Shaping refines a table's de-

sign. The author first uses

models, measurements and
full-scale drawings to work out
a dining-table design. Plywood
templates (foreground) help
execute that design. But even
so, subtle shaping in the shop
makes the table more inviting
to the touch and to the eye.

"M
ake furniture that ably. If the owner entertains
people can be regularly, you'll want to make a
comfortable living table with an expanding top
with." So said Sam Maloof, the
noted chairmaker, and this
same guiding principle is at the
Making Dining that doesn't require a compli-
cated leaf system or a forest of
legs. I consult a number of ref-

Tables That Work

heart of the furniture I build. erences (see the further read-
Optimum comfort certainly ing box on p. 63) to get ideas
applies to chairs, and the same for seating needs. They are on-
holds true for dining tables.
When building a dining table, I Careful measuring and ly a starting point, though. Gen-
eral rules (for example, the
start by finding out how the
owner likes to dine and where common sense ensure stability, commonly given 24 in. of el-
bow room per person) may
the table is going. I use this in-
formation to come up with
comfort and good looks have to be increased or de-
creased to take into account the
rough sketches and scale mod- type of table, the space needed
els, which convey material and for the chairs or how else the
proportions better than draw- by Peter Tischler table might be used. Figure 1
ings. Then I measure every- on p. 62 shows a typical table
thing—people, dining room, plan for seating six people.
rugs, existing furniture and chi-
na—so I can translate dimen- Basic dining dimensions—
sions to drawings and occasional mock-ups. This multi-step I've found that the most comfortable height of a dining table is be-
process almost always leads to a table that best suits the customer. tween 28 in. and 28 in., which is a bit lower than what the
textbooks say. But for a family, that height is more informal and
Design is always a compromise makes the sitters feel relaxed. The height, of course, depends on
How a dining table relates to its users is just as important as how it the chairs and whether the table has an apron that will limit leg
relates to its surroundings. The best tables are the ones that make clearance (see figure 2 on p. 63).
tiny compromises. For example, when building a table for a fami- The width and shape of a dining table's top also affect seating
ly with children, the durability of the finish on the tabletop out- arrangement. Most chairs are 20 in. wide or so, but you will need
weighs the need of the finish to be authentic to the table's style better than 24 in. of place-setting width for most people and even
period. Fortunately, there are some simple guidelines that will more if you're dealing with squirming teenagers. For the minimum
help with design decisions. overall width of the table, I use 36 in. A table much over 40 in.
wide will lose any feeling of intimacy between eaters on opposite
Seating—The first step is to determine the number of people to be sides. An oval top offers more side seating than a rectangular top
seated, so you can figure the table size that will fit them comfort- of similar square footage. (It's easier to squeeze two more people
It takes more than a mea- may have to do some hybrid
suring tape for good table
design. The author uses small designing to come up with a
models, full-size chair and table that matches a sideboard
sideboard mock-ups, full-scale or china hutch. Similarly, if
drawings and templates. you're making a contempo-
rary table, it's useful to know
the tastes of your client be-
cause you're likely to borrow
the lines or elements of his or
her favorite furniture pieces.
Quarter-scale models show Here's where models can help.
table options—From the left, When I build quarter-scale
the model bases are single
pedestal, double pedestal, tres- table models, I make several
tle and leg and rail. Models al- variations to help the customer
so present wood choices. visualize differences in pro-
portions and materials. I use
various woods to show what
color, figure and grain patterns
will look like in the room. Al-
ternative shapes for the top,
such as free-form edges and
book-matched halves, are an-
other example of what models
can depict. Models can also
present a variety of base
forms, which show how much
room there will be under the
top and how stable the foot-
print will be (for more on this,
see FWW #92, p. 28). The fol-
lowing are the four most com-
mon base types I use.

