Grade 11 Woods Lift Lid Coffee Table

Based on Under the big Top from Popular Mechanics Website

TABLE TOP

1. Select enough lumber to construct a top that is between 22 ½” and 24” wide after jointing. Ensure you show your teacher where you plan to rough cut the boards to ensure as little waste as possible.

2. Joint only 1 board surface with 1 time (2 max) to maintain as much thickness as possible. Surface can be faulted,

it only needs to be smooth enough to run against the jointer fence ensuring perfectly jointed edges.

3. Perfectly joint edges of all boards

4. Arrange boards edge to edge. Ensure that a) you can visibly see alternating grains on the end grains of each

board as shown below and b) the top is as visually appealing as you want it to be. Mark table top surface with a large triangle (This is important for re-alignment prior to glue up)

5. Using three bar clamps, clamp boards together and inspect joints for gaps. If there are gaps present, re-joint as

required. Get another person to confirm this to ensure that you have missed no joints. 6. Set up clamps to match width of top before gluing. You will need 5 bar clamps (3 for the bottom and 2 for the top).

NO TAPE on the clamps is needed at this time.

7. Arrange paper towels under top to collect glue spill out and make your clean-up much easier.

8. Glue joints with a healthy amount of glue for each joint. IMPORTANT: leave a middle joint unglued at this point

9. Set clamped table top aside MAKE SURE TOP DOES NOT TWIST

10. Once dried, minimum 24 hours, remove top from clamps, remember to mark on board ends for re-assembly after

planing (this is best done on the end-grain near the unglued joint). Do not put away clamps at this time as you will need them right away.

11. Alternating surfaces, plane two top pieces to a minimum of ¾”. A slightly thicker top is desirable. Remember to run both boards before adjusting depth to ensure matching thicknesses.

12. Check remaining edges and re-joint if necessary to ensure solid glue joint

13. Add 5” piece of tape to bar clamps at location of glue joint

14. Add glue and place back into clamps. Tighten in this order ensuring PERFECT alignment of top and bottom

surface. (two wooden block clamps on ends can help with alignment) a) Underside end clamp b) Top clamp c) Underside middle clamp d) Top clamp e) Underside end clamp

NOTE: as you tighten clamps, make sure surfaces are perfectly aligned (ask if you need help with this)

15. Thoroughly wash, not just wipe, glue from table-top. As you get to a clamp, remove clamp, wash glue then replace

clamp with new masking tape at joint. Do this for both sides of table

16. Once dried, minimum 24 hours, remove from clamps. Please remember to remove tape from clamps before returning to clamp storage rack

17. Check last glue joint and

a) If perfect, move to step 18 b) If not perfect, rip joint with General band saw, re-joint and re-glue.

18. Using a card scraper, scrape joint perfectly flush, then sand to 80 grit and set aside

LEGS 1. If you are using 8/4 (2”) thick stock, skip to step 2. If you are using 4/4 (1”) stock, then follow steps a) to g)

a) Rough cut 8 pieces to approximately 1” x 2” x 17” b) Group into 4 groups of 2 and mark each set with a triangle for later gluing.

c) ONLY joint surface that needs to be glued d) Prepare bar clamps to accept all four legs. Clamps do not need to be taped for this glue up. REMEMBER

to place paper towel under clamping area for easier clean up e) Apply glue to all four sets of legs, place in clamps and tighten f) Clean any overspill from both sides of clamped legs g) Place glued assembly aside and clean up workspace h) Skip to step 4

2. From long 8/4 stock, crosscut enough material to make up 4 legs that are 17” long

3. Using the large green General bandsaw, rip material to 2” widths

4. Joint leg blanks on two adjoining sides

NOTE: Ensure this angle between these two sides is 90 degrees Mark each side with an arrow and pigtail

5. Set legs on the planer with pigtails to the underside and arrows to the left side

6. Set up planer as usual

7. Run legs through being careful not to twist the leg orientation when they come out of the planer

8. Twist legs so that the pigtail is on the right and the arrow is on the underside and run legs through the planer once

more

9. Adjust the planer up one full turn and repeat steps 7 and 8 until legs are exactly 1 5/8” x 1 5/8”

10. Once planed to size, tape all four legs together into a large plank. Tape should only go 1 time around each end of the group

11. Check chop saw to ensure it is set up exactly at 90 degrees

12. Clean cut one end of the blank

13. Flip blank over, measure to 16 1/8” and cut other end

LEG MORTISES 1. Using a pencil, correctly mark legs for mortising

a) On top of legs, mark the outside surface

b) On the inside surfaces, at the top, roughly mark where each mortise will be located. MARK MUST BE

CLOSEST TO OUTSIDE SURFACE

c) On both inside surfaces mark ½” from the top and 4 ½” from the first line

2. If not already installed, set up mortise machine with 3/8” mortising bit

3. Set distance between fence and mortise bit to exactly 5/16”

4. Using a ¾” shim under the leg, place into clamp with: a) mortise mark closest to fence b) mortise location centered on clamp c) top of leg to the left

5. Slide table to the right, line up left mortise mark with left side of bit and set end clamp

6. Slide table to the left, line up right mortise mark with right side of bit and set other end clamp

7. Set up the stop guide on left side of mortise machine to top of the leg

8. Set depth of cut to 1”

9. Mortise as per mortising instructions

10. Remove leg once mortise complete

11. Install next leg, make sure:

a) mortise mark is closest to fence and b) top is to the left and up against the stop guide

12. Mortise remaining legs

13. After four legs are mortised on one side, reset the machine to do the second mortise

a) Loosen stop guide completely b) Align end marks with existing end clamp locations and clamp in place c) Reset stop guide to left side of leg

