So, instead of regaling you with pictures of layer one of shellac, then layer two, etcetera, etcetera... I decided I'd take you back to the beginning and share my planning process.
In case you forgot (or didn't read the Farmhouse Table Inspiration post), I'll remind you that the reason I decided to make this table: I'm clumsy. And I stubbed my toe one too many times on my baby's highchair. Thus, the only logical solution (using the word "logical" very loosely) was to buy a "Chicco 360 Hook On Highchair".
Normally, my husband would talk me out of something like this before the brain-train could even leave the station. He'd tell me that we could move the highchair out of my walking area. He'd buy a pool noodle, place it over the legs, and call it "Shabby Chic". He'd remind me that I have lots of other projects going on that I haven't finished yet... not to mention the steno notebook full of things I want him to build for me. He'd say we don't have time to build a table that we don't technically need.
But he was away on business, so my brain-train was already on it's way to Lowes as I sat at the breakfast table sipping my mocha and icing my toe. Knowing he was stuck on a plane for 6 hours, I texted him this:
He didn't reply. So, naturally, I assumed he approved. The fact he might be, you know, on a plane...? Nah. We'll just say he approves. In his absence, I decided the table would be 72" long, 30" tall, and 42" wide. It would have seven 6" boards joined together to make the top. I knew breadboard ends were important for stability and to help even out any warps and cups in the boards. So, I planned breadboards even though they are beyond my woodworking abilities. But that's why I married this wonderful man who was at 35,000 feet and couldn't tell me no at the time.
I planned the leg beams to be made of three 2x6s that I would plane down to give me a final thickness of 4". Using three boards would allow me to cut the middle board into two pieces and use a spacer during the glue up to create my through mortise. (It's not as precise as one a skilled woodworker would make with a chisel, but I'm not a skilled woodworker. I'm a novice who has watched too much New Yankee Wookshop.) The beam would then be cut down to 3" deep. Using 2x6s for these pieces gave me plenty of extra wood to work with when squaring these bad boys up. When you are a novice, it's a good idea to give yourself plenty of play, especially when the price difference is literally $2 a board.
Having a general concept in mind, I got to work on the more detailed plan. Now comes Kate's tip of the day. If you are a woodworker, pay attention. This is genius. Are you ready?
Wrapping paper.
Stay with me for a minute. In their attempts to make wrapping paper more accessible to the OCD among us who wrap gifts perfectly, the companies have begun putting a 1" grid on the back of their paper. AWESOME SAUCE! Perfect for a full scale drawing of your piece! By the time Paul got off the plane he had another text message from me:
Using this full scale drawing I was able to play with a few different bracket options. Did I want them to be based on equilateral right triangles? Isosceles? What about a beefy corbel instead? I drew all my options on spare wrapping paper, cut them out and held them up to my full scale drawing until I found one I liked and drew it permanently on the plan.
Also, doing the full scale drawing, I found that my plan to widen the feet by 1/2" on either side of the leg beam made the leg assemblies to look like ATAT's (Star Wars reference warning). Not really the look I was going for. Scratch that idea!
By the time I picked up Paul at the airport, I think he knew there was no talking me out of this one. I had pulled out the wrapping paper. In our house, that means it was happening. Thankfully, Paul is an incredible man who supports my hair-brained ideas. Even the ones that require him to spend a Sunday afternoon at Lowes, climbing on top of stacks of 2x4s to find the straightest and truest boards for me. Forget flowers, ladies --- this is love.
Overall, the plan worked out very well thus far! We've made some modifications along the way based on ideas from watching YouTube during the evenings. For example, the New Yankee Wookshop gave me the idea to put a bead on the leg beams and the stretcher to give it a nice detail and lighten the overall feel of the beams:
Muy bonita, no?
Coming soon will be the reveal of the finished table (assuming decent nap times this weekend). It's time I got this table out of the shop... I can't wait to see it in our dining room!
Oh yeah, and I stubbed my toe again this morning.
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