Kitchen table top help

[Jim Murphy]

Well, the sharp, crisp corners on my walnut table top are impressive to me, but I wonder about the impact on grandkids as they impact the table. So...

Radius the corners? What dimension? Really rounded, like using a spray can as a gauge? Or just slightly rounded so it's barely noticed?

And then...

Edge treatment. The table is bread-boarded (or is that breaded-board?) and I'm torn between simple roundover with no bead, a deeper roundover with bead, or an ogee type detail. Clearly I'll do it with with tailed gear, so no spokeshave suggestions, please.

Is it permissible to state that I intensely dislike sanding? Gonna take the top 120-150-220-320-400. That's a lot of sanding and vacuuming, and walnut is nasty in more than one sense. Right now I've left the big summer fan on high with the air cleaner running for an hour or so to get up some of the dust. And yes, I wore a mask. Thanks for asking.

One final topic... regarding snow.... But first a tale.

I was walking down the road a few weeks ago (for my physique, don't you know) and heard a shotgun blast. Nothing unusual there, but second later a deer dashed across the road. Good, I thought, you got away. And then common sense took over and said, "Darn, I wish they'd gotten you." There are presently FOUR dead deer on the 2 mile stretch of road I walk.

I'm the same way about the upcoming maybe sort of snow. Will be excited to see it fall, and enjoy the beauty, but frustrated at how we come to a complete halt with a half inch of snow. School already out here in Granville County and not a flake to be seen.

Jim

 

[mquan01]

I did a small roundover on my kitchen table for the same reason. LOML likes it and that is all that needs to be said.

 

[toolferone]

Jim, unless you put padded bumpers on the table edges then a head banging into is going to hurt. That being said I would just break the edge and not do a big radius. My opinion of course but I don't think a big radius would look good with "breaded board ends" .

With out knowing the rest of the design it is hard to make a choice on edge treatment. On the shaker style table I built I beveled the bottom side to thin the look of the table with out losing any top strength. Again, my opinion, but the BB ends don't need much edge treatment.

Yup, way to many dead deer on the road in my travels this year, including many young bucks. They really need to open up the season longer.

I feel anything past 220 grit is a waste on the unfinished wood. You cold make it to slick for the finish to stick LOL!

 

[JimD]

It seems like there is conflict between the style of the table and the roundover you sense may be appropriate. I built a kitchen table for each of my two kids. It is the same design and size, simple mission style with 3x3 legs, apron, and full 1 inch thick top. I radiused the corners, maybe a 1-2 inch radius. Fairly large. I then rounded over top and bottom edge. I used at least a 1/2 inch radius round-over. The kids like their tables and my late wife approved.

With the breadboard ends, I am not sure this treatment would look good, however. A much smaller radius may be cosmetically better. I would talk to the recipient of the table (or my wife if I still had one) for advice. I think something on the order of a 1/4 radius might be the biggest I would use. It depends some on the thickness of the top - the thinner it is, the smaller I would use. You still want it to have a rectangular look, I think.

I agree with the comment that the radius of the corners may not make that much difference if someone falls and hits it but I still wanted to take no chances with any future grandkids I may be blessed with. But you want it to look good too, and the radius probably only makes a minor difference in the severity of injury that is possible.

Jim

 

[JimmyC]

I'm more with toolferone on this and would just break the corners, and edges, a little. I have kids and realized quickly that you can't really childproof everything. Besides, I know that this table is being made from Charlies wood, and the grain is probably fantastic, so it will probably become a true heirloom and would look better with the broken edges in the future.

Please post pictures, if possible, when done Jim.

Good Luck,

 

[Bas]

End tables and hall tables lend themselves well to more sophisticated edge treatments because you don't sit and eat at them. Since this is a functional table, I'd keep it simple. Just go with a 1/8" roundover bit, or maybe use a portion of 1/4" roundover bit. Alternatively, you could do a simple chamfer. By the time you're done sanding, the chamfer will be smooth enough not to cause any damage to the users. The corners you can smooth a little to ensure a fall against the table results in a bump, not a hole, but I wouldn't go further than that. A minute and some 150 grit sandpaper should do it.

I wouldn't sand the table beyond 180 or 220. You're much better off spending the extra time sanding between coats than beforehand. I did a couple of projects in Cherry and Sycamore, and after the first coat of finish, I couldn't see/ feel/ tell the difference between a surface sanded to 180 or 320.

 

[JimD]

I agree with Baas about sanding with a couple exceptions. On end grain, I think it is good to go a step further with sanding - maybe 320 if you stop at 220 normally - if you will stain. It helps keep the color more consistent. The other place I sometimes go finer is on really interesting (some might say wild) grain. My experience is that these areas can show scratches that the normal grain does not. But for most situations, 220 is plenty.

Jim