Tavolino Ripiano

 This is my second side-table design after 'Tavolinetto Da Salotto' that was made without shelf and instead had 2 thick brown oak legs supporting the thick sweet chestnut top. After making the first one which sold almost immediately, I wanted to make another variation, this time with a chestnut shelf that would add to the function. This would give me the opportunity to use tusk tenons to support the shelf and use thinner oak legs which means more joinery art to complement what is a very simple structure. That's what I like - simple lines where the wood and the wood joinery becomes part of the art.

As with the first table, the main challenge is cutting the mortises in the almost 5 inch thick chestnut top. I don't like using machines to do what I can do by hand so this time I just allocated myself a block of time to set there and carefully chisel down through the timber. As any woodworker knows, it's the careful measuring and marking of the joints before cutting anything, that is most important - out by even half a millimetre either side and you have gaps that shouldn't be there so check and re check, then check again every measurement. Then it's time to saw, chisel and plane.

Same process with the tusk tenon joints for the chestnut shelf (pictured left). Both mortises in the oak legs has to be cut very carefully and measured precisely to make sure the shelf tenons fitted snuggly without being too tight, thus allowing the oak pegs to provide the final tightening of the whole structure.

It seems important to me that everything I make has it's own identity. I decided that should be subtle and I could do it by using both chestnut and oak wedges to strengthen the through leg tenon join to the table top. 

I wanted to do a cross pattern and use the subtle difference in wood colours to best effect. I was very happy how they came out, truly unique and working beautifully against the backdrop of solid oak end grain.

You'll notice the character knot in the top (picture right). This is a really lovely feature in what is otherwise a fairly consistent grain. This is where I think about how the table will be used - it might be used ornamentally or for more practical uses or even to eat off. This means it was necessary to stabilise the knot and seal it with resin so that the table could more easily be wiped down without any food particles going into the knot holes.

I think it is important not just to have a blanket rule to treat every imperfection in something that isn't supposed to be perfect. Those of us that love real wood should always appreciate what makes it special, and for me the more knots and cracks the better.

This table is finished with multiple coats of hard wax oil that both conditions and protects the wood.

If you want to buy it, here is the link to my Etsy shop: 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/WoodDesignsByLeone/listing/887842686/solid-chestnut-oak-coffee-side-table