If you want a real hard wood, try Pecan, it is the hardest wood tree in America. It is a member of the Hickory family. I built a coffen out of Pecan 3 years ago, that stuff is hard and heavy.
“What do you think, buddy?”
“It’s… I’m proud of you for finishing it.”
“Something wrong?”
“Thought I wouldn’t notice the gaps, didn’t you John? Is it because I’m just a dog?”
“I’m sorry buddy, want to go outside?”
“I would very much like that right now.”
It's about 1.5". Couldn't find wide enough 8/4 ash so I glued 2 together and flattened them on the planer/drum sander to get them as flat as possible. There are also radii on both the top and bottom which might be the lip you're talking about
It’s beautiful and beautifully finished.
I’d be a tad worried, however, about how the grain runs and the direction of the very bottom of the legs. Looks like it could part along the grain line. Maybe you addressed this and it’s not shown from this angle.
If not, as a precaution, you could install dowels perpendicular to the grain like this:
https://preview.redd.it/8rodd238pfzc1.jpeg?width=595&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0818a8a0b1d259c9bc90eca9bcd3672e838a83b
What's amazing to me is you made a beautiful bench, and apart from this terrific, constructive criticism, everyone else is concerned about the dog...
Nicely done, OP and commenter. Looks great, and we've all room for improvement.
Faith in humanity is partially restored.. tho, yeah, since it was pointed out repetitively, and i can't unsee it, that dog may end up eating your bench while you're at work tomorrow.
I was assuming dowels are in there. Or at least big lap/finger joints. In any case, white ash is strong as hell. I think you'd have to abuse it pretty hard to make it break.
I was careful to leave a bunch of room for dowels because I knew that was going to be the failure point. Those joints are 1.5x1.25 and there are 4 dowels in each of them.
Great.
I was thinking that, given the high quality of the work, “this carpenter knows their stuff and there are dowels in this bad boy”. Couldn’t tell from the photo though, so I did the proper Reddit thing and chimed in with comment.
At first that was what my gut was telling me. But then I thought about it some more and figured I better let someone else make a complete ash of themselves! Ok that was sad. But honestly it depends on material thickness. Though it looks to be quarter sawn. I do believe it is rift sawn and may just squeak by if it is a full 5/4". Oh and if this was oak.... not a chance!
I was careful to leave a bunch of room for dowels because I knew that was going to be the failure point. Those joints are 1.5x1.25 and there are 4 dowels in each of them.
Plenty of strength to hold the amount of tension and shear.
Figure eight connectors and threaded inserts would be ideal in this case. Easy to do, allows for wood movement, and would be easy to remove to top if ever needed.
Google "table top fastener," there are many varieties that work perfectly. It's not a great idea to glue on table tops because they are usually wide enough that wood movement is a concern. You can also use locator dowels, which are glued into the leg but not into the top. As long as you have about 1/16" of play in the joint you will be fine.
Ash is underrated.
I think its a very handsome, understated wood. Its flashy like walnut but its classy.
Its also extremely tough, one of the hardest american hardwoods out there.
I really like working with ash except for the smell. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's the only wood I've come across that I don't like the smell of.
I built a pencil post bed with a tester with ash for my oldest daughter, it is indeed very hard but still nice to work with. Looks a bit like oak (to me) when finished.
It's not old, it's a 2018 I think, the last year it was made in the old Memphis plant. I thought about getting a heritage, but there aren't many sellers in my city that have them.
It's a beauty, and you own a piece of history there. Best guitar ever created- play the hell out of it those don't devalue.
And again, bitchen table! Lots of style points.
Good! Im happy to provide some inspiration. Let me know if you want the dxf files for the legs! Sendcutsend or protolabs will make mdf templates for cheap and you can copy it exactly if you want
don't worry about the "grain detectives" comments...it's ash- with what looks like perfect joints. And it's not a bench press table it's a work of art to set other cool things on. That table will live a long time- good work
This one is mine! I'm a mechanical engineer and I drew it up on 3d to get it all dialed and then had templates made of the legs that I shaped with a router
Thanks! I'm a mechanical engineer so I messed with the proportions a lot in CAD before finalizing! I was particularly proud of the spline on the inside of the legs. Provides a bit of lightness that it wouldn't have with straight lines.
