End Table P.14

Were moving right a long but I think we are out one of the most critical points in this project, we have got some serious design decisions to make. [Music playing] Before we get started I just want to take a minute to thank you guys for the incredible response to the question that I post in the last episode. I asked what would you do for the top. The interesting thing was I never expected the type of response that we got. I put that question out there as a sort of an exercise for everyone else because I was, you know, I was contemplating some of the details but I was pretty much set at that point especially by the time I released the video on I what I was going to do. So, it was very interesting and actually a really good exercise for me personally to take all that feedback and digest it and do something with it. I mean normally we work in our shops you know we have an idea for the designed, there is very little input from other people and we are sort of married to that design at some point and then nothing really shakes our ground we just kind of through finished product and people will really like it or they do not. In this case I was still thinking I was still, you know in that sort of developing them ownership of this piece of furniture and it was a weird thing for me. And I did not realize it until I got all these responses to have so many people giving me input and what I should do to this table. Especially when I thought I had already made up my mind. So, it was definitely a humbling experience and something that I am really glad that I did because I have never to challenge my self that way before. You know the ideas were great. But initially if someone comes in and says I know you did this but I think you should do this, sometimes it is hard to swallow. You know so it was not only a good exercise for you guys to see what, you know how you would have handled that situations but it was really, really healthy for me to go through this and realize that you know, again part of designing on the fly, even when it is other people suggestions you have to incorporate those or half at least consider them as part of what you are doing. So, first and foremost the most popular suggestion that we got and men we got over 60 comments on the blog and I got another 25 emails suggesting different things, but the most popular things was to turned the table up side down. I have two reasons, I mean it is a great idea, it looks fantastic which is really interesting that it actually works both ways. The reasons I am not going to do this. First of all the dove tails, all this dove tails are stopped. So, you cannot see them from this view point, it is all butt joints from here. And the second reason is my design that I am going to do involves a floating a panel in between the legs. So, this amount of space is quite a bit less than what I have to work with when it is in this orientation which makes it a more functional use, you know useable tables. So, you know the other way is a neat idea and I think that might be for version two or plan B but for right now we are sticking with this orientation. It just makes the most sense to me based on what I want to do. Interestingly enough after the first few comments came in, it is really got my gears turning. I really did not want to use glass if I do not have too and it just seemed that that was the only logical thing to do when I head on the last video. And since then I have given a lot of thought, a lot comments come in and I rethought what I was going to do. I have decided to do something that involves solid wood no glass and involves, like what I have said before floating a panel here in the middle and I like this new idea so much that I am actually not as concerned about seeing this center hub of dove tails. You can still see it if you look down but I am not hell bent on doing that. I am not even sure a lot of suggestions were to put some kin of a glass, circular glass, peep hole in the middle that you can actually see it. I do not know if I am going that for but I like this top so much so that I am really not going to worry too much about the dove tails at this point. I am really focused on making this top look good now. It is kind of interesting but it really was those first few comments that come in, they got me re-thinking what I was going to do and help me change gears and do something that I am going to be much more happy with in the end. A piece of glass on the top is nice but the glass is not my craftsmanship. It is nice to have a piece that from top to bottom and side to side everything is from your hands, you know in a piece of glass sometimes steals away the impression that you get from the rest of the piece because the glass it self can sometimes be beautiful. So, for me and this particular situation it is not just right, I am happier that I am not going to be using it. So, let us jump right into it. You could see I have already removed the top and bottom material here. So, let me show you how I did that. What I am using here is a carving board by a company called capsule and you could find them at the most woodworking supply stores down to my electric dive grinder, this is one powerful carving system. With a light back and forth motion, I am able to remove the bulk of the center piece. Ultimately I am trying to carved the center piece so that it not only matches the contour, the stretchers but it is actually becomes an indistinguishable part of the structure. I go as far as I can with this spherical bit and then switch to my flame tip bit. This specialized bit allows me to get in to those really tight corners. Now take your time be careful and most importantly enjoy the process. A little filing, a bit of scraping, just a bit rasps work and finally a light sanding bring the final shape to life.