DIY Network

	WOODWORKING Index
	Antiques Bedroom Seating Chests Decorative-Accent Furnishings Shelves & Cabinets Tables Products Woodworking Shop Other

BEST OF WOODWORKING

Mold Quiz
Home Safety
Room Planner
Pet Care Guide
Weekend Projects
DIY to the Rescue
Sparkling Solutions
Organize Your Home
Ultimate Media Room
Picture Perfect Parties
Queen of Clean

SPONSOR LINKS

Cherry Wood Base

Learn how to touch up the surface of the accent table and create the cherry wood base.

From "Freeform Furniture"
episode DFFF-211

Host Amy Devers touches up the surfacing on the piece. She starts by sanding with a random orbital sander, then applying a clear coat of spray lacquer. While the lacquer dries, Amy starts on the cherry wood base. She cuts all the design details into a single piece of cherry, puts in the rods, and routes a recess for the panel clips. She finishes the piece with six coats of shellac

Room: Before

Room: After

Host Amy Devers creates this modern table that would "accent" any room.

Amy Devers creates the cherry wood base for the accent tabletop.

Materials:

cherry wood
aluminum panel clips
craft paper
metal ruler
flexible curve
black marker
tape
MDF or medium density fiberboard
yellow wood glue
spray adhesive
respirator
utility knife
80-grit sandpaper
laminate
clear packing tape
sheet of melamine
dry wall screws
modeling clay
powdered gypsum
water
modeling clay
dust mask
air hose
spray lacquer
vinyl gloves
steel rods
shellac
lint-free pad
1/2" steel rods
epoxy
5-minute quick cure epoxy
rough grit sand paper
cotton rag
soft bristle brush

Tools:

pneumatic nailer
band saw
table saw
cordless drill
flat head screwdriver
random orbital sander
cordless power drill with a special paddle attachment
band saw
hand planer

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Cherry Wood Base

Go over the surface a few times with a random orbital sander (figure A) to finish the surface, and then finish it off with a clear coat of satin lacquer to seal and protect the gypsum.
A power sander will help lift out any color or minor uneven spots that developed while the tabletop was curing.
Use a sanding block to polish off the edges and then spray the dust off with an air hose.
Top if off with a clear coat of spray lacquer.
While the lacquer is drying, start on the cherry wood base. Mark out what you are going to cut (figure B). On the back mark a taper which you will cut so it will clear any base boards in the house.
Start by drilling those three holes on the drill press.
Drill in two 1-1/2" holes on the sides. Drill one hole in the front of the post.
Once you insert the rods into the holes and cut in the dado, the tabletop will slide in at 90-degrees and be flush with the wall.
It is time to cut the dado and a dado is a big, wide flat-bottom slot cut across the grain right at the top of the cherry post. The gypsum slab will slip in to that slot creating a bridal join.
Two circular saw blades sandwich the chippers to cut the dado groove. Its width needs to match the thickness of the concrete top so you can marry and secure the slab into the post (figure C). That is why it is called a bridal joint.
The tabletop should fit in there nice and snug. Cut the taper off with a band saw. Once the taper is cut in, use the hand planer to clean up the rough edges from the band saw. A hand planer is a bladed tool used to smooth out wood surfaces like this.
Route a recess for the panel clips.
Give it a quick sand before you put on the finish. The quickest way to sand it is with a random orbital sander.
A shellac finish is applied. Use a lint-free pad and apply six coats.