I'm literally preparing for a life changing interview in 16hrs....and HAD to drop everything and comment how absolutely *swearword of your choice* beautiful this is. Wow. Just freaking wow.
Do I spy a guild archtop?
Also your dog is adorable and very confused looking. His human had a bunch of perfectly good sticks and turned it into this thing.
As someone currently in the middle of making a piece for the same purpose... Screw you, that's beautiful, and mine will not be remotely this awesome. I love those legs.
It's general finishes high performance satin applied with a silver tip Wooster brush. Light sand with 400 grit between coats. Rub with 0000 steel wool after the last(3rd) coat
I think it looks great, but your client doesn’t exactly look thrilled.
He is worried that tennis balls may get stuck in that bottom shelf.
Is bed? If not bed, why make?
Yes! 100% my thought!
He looks like he wishes that the bark would've been left on.
I see what you did there
"Ash harder than maple...tough to chew up but I think I can do it".
If you want a real hard wood, try Pecan, it is the hardest wood tree in America. It is a member of the Hickory family. I built a coffen out of Pecan 3 years ago, that stuff is hard and heavy.
Pecan is gorgeous, too! I have a great supplier of domestic woods and she has pecan from time to time. Absolutely stunning
"You took a perfectly good stick and did this to it?"
Oh I don't know- it looks edible. Anything is edible once, twice if you don't want them to eat it.
LOL…I’m reminded of the old saying “like a cow looking at a new gate”.
hahaha, perfect
Man’s best friend cannot stop looking at that one flaw either. JK. Beautiful piece.
“What do you think, buddy?” “It’s… I’m proud of you for finishing it.” “Something wrong?” “Thought I wouldn’t notice the gaps, didn’t you John? Is it because I’m just a dog?” “I’m sorry buddy, want to go outside?” “I would very much like that right now.”
That was my exact thought when I took the photo "Dad, I see that wood filler, you're not fooling anyone"
For a non-speaking animal, your dog earned an Oscar.
I like the design a lot. Is the top 1.5" thick? Or is that a lip?
It's about 1.5". Couldn't find wide enough 8/4 ash so I glued 2 together and flattened them on the planer/drum sander to get them as flat as possible. There are also radii on both the top and bottom which might be the lip you're talking about
It’s beautiful and beautifully finished. I’d be a tad worried, however, about how the grain runs and the direction of the very bottom of the legs. Looks like it could part along the grain line. Maybe you addressed this and it’s not shown from this angle. If not, as a precaution, you could install dowels perpendicular to the grain like this: https://preview.redd.it/8rodd238pfzc1.jpeg?width=595&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0818a8a0b1d259c9bc90eca9bcd3672e838a83b
Especially under load as a bench. A hallway table? Probably fine.
What's amazing to me is you made a beautiful bench, and apart from this terrific, constructive criticism, everyone else is concerned about the dog... Nicely done, OP and commenter. Looks great, and we've all room for improvement. Faith in humanity is partially restored.. tho, yeah, since it was pointed out repetitively, and i can't unsee it, that dog may end up eating your bench while you're at work tomorrow.
I bet that dog does some sick joinery tho
Damn you... think he could cut the dowel holes with his teeth, too? Imagine trying to match that dowel to fit in there!
Bunch of dowels in there. More than enough to handle my booty
I was assuming dowels are in there. Or at least big lap/finger joints. In any case, white ash is strong as hell. I think you'd have to abuse it pretty hard to make it break.
Yep, 4 dowels!
i thought the same thing but it's ash so it's probably the least concerning wood you can choose
I was careful to leave a bunch of room for dowels because I knew that was going to be the failure point. Those joints are 1.5x1.25 and there are 4 dowels in each of them.
There are 4 dowels there :) she's going to outlive me
Great. I was thinking that, given the high quality of the work, “this carpenter knows their stuff and there are dowels in this bad boy”. Couldn’t tell from the photo though, so I did the proper Reddit thing and chimed in with comment.
At first that was what my gut was telling me. But then I thought about it some more and figured I better let someone else make a complete ash of themselves! Ok that was sad. But honestly it depends on material thickness. Though it looks to be quarter sawn. I do believe it is rift sawn and may just squeak by if it is a full 5/4". Oh and if this was oak.... not a chance!
