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Episode # 85 Queen Anne Table Part 1

9 comments
15 years ago
Projects     Queen Anne Side Table

Today I start a new project series. I’ll be posting in parallel to The Wood Whisperer Community in the Guild area as well because this is a project I am building along with my fellow Guild members. This is part of the much touted Woodworkers Fighting Cancer effort. Today I introduce my design and discuss the simplicity of the original form and how you can alter it slightly to achieve very different stylistic results. I’ll wrap up the episode with a look at stock prep the old fashioned way. Check your power tools at the door because this build is going to be done with sweat power only.

UPDATE:

Dana wrote me and brought to my attention a great article in Fine Woodworking by Will Neptune called “Engineering a Table with Drawers”. This is a much more detailed look at the construction methods that are common among all pieces of this form. In fact he leads out by saying “there is a Shaker table hidden in every table with drawers”. Membership to the Fine Woodworking site is required to read the full article but you can check it out here. Thanks for the tip Dana!

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Rob Bois

Wow, I thought I went all hand tool on the Guild project. You’re making me feel like a total Normite! Really happy you went Queen Anne on this, great discussion about the differences in style. As I read in more than a few books, there’s a shaker table hidden in a lot of high style pieces. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Jay

There’s an edit you forgot to pull at about 5:15. Good episode btw. What kind of saws are you using? Atkinses?

    Shannon

    Oops!!! How funny is it that I took the time to make the throat slashing cut motion and still forgot to edit it out in post. I took care of it so cherish your original “uncut” version. All of the saws in the video are Disstons actually. D8 rip and D23 crosscut. I have my eye on some Atkins, I really like the steel they used.

Bob Rozaieski

Nice job Shannon! I really like the design a lot. Looking forward to how it turns out. I’m going to have to come down there so you can teach me some turning after this, lol. My turning skills are terrible, not to mention I broke the treadle on my lathe.

Just one nitpick if you don’t mind. Well more of a concern for your posture actually :). If it hasn’t already, ripping your lumber on that little bench is going to make you build a proper saw bench after you’re done with the table, lol. That one you are using in the episode looks a little low for you, causing you to bend over a lot. That will do hell to your back after cutting a lot of lumber :). A higher bench will allow you to stand up straighter and use a longer saw as well, which will cut faster.

    Shannon

    I totally agree Bob. I have known about a need for a better saw bench for a while. Every time the nose of the saw hits the concrete floor I cringe. The hunching also throws off my cut like a bit so I really have to “work” to keep the cut in line and plumb. The bench I’m using is an heirloom of sorts as it was build by my wife’s grandfather from whom I inherited so many of my tools. He is one of the reasons I got launched into woodworking so it is hard to replace it with something else. It will always be in the shop but soon it will be just for sitting. A saw bench like many shop appliances is on the list but tends to get pushed aside by other projects. Regarding turning, anytime, I’m glad to help. I’m no expert but I can hold my own on spindle work. Face plate stuff is still pretty new to me but I can’t imagine you would be wanting to do too much of that. The legs will be the only power tool used because I do not have a spring pole or treadle lathe.

Dan

Great start shannon. I think the design is on the money, a good balance of simple curves and embellishments like the scroll saw work. It’s interesting to compare it to Bob’s recent table over at Logan’s Cabinet Shoppe.

I love my hand tools, but two things I struggle (partly in skill, but mostly in motivation) is to mill and drill by hand. I’m slowly getting inspired.

marc

Absolutely awesome start Shannon. I love the fact that you are going Queene Anne on this one. Between all the Guildies doing Shaker tables, and even Bob doing his tea table, there’s a lot of tables on the brain these days. 🙂 I am really going to enjoy watching your journey through the process.
And by the way, anyone who includes a song from Team America automatically gets +40 Awesome Points!

Jim Mckenna

Hey nice job Shannon I wish I had the skilles and hand tools to do it that way. I am looking forword to rest.

Eric

Nice job. I enjoyed watching your technique on harvesting the most yield from a board, and extreme OMGBBQ points for using Montage from Southpark 🙂