14. Complete the remaining mortises

APRONS (NOTE: PREP ALL 4 PIECES AT THE SAME TIME) 1. Select enough of your chosen wood to fabricate all 4 aprons

2. Rough 2 pieces to approx. 6” x 20” and 2 pieces to approx 6” x 31”

3. Joint the one edge and surface on all 4 pieces (remember to mark with arrow and pigtail)

4. Plane all 4 pieces to exactly ¾” thick

5. Rip all 4 pieces to exactly 5 ½” wide

6. Using either the chop saw or crosscut sled, crosscut short aprons to exactly 17 ¼” long (ENSURE BOTH ENDS

ARE PERFECTLY SQUARE)

7. Again with either chop saw or crosscut sled, crosscut long aprons to exactly 29 ¼” long (AGAIN, ENSURE BOTH ENDS ARE PERFECTLY SQUARE)

8. Tenon each end to exact size as per plans and mortise (NOTE: Use leg mortise to ensure correct fit of tenons)

NOTE: starting blade height will be 1/8”

9. Assemble base, tweaking as necessary to ensure a perfect fit between mortise and tenon.

10. Draw an “X” on the bottom inside of each apron

11. Using the tablesaw, cut a ¼” wide by ¼’ deep groove that is ¼” from the edge where each “X” is located

12. Select only one of your long aprons, re-rip it to exactly 5 3/8” wide and write “HINGE” on the top of edge

FINAL ASSEMBLY

1. Final sand all aprons and legs (NOTE: BE CAREFUL SANDING AROUND MORTISES ON THE LEGS)

2. See Teacher for a piece of Baltic birch plywood for your table base

3. Measure inside to inside on all the grooves to determine the exact plywood size, write these measurements down

4. Double check these measurements with the teacher

5. Cut plywood to final size a) Using panel cutting sled, cut 1 end at 90 degrees and mark with an “X” at this corner b) Place “X” against fence and cut to width c) Place “X” against fence, cut to length

6. Decide if you want to notch plywood or legs (see teacher for examples)

a) If notching legs: 1) Set-up leg notching jig. Distance from left side of saw blade to end stop must perfectly match

distance from top to the bottom of groove in the short apron. 2) Using a scrap leg blank (this is provided), test cut for distance and blade height. Blade must cut

minimum 1” into leg 3) Once set correctly, cut all four legs 4) Clamp 1/8” shim to end-stop and re-cut all 4 legs to make a ¼” wide notch in leg 5) Measure 1” on plywood edge and cut at 45 degrees using chop saw, do this for all four corners

b) If notching plywood:

1) Set fence on General band-saw to 1” to outside of blade 2) Cut 1” notch into all four corners

7. Dry-fit the base with the plywood

8. Adjust where necessary (aprons must fit tight to legs with no gaps)

BASE GLUE UP

You will need the following a) Glue b) Glue brush c) Orange band clamp d) 4’ or 5’ bar clamp

e) Wooden mallot f) 1 piece of scrap wood g) Sharp ¾” chisel h) Lots of wet paper towels for glue clean-up

1. Pre-set orange band clamp for proper size around table base

2. Dis-assemble the base in the exact order you will re-glue it, placing all pieces in accessable positions, hinge apron

is last to be glued 3. Apply glue to both ends of long apron and attach legs (BE EXTRA CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE TOP OF LEGS

MATCH TOP OF APRON)

4. Apply glue to both ends of left short apron and install (BE EXTRA CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE TOP OF APRON MATCHES TOP OF LEG)

5. Apply glue to both ends of right short apron and install (BE EXTRA CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE TOP OF APRON

MATCHES TOP OF LEG)

6. Place plywood into grooves

7. Apply glue to both ends of hinge apron and attach remaining legs (MAKE SURE APRON IS EXACTLY 1/8” BELOW TOP OF LEGS)

8. Place this assembly onto short aprons (AGAIN, BE EXTRA CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE TOP OF SHORT

APRON MATCHES TOP OF LEGS)

9. Place band clamp onto base and gently tighten using a piece of scrap wood between clamp mechanism and long apron

10. Ensure clamp is in middle of aprons and then fully tighten

11. Using bar clamp, tighten all four sides to make sure tenons are fully seated

12. Using the chisel as a scraper, remove excess glue from all inside corners, washing residue with wet paper towels

13. Once inside is clean of glue, remove band clamp. Scrape and clean outside joints (be careful not to scratch apron surface)

14. Replace band clamp and fully tighten

15. Once glue is set, minimum 24 hours, remove band-clamp and put away. Touch-up sand all surfaces where glue

was cleaned

16. Joint one long edge of table top perfectly true

17. Using panel cutting sled, cut one end 90 degrees to jointed edge

18. Decide final length and width of top, use base as a reference for overhangs

19. Cut top to final length and width

20. Final sand top to 220, pay special attention to table ends

21. Cut 2 hinges form long piano hinges (5 holes must be seen on each hinge)

22. Place loops of tape onto hinges

23. Perfectly center table top on base

24. Place hinges in correct positions, tape side “UP”

25. Flip top over, don’t let hinges move

26. Using table drilling bit, drill holes at ends of each hinge

27. Lift hinges, remove tape and attach using #6 x 5/8” flat-head screws

28. Drill remaining holes in top (no screws at this time)

29. Place top on table (use a sanding mat to protect down surface), hinge side up

30. Place base on side and align hinge apron with hinges on table top

31. Drill end holes only and install #6 x ¾” flat-head screws

32. Stand table upright, and check that top opens and closes correctly

33. Drill all remaining holes in apron (do not install screws at this time)

34. Final check for any remaining sanding, make sure no glue residue is visible.

35. Remove hinges and apply Danish oil finish (REMEMBER TO WIPE OFF ALL EXCESS OIL COMPLETELY)

36. Re-install hinges

37. Turn in for marking