Feasibility & cost of building a dining room table in 12 woodshop classes

[William Don**ly]

My local town adult education flyer came in for the winter session, offering

12 woodshop sessions for $200, which got me wondering.

Is it feasible to build a basic dining room table in 12 woodshop classes? How much would it cost?

Of course, the devil is in the details, so I just want to rough it out.

I realize the variability in cost of the wood could be huge. What's a decent dark'ish brown wood for a decent price for a dining room table?

The shape of the table would be either circular or rectangular with oval ends. Maybe five or eight feet long? (What's a basic size for seating four to six people?)

[Bill]

I think the answer is yes if your instructor is intent on helping you do it. This guy will help you build one in one day for $385, materials included:

How much would it cost?

[bob haller]

no doubt you coud pick up a cheap one for little money at a scondhand store like goodwill......

making furniture is more about making something you can be proud of than making something cheap.

and just about any wood can be stained for whatever color you want..

if 12 weeks isnt enough, just spread it over 2 class groups

12 weeks plus 12 weeks.

years ago i got into reaupolstering furniture, with no sewing skills or heavy duty sewing machine i took the class multiple times and redid lots of furniture. ended up helping as a assistant teacher by the time i ran out of stuff to redo

[Norminn]

Wow! If you have a really good plan, a good instructor and adequate tools, it could be done (IMO). A round table with leaves is my favorite, and I'm shopping for one now. I had an antique 54" that once had leaves but I didn't have leaves. It seated six easily but we often seated eight...it was our only table and was in the large kitchen. Although it was veneer, it took a beating and I just refinished the top when it showed too much wear (baking, crafts, rolling out countless batches of PlaDoh, etc). Round tables with pedestal allow for more flexible seating because there are no legs to get in the way. A 48" table might fit better if not in a really spacious home....you can design in enough leaves to seat 20 if you want...the Amish make them that way :o)

If I was undertaking such a plan, I'd go for constructing the pedestal first (since I like round pedestal bases with hidden supports for when the table has leaves added). Then the apron and slider mechanism. Any fool can cut a circle :o) I would definitely get a look at what is in good furniture stores for familiarity, find good instructions and check with the instructor before proceeding. Let us know :o)

Some tables have painted bases and clear finish on tops, which would likely allow for using softer woods for the shaping. Oak is hard.

We recently purchased a bedroom set made in Amish country; brown maple, whatever version of maple that is. I tried to pound a nail into birdseye maple once....HARD! This furniture is incredibly heavy and sooooo nicely made...the tongue and groove joints are just as pretty and finely made as the outer parts.

[homeowner]

If you really need to learn how to do make a table, by all means take the class. But if you already know how, for $200 you could buy all the tools you need to make one at home, as long as you dont buy real costly tools.

A common dark wood is walnut, but there are others. As for the cost, go to a local lumber yard and ask them. Newsgroups are not places to ask prices, because they vary around the world.

For table sizes, go to a furniture store and take a ruler.

Dont forget, you'll need chairs to match!

[Larry Jaques]

What is your woodworking background, William? If you have some experience, the answer would be maybe, but only if the instructor would allow it. Do ask first. Some classes revolve around a single project, others around multiple projects of varying complexity for each student. The instructor might make another class available for your table and have some the other students make chairs for it, who knows? Talk with the instructor (but don't let him bully you into staining a lighter wood. ;)

> How much would it cost?

Bless you for avoiding stain. Dark wood with a clearcoat are a wonderful pair. Ask to see woods at your nearest hardwood lumber yard. They can steer you to a good wood at a bearable price. Some of the teak replacements are beautiful. My favorite finish is Waterlox Original, in satin.

How about 45 x 72 x 29" tall? Spacious enough for 6, comfy for 4. Anything wider is harder to reach across, especially for smaller women.

-- A human being must have occupation if he or she is not to become a nuisance to the world. -- Dorothy L. Sayers

We need to find -jobs- for our CONgresscritters! -- Larry Jaques

[dadiOH]

Allow a minimum of 24" per person, 30" to be generous.

