series of sample joint blocks. In this way I break up the monotony of the drawing exercises by not making them draw every day. One day will be a drawing day, and then the next day will be a woodworking day. When done with this unit each student has made a box that contains sixteen sample joint blocks (tongue and grove, halved, biscuited miter, dowel, lap, bridle, mortise & tenon, dovetail), along with the drawings for each of the blocks. Next I put out a sample craftsman style tabourette table that I’ve made, and I allow my students three days to create their own detailed shop drawings of my table. They then spend the next several weeks building an accurate reproduction based on their drawings alone. The trick here is that I have taken away the original table so all that they have to go on is their own drawings. In the end a portion of their grade for this unit is determined by how exactly they have reproduced my original. This tabourette unit is meant as a warm up to their big design project. By drawing and building a small but technically demanding table they get to further improve their drawing skills. They get to learn first hand why attention to detail in the design phase is so important to the final product. They get a practical application for many of the joints that they first learned in the joint block unit. And they generally become familiar with many of the essential practicalities of table design. Around this time I also give a series of lectures on the elements of table design. All of this fills up the entire first half of the semester. For the second half my students are expected design a table of their own. First they submit a series of concept sketches, followed by a decent pictorial rendering of their final design idea. They make all necessary technical sketches including exploded views, and detail drawings wherever necessary. Then finally after I have okayed their plans they build ‘em. I have only run this course twice so far, but already I have seen quite a creative range of projects as a result. If you’d like I would be glad to E-mail a copy of the Powerpoint that I’ve created to go along with my elements of design lecture. I tried to post a few photos of my student’s work to show you what I mean, but for the life of me I can’t figure out how that works. Does anybody out there know to post pics on this site?

Keith Landin
Woodshop instructor, Woodstock Academy
"Mens tua sit implementum acerrium in fabrica"
klandin
Posted: Saturday, September 5, 2009 5:54:47 PM
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Location: Connecticut
Hey Tom. Thank for the instructions. It sounds like an awful lot of work just to post a few pics, but I guess I'll have to try it. BTW: That's a very clever clamping device for your engraving machine frame. Did you think of that?

Keith Landin
Woodshop instructor, Woodstock Academy
"Mens tua sit implementum acerrium in fabrica"
JoeNovack
Posted: Saturday, September 5, 2009 8:53:01 PM
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Location: Madison,VA
Jacob...
Where applicable I have my students do a downsized model (using cheaper woods) of a project that requires learning new skills...The skills are still learned but at a lower cost.
If students want to pursue the project using hardwoods after completing their model.....they pay for the project...
Just a thought...
All the best,
Joe Novack
www.woodshopteachers.org


JoeNovack
Posted: Monday, September 7, 2009 1:38:19 PM
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Location: Madison,VA
Great stuff Keith!!!
Thanks for sharing that...

Joe
mikeb
Posted: Monday, September 7, 2009 8:37:32 PM
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Location: North Kingstown/RI
Hi Keith,
Do you have a plan to share for that table? That is a very pleasing design and I like the lines on it. Would you mind sharing it with me??
craigp
Posted: Tuesday, September 8, 2009 3:05:00 PM
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Location: Chesapeake City, Maryland
I was in Barnes & Noble last year looking at books, and there was one I found that had standard sizes for different types of furniture. I did not buy the book, but took pictures of the charts and then put them into and Excel document. It said that coffee tables typically are 30 - 60 in length, 18 - 24 deep, and 14 - 18 tall.

Craig R. Patterson, CD
PLTW Teacher
Elkton High School
Elkton, Maryland
klandin
Posted: Tuesday, September 8, 2009 9:32:56 PM
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Location: Connecticut
Mike:

Assuming that you are referring to the tabourette table, no I don't have any plans as such. I copied the design from some photos of the original. I just drew up a rough sketch with overall dimensions and then proceeded from there. My students on the other hand - they have drawn up many sets of plans for that table ;-)

As I recall Fine Woodworking had a pretty good "how to" article on a very similar table a year or so ago. Try issue #186.

Keith Landin
Woodshop instructor, Woodstock Academy
"Mens tua sit implementum acerrium in fabrica"
klandin
Posted: Tuesday, September 8, 2009 9:45:11 PM
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Location: Connecticut
Craig:

On the subject of books I very highly recommend one called "Practical Furniture Design" from Taunton Press. It has exactly those charts that you mentioned, and a whole lot more. It's an absolute goldmine of useful information. If I were inclined to use a textbook with my furniture design class, this is the one I'd pick.

Keith Landin
Woodshop instructor, Woodstock Academy
"Mens tua sit implementum acerrium in fabrica"
craigp
Posted: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 3:24:56 PM
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Location: Chesapeake City, Maryland
Keith, I think, but cannot be positive, that was the book that I was looking at. We are up for adoption either next year or the following year and was debating on getting a cabinet book or that one.

Craig R. Patterson, CD
PLTW Teacher
Elkton High School
Elkton, Maryland
Mike Walsh
Posted: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 4:02:40 PM
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Location: Allegan MI
That is a book I recommended in another post but I want to stress to you that it is a magazine product - meaning that it may not be in print next summer. It has a "pull date" of Oct. 14.

You will find it on the book rack in Lowe's, Home Depot ... The correct title is How to Design Furniture from Classic to Contemporary.
klandin
Posted: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 5:12:34 PM
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Location: Connecticut
Hey Mike:

I hate to be argumentative, but um ... no, that's not the book I was referring to. I double checked. The one I was talking about is Practical Furniture Design, From Drawing Board to Smart Construction, and I seriously doubt that you will find it at the home despot.

Keith Landin
Woodshop instructor, Woodstock Academy
"Mens tua sit implementum acerrium in fabrica"
Jacob Adams
Posted: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 9:58:01 PM
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Location: Jefferson City/MO
Keith,

I have that book and it has been great. I have seen the magazine you are talking about Dave. I think that it is basically a condensed version of the book. They are both written by Taunton Press. The magazine had some Maloof designs on the cover.

I saw it a Lowe's then found the book at Barnes and Noble. My local book seller did not have it
creighta
Posted: Thursday, September 10, 2009 7:31:36 AM
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Location: Georgetown/OH
I tell my kids that if they can build boxes and shelves then they can build any type of furniture, as it will just be a combination of boxes and shelves.

I make them measure a table or chair in the classroom when we get started in designing. There is a range like you found in that book, but I have found that finding one that you like and duplicating its size can make for a more comfortable piece.
Mike Walsh
Posted: Thursday, September 10, 2009 12:30:37 PM
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Location: Allegan MI
Keith

You are right. The book you are refering to is a 09 edition and I overlooked it. It is $24.95 and 300 pages. It is not a common title but most booksellers can order it.

The one I am refering to is a magazine title. You will find it in the racks at a Lowe's or HD - or in a real big bookstore. It is quite similar to your title but it is only $8.99. I think its smaller size and tighter focus might be more appropriate for younger kids.
francisd09
Posted: Sunday, September 13, 2009 11:35:00 AM
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Joined: 8/14/2009
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Location: Los Angeles
Those work are so good. Very nice.

modern dining table | contemporary furniture | tv stand | modern fabric sofa
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