JJ Shields - EZ to make Shaker Table

This thread was originally posted on SMC by Joseph J. Shields. It is here with his permission.

Just finished this Shaker Table for my wife. I built one last winter for my Church auction and my wife liked so much I built her one. (I think this is the time to ask her about the Domino ???

A few details about the table:

• The Design is based on an old Dana Robes design. He calls it a Shaker hunt board.
  
• The top is a solid piece of curly soft maple (very curly)
  
• All of the drawer fronts came from 1 piece of curly cherry (I even cut and matched the rails from the same piece)
  
• The dovetails are boring and made from my 10 year old $50 PC
  dovetail jig (works great, but the dovetails look like they were made
  by a jig ). I hoping to get the NEW PC dovetail jig with variable spacing when it is released later this spring.
  
• The knobs are walnut
  
• The legs on the front face are quarter saw (nice flecks)
  
• I plan on "sun burning" the table to darken the cherry... when the we get sun and warmth here in WI
  

I finished the table with Rockler's Poly Gel. This stuff is great All you do is rub it on with a scothbrite pad and wipe it off with paper towels. It takes about 2-3 coats. You never get any runs and the finish has a real nice feel to it. I used to get heart failure every time I had to finish a project. With this stuff... it's a piece of cake. If you haven't tried it... try it! (Note-I used a water based poly for my first coat on the maple top... I didn't want the maple to go too yellow)

Thanks for looking!

-jj








Bruce Benjamin Posted:

Beautiful job, JJ. How much of that was done with EZ tools?

Bruce


JJ Shields Replied:

Hey Bruce... thanks for the kind words!!

I used the EZ for all the cuts on the table top and the aprons.

I'm still "hooked" on my table saw for certain cuts... like the drawers and tapering the legs. (If I had the Bridge..Hint hint Dino.... I would have used the EZ for the drawers) My saw couldn't cut deep enough for
the legs.

-jj


Dino Makropoulos Posted:

Nice job JJ.
If you have the bridge... I give you a hint.
From Today's final test...before the truck.
18 sec to straight line rip- cut to width and length a 2" strip 24" long.
I used some wood from pallet stock.

And after that we cut the strip to parts with angles 179 degree.
Only one thing left for me to do.

The last ez challenge.

I'm still "hooked" on my table saw for certain
cuts... like the drawers and tapering the legs. (If I had the
Bridge..Hint hint Dino.... I would have used the EZ for the drawers) My
saw wouldn't cut deep enough for the legs.

A hint for you JJ.

Joe Myers Replied:

Dino,

"18 sec to straight line rip- cut to width and length a 2" strip 24" long."

Using the Bridge, I can believe it. I build a lot of planters, garden bridges, etc., out of RWRL cedar and need lots of of same size strips. Using the regular Guide, clamps, etc. is quite time consuming so I've been using my TS. Waiting for the Bridge to come out to see just how well it works.

"My saw wouldn't cut deep enough for the legs."

The Bridge will cut straight or angle cuts. If it is a parallel cut, just cut, turn the wood end-to-end and cut again. If it is an angle cut, same with turning the wood end-to-end, but not sure the best way to handle the angles. But I'm sure you have an easy way of doing it.

Regards, Joe

Paul Greathouse Posted:

That's a great looking table Joseph. I can't wait until I have my shop setup properly so I can start working on projects like yours rather than building and furnishing the shop.