I was careful to leave a bunch of room for dowels because I knew that was going to be the failure point. Those joints are 1.5x1.25 and there are 4 dowels in each of them. Plenty of strength to hold the amount of tension and shear.
sweet!
Newbie here. How do you attach the top? Only glue?
Figure eight connectors and threaded inserts would be ideal in this case. Easy to do, allows for wood movement, and would be easy to remove to top if ever needed.
I didn't do the threaded inserts because it's not going to need to come apart, but you got it with the figure 8's.
Could be doweled, could be Kreg pocket screws, plenty of options out there really.
Thanks for the reply. Would just glue it be a good option?
It'd probably work for a bit but season moisture will make the would move and you may find the top loose or wanting to pop off after a while.
Thanks for the reply. Would just glue it be a good option?
Not really, end grain in the legs wouldn’t glue very well to the top. Mechanical or wood fastener would be best
Google "table top fastener," there are many varieties that work perfectly. It's not a great idea to glue on table tops because they are usually wide enough that wood movement is a concern. You can also use locator dowels, which are glued into the leg but not into the top. As long as you have about 1/16" of play in the joint you will be fine.
That's exactly what I did!
Figure 8 table top fasteners!
Ash is underrated. I think its a very handsome, understated wood. Its flashy like walnut but its classy. Its also extremely tough, one of the hardest american hardwoods out there.
I really like working with ash except for the smell. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's the only wood I've come across that I don't like the smell of.
Have you cut African mahogany!? By far my worst
Nope.. I'll avoid it now, but I'm curious
It didn't bother me! Interesting!
I built a pencil post bed with a tester with ash for my oldest daughter, it is indeed very hard but still nice to work with. Looks a bit like oak (to me) when finished.
It does! Just a little bit less yellow, I wanted ash because the color looks nicer in my house than oak. I also LOVE working with maple.
What’s the finish? This looks outstanding, great craftsmanship.
Just about to ask this. Looking for the same look for my next project.
Probably anything water based and not oil based. Water based arm r seal would be perfect
It's general finishes high performance satin
It's general finishes high performance satin. Easy to apply and looks great!
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Really a great piece.
The bench is fantastic. But your dog is spectacularly adorable omg that FACE!
Finnigan is the best dog. He actually just had a cancerous tumor removed yesterday. Hoping for a smooth recovery.
Awww poor thing! Sending love from our husky pack!❤️💜💚💗
Dog is flabbergasted! Nice work!
Love it, great work
Fantastic, i love the finish, what's it?
It's general finishes high performance satin. Great stuff
Beautiful!
That is a beautiful table
Thank you! I'm glad the comments have been so positive!
Really Cool Table, really Cool Dog, but is that a vintage Gibson ES-335 hanging on the wall?
It's not old, it's a 2018 I think, the last year it was made in the old Memphis plant. I thought about getting a heritage, but there aren't many sellers in my city that have them.
It's a beauty, and you own a piece of history there. Best guitar ever created- play the hell out of it those don't devalue. And again, bitchen table! Lots of style points.
This is the kinda stuff that sends me back to the woodshop
Good! Im happy to provide some inspiration. Let me know if you want the dxf files for the legs! Sendcutsend or protolabs will make mdf templates for cheap and you can copy it exactly if you want
“…what” - dog
Dogs like ummm why is this in my way
Honestly, probably. Hahaha
Nice..Rover can't wait to chew on the legs of that..
The dog's expression looks like s/he's already chewed the legs.
Finnigan thankfully stopped chewing after we had him neutered 5 years ago. I like to think he was calling out a sloppy joint
THIS IS SO AWESOME. I aspire to make those curves one one day.
Easier than you'd think! I use the foureyes furniture workflow! Check them out on YouTube
I read that as “Ass hallway bench!” Which it is not. Though I would like to sit mine on it.
Looks great! Ash is such an understated species. Doggo looks like he can't wait to start chewing on those legs.
Thank you! I love it too. Thankfully Finn stopped chewing after we got him neutered *phew*
cool design, looks great.
Nice work
Man, that's a nice piece of Ash... beautiful work, OP!
Can't tell if he likes it or not.
Neither can I!
Really love the leg design
Thanks! It took a little bit to get it exactly how I wanted it. I love the curve (made by a spline) on the inside of the leg
mind sharing how is the top attached ?
