Modern Madness Table Build

As with many modern designs, it is pretty simple; the table had two joints to cut. As a result, I didn’t take many progress photos of this table as I built it.

Because the top is the most visible part, I built it first. That way, I could select the best-looking boards to feature on the top and use the rest to build the legs.

Of course, whenever there is heavy lifting to be done, my shop monkey is nowhere to be found. I built two little carts to help me move the table around and out of the way so I could build the rest of the table. They worked great to help me roll the heavy top around by myself.

Since there were only two joints to cut, it didn’t make any sense to jig up for power tools to cut them, so I just did it by hand.

To add a little interest to the center support beam, I cut the ends at a slight angle to give it a little interest. The angle gave it a subtle Asian flare. It is amazing how one small, subtle cut can change the whole feel of a piece. I guess that just goes to show the devil is in the details.

To help add a little bit of extra rigidity to the legs, I mortised them into the bottom of the table. This also helped line up the legs under the table when I did the final assembly.

The table was finished using General Finishes Early American gel stain and a wipe on poly. The wood species was maple. It turned out great, even though it was more heavy lifting than cutting awesome joinery.