A Floating Table Top by Larry C

A Floating Table Top
by Larry C

This is the first project I've completed using my new MM16 BS. The legs turned out to be a breeze (well, sort of) with the BS. The pictures do not do justice to the quilting in the maple front and side pieces.

The "floating" top is walnut finished with BLO followed by about 20 wiped-on blonde shellac sanded after every 4 or 5 coats. The bottom is maple finished with BLO followed by about 6 wiped on coats of orange shellac.

The design is from an image I found on the web.

This was my first project with the BS, so there was a learning curve with the BS on the legs (Lenox 1/2" carbide blade). The last one came out pretty darn close to smooth while the first one needed some serious sanding. I used a convex piece of the last cuttout as a sandpaper backer on the concave sides of the legs and my hard rubber sanding block for the convex sides. Norton 3X: 60 to 150 to 220, then I used a scraper. I like the finish I get when I use the scraper. I was actually suprised how well the curves came out with about 45-60 minutes of sanding/scraping work on each leg.

I also used a piece of the cuttoff as a jig on my SCMS to cut the ends of the legs square and to mortise the legs (I should have done this before I cut them on the BS).

It's supposed to be curly but in person it looks a whole lot more like quilted.

The top is attached to a brace in each of the four corners by 5/16" Oak dowels that were painted flat black. The space between the table top and the base (the "float") is adjusted so that the top is about 3/8" above the base. It's very subtle when viewed from a normal viewing angle.

You can almost see some of the vertical quilting on the front maple piece. It's a shame it doesn't come out in the photos. It is very striking.

I used 8/4 stock for the legs.

I am just figuring out finishing. I was trying to fill the pores, but never could and "decided" I liked them open so I gave up after 20 coats or so. It's wiped on and sanded a number of times, so I don't think the finish is very thick. In any case, I want to figure out how to get the top perfectly smooth so I may strip the finish on this top and start over.

Thank you for looking and the nice comments,
Larry C