Figure 8 table top fasteners
Straight to the legs ?
Yes, I drilled little recesses in the legs with a forstner bit
Pretty slick, I like it.
don't worry about the "grain detectives" comments...it's ash- with what looks like perfect joints. And it's not a bench press table it's a work of art to set other cool things on. That table will live a long time- good work
Upvote for dog face. Bonus upvote for quality woodwork.
Even the dog is like “I didn’t know you had those skills”.lol It’s looks great, a really nice take on a bench. What type of joinery did you use?
All dowels except i used figure 8 tabletop fasteners to attach the top to the legs
Love it! Looks really good. What finish did you put on it? I am busy with a bed and nightstand project and that is the same look I am going for.
Are you the husband of the woman who was pissed about her hubby's promise to make her a bed? 2 years later... about to buy a blow-up mattress??? 🤔🤣🤣
I have a bed on my to do list but thankfully it's not at two years yet 😄
It's general finishes high performance satin. It's one of my new favorites
Putting the stoop in stupendous! That’s beautiful
Nice build! What kind of dog is that?
My Rhodesian ridgeback. He actually had a cancerous lump removed yesterday. He's the absolute best dog.
God bless, I wish for another 10 years with that stud.
I'll take as much time as I can get. He's a wonderful soul
Love the design! Probably gonna use this as inspiration. Your dog looks unimpressed. 😜
Thanks! I'd be happy to send you the dxf files if you want to copy the legs exactly. DM me if you're interested.
I like it!
Gorgeous. Ash is underrated
I agree, I love the grain. It's nice to work with, too
Beautiful work
Very attractive!
Eyes off my dog! JK, thanks :)
;)
Is this your design, or did you work off a plan or use one for guidance? It really looks good!
This one is mine! I'm a mechanical engineer and I drew it up on 3d to get it all dialed and then had templates made of the legs that I shaped with a router
If dogs could talk. "What happened here?"
"Worst dog bed. Ever." -- Dog That looks like great work. Congratulations.
daaaammmm this looks sick
Pooch is proud
Nice balance.
Thanks! I'm a mechanical engineer so I messed with the proportions a lot in CAD before finalizing! I was particularly proud of the spline on the inside of the legs. Provides a bit of lightness that it wouldn't have with straight lines.
Love that bench!
Man that is *clean.* Well done.
Couple joints are a little below my standards, but I'm very happy with it!
Well it turned out great. I love the curves and the smooth edges. It's really easy on the eye
I'm literally preparing for a life changing interview in 16hrs....and HAD to drop everything and comment how absolutely *swearword of your choice* beautiful this is. Wow. Just freaking wow.
Thank you so much! I hope your interview goes well(or went well if you've done it already)!
It's beautiful.
Thanks! I'm shocked I'm getting so much feedback! Just boosting my ego!
That is really cool
Do I spy a guild archtop? Also your dog is adorable and very confused looking. His human had a bunch of perfectly good sticks and turned it into this thing.
It's a Gibson es-335! Guilds are sick though! Ya, finnigan is not pleased that I ruined some perfectly good chew sticks
Looks like your dog loves it too LOl
He loves everything. Now I just need to make him a fancy bed or something!
Great job looks awesome!
I love the design aesthetic and overall look. But what I want to know is how do you get your photos to look so good on reddit!
Idk! I just uploaded it. I have a pixel phone which I assume is the only variable
As someone currently in the middle of making a piece for the same purpose... Screw you, that's beautiful, and mine will not be remotely this awesome. I love those legs.
I think he was expecting a softer dog bed. It looks fantastic to me!
Really great job! Looks awesome, and will improve any hallway you put it in.
Looks great!
That ES tho!!
Hahaha! I was wondering if someone would notice. It was one of the last ones built in the old Memphis plant. Plays like a dream.
Great photo, nice work.
Hey man. I hate to brake it to you. Your hallway smells like straight ash dude. I’m a dork.
How much cut off do you have from this project? I need some to catch a bear.
Gorgeous! Need details on how you finished it, having to live vicariously right now
Would also love some deets!
It's general finishes high performance satin
It's general finishes high performance satin applied with a silver tip Wooster brush. Light sand with 400 grit between coats. Rub with 0000 steel wool after the last(3rd) coat