in at the ends of an oval when Single pedestal—In terms of

company comes over). But be- stability and looks, the ma-
cause square and round tables hogany model (the first one in
take up less space, they often the bottom photo) shows the
fit better in small dining areas. relative proportions a single-
pedestal table should have. An
Measure everything oval top resting on a single-
before you cut anything pedestal base is probably my
After you've figured out the favorite dining table, partly be-
seating and overall table size, cause it allows for extra sitters.
take out a tape measure, sit at Because this type of table has
a comfortable dining table and a central column, it makes
think about the relationships sense to have an even number
of sitter to chair to table. of people on each side (an
Then start taking real-life di- odd number can cramp the
mensions. With the biggest sit- person sitting in the middle).
ter in a relaxed, seated position, measure the distance between his Single pedestals also lend themselves well to a round top, but
or her elbows and knees. Measure knee heights, and add a little there is a size limit that the pedestal will support. I limit round tops
extra to establish the bottom of the apron height. Measure how to 54 in. dia., unless the undercarriage is quite heavy. A rectangu-
far forward the person likes to put his or her feet. Measure dinner lar top on a pedestal shouldn't be much over 72 in. long.
plates, serving platters and the room where the table is going. Ex-
act dimensions aren't as important as how they all relate. Once you Double pedestal—A double-pedestal table (the second model in
get to the final shop drawings (see the top photo), you'll already the bottom photo) will fit an odd number of sitters per side stag-
have a good idea of how the table will look, and consequently, gered around the columns. The model shows how a free-form top,
how it will match the room and furnishings that surround it. here in wormy red maple, looks over a walnut base. The top's
slightly asymmetrical shape, which widens in places, actually of-
Models show table proportions and styles fers extra knee space where the curved vertical members are. The
Most styles of furniture offer variations for dining tables, such as two pedestals spread out the center of gravity, so the table can be
top shapes, woods to use and options for bases. It's worth looking quite long. Double-pedestal tables are good for expansion (using
at lots of examples of the period you're working in because you draw leaves) because the place settings will be in the right spots.
Trestle—Trestle tables (see Designing for family needs—
The author had the family in
the third model in the bot- mind when he designed this
tom photo on the facing page) table to seat six comfortably,
are great for accommodating with room for a high chair. He
many people because there used end leaves to allow plen-
are lots of expandable-top ty of elbow and leg room with-
out dividing or disrupting the
options. Even without leaves, figure in the tabletop's center.
a trestle table can be long be-
cause the length mainly de-
pends on the strength of the
stretcher and how far the top
boards can span. In the case of
the trestle model, the book-
matched cherry top has but-
terfly keys joining two large
boards, similar to classic
George Nakashima tables. The But to work out final construc-
model also shows that the tion details and to produce
base uprights are shaped in- templates, I usually make full-
ward at knee level to accom- scale drawings. I then use the
modate sitters at the ends of templates to shape the parts
each side. (see the photo on p. 61).
There are two major draw- There are benefits to using
backs of a trestle table: First, solid wood for the whole
it requires lots of overhang table, including the top. For
(compared to a leg-and-rail me, the durability, variation in
table) at each end to give grain and smooth transition of
enough room for end sitters. top to edge make solid-wood
To allow for this, pull a chair tops worth the effort (see the
up to the edge of a dining photo). Though veneered tops
table, and measure how far in may be stable and show con-
the ends are. I generally allow sistent pattern and color, there
16 in. as a minimum amount of are ways of achieving similar
overhang all around the table- results in solid wood.
top. Second, the trestle's feet For stability, I use only well-
interfere with people seated at seasoned stock. To keep the
the ends of each side. boards flat, I rough-mill in sev-
eral sessions over two weeks
Leg and rail—Leg-and-rail ta- to acclimate the wood to my
bles, such as the fourth model shop. The best way I've found
in the bottom photo on the Further reading to keep consistent grain and
facing page, can be strong, as Designing Furniture by Seth Stem, The Taunton Press, PO Box figure patterns is by using the
well as quick and economical 5506, Newtown, CT 06470 widest boards available. Wide
to build. But because a table's Encyclopedia of Furniture Making by Ernest Joyce, Sterling boards are usually much easi-
legs can take up much of the Publishing Co. Inc., 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016 er to match than narrow ones.
sitter's leg room, I give each Fine Woodworking on Tables and Desks, The Taunton Press, For color continuity, I like
sitter at least 28 in. of width for PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470 the logs that are to be cut into
comfort because about 3 in. is tabletop stock to be sawn clear
lost around each post. Or a through. If this isn't practical,
leg-and-apron table can be fitted with a bow-sided top, like the select boards from the same lot, and buy all your wood at the same
model, and the legs spread out to the corners to provide more time. Then when gluing up the top, go for the best grain match
seating room. I build leg-and-rail tables slightly higher—about rather than trying to orient all the end grain a certain way.
29 in.—to allow enough leg clearance because the apron will take Changes in top thickness as small as in. can have a dramatic
up some height. To do this, determine the bottom of the apron effect on how we perceive the table as a whole. My tops vary from
height by measuring the largest sitter in a chair. Chairs are typical- 1 to 1 in. thick. I allow extra thickness for planing the wood a few
ly 17 to 18 in. high at the seat. Allowing 6 to 7 in. for the thighs to times before matching up the boards for glue-up. Longer boards
go under the top, the bottom of the apron should usually be will likely be cupped or twisted, so give yourself enough wood
24 to 25 in. above the floor (see figure 2). rather than under-sizing the top's thickness just to get it flat. When
connecting the top to its base, allow for seasonal movement by us-
The importance of scale drawings and materials ing screws in slotted holes or cabinetmaker's buttons.
Proportions are such an important part of overall design. I've
found that one-quarter scale drawings and models bring up the Peter Tischler is a North Bennet Street School graduate who runs
design issues and questions that I need to present to the customer. a chairmaking and cabinetmaking shop in Caldwell, N.J.