Consider width too...don't make it so wide that someone can't reach the center from a seated position, 42-44" is common for rectangular tables. Round tables are often greater than that in diameter, best with a lazy susan appropriately sized.

[Dr. Deb]

As others have said, yes it is feasible. However, a lot depends on how the class is structured.

One question though, why are you taking the class? Is it that you are not confident of your woodworking skills? If that is the case AND the instructor

1) will allow you to pick your own project, 2) does not feel the project is too large for the class (both room wise and length of build time) 3) you are not going to try to get into anything fancy (assumning you are a beginner) it could be done.

A better course of action is to read, hit the videos on Youtube, build a trial project where you can hone your skills and then tackle the larger project - always remembering the following

1) If it does not fit, back off, find out why and remake if necesary 2) When you rush, you screw up 3) It will take longer than you thought 4) It will cost more than you planned 5) In the coming years you will be amazed at both how well you did and how you screwed up.

Go for it, life is too short not to grab on with both hands and shout, "Man, what a ride."

Deb

[Leon]

Probably not unless the classes are all day long, then "maybe" it would be feasible if you know exactly what order to do things and there is no learning curve to operate the equipment.

This is why good quality furniture is not cheap.

Probably least expensive, walnut but relatively soft compared to oak. White Oak would give you a medium brown color and less likely to dent than walnut.

Go to a local furniture store and pick the size you like.

[Leon]

dining room table. From scratch, not a chance.

[David L. Martel]

William,

No, nowhere near long enough. A wood working class will have good quality tools but in limiteed supply. So the table saw will be occupied 99% of the time. Ditto sanders, et c. You don't say how long a class is, or how experienced you are with cabintry but no, this won't happen. Speak to the teacher of the class for a reasonable guesstimate.

Dave M.

[Swingman]

Thank you for not cross-posting, along with the old time wRec'ers, Leon and C_Less.

[Swingman]

Yes, but only if each class is a minimum of two to four hours ... toward the latter if you want the table to be something you will be proud of when you're finished.

Not enough information is given to make even a SWAG. Plan on FAS hardwood going from $6 to $9 a board foot in most places these days, so do the math on the high side, plus at least 20% for waste.

If the lessons are worth while, $200 for twelve lesson is a good deal and, depending upon the quality of the instruction, may be well be worth it just for the experience if you don't have any.

Check to see if these folks have photographic or other evidence of what has been accomplished by students in previous classes.

Without that, you stand a good chance of buying a pig in a poke, so it is more than reasonable to ask for references before paying your money.

Good luck with it ... sounds like fun.

[Swingman]

WTF does "cabintry" have to do with building a "dining room table"??

[Bill]

(obviously) provided the OP with good advice.

I think one of the best parts of taking a class would be the availability of good table saws, jointers and planers, hand planes, vises, and all of the other niceties!

Bill

[Dave]

On Mon, 10 Dec 2012 07:06:46 -0500, Norminn

Basically what I did when I built my outdoor cedar trestle table. Base first and then the top was easy.

Swingman has (or had) a dining room trestle table that he built several years ago and I modeled my garden table after it.

Having the experience building that, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to build a hardwood indoor table in a similar vein.

[Larry Jaques]

WTF are you ragging about now, Karl?

-- A human being must have occupation if he or she is not to become a nuisance to the world. -- Dorothy L. Sayers

We need to find -jobs- for our CONgresscritters! -- Larry Jaques

[William Don**ly]

I have the skills only because I took woodworking class in high school (all four years) - but then - I became an electronics tech so all the shop equipment I've bought since then has been radically different in character.

I don't have the equipment nor room for the equipment (unless I build a shed):

- Table saw (I have a chop saw)

- Router table (I have a router & bits, but I never used them)

- Band saw (I have a hand held power jig saw & circular saw)

- Drill press (I have a hand held power drill and bits)

- Disc & belt sander (I have a hand held power belt sander)

- Wood clamps (I have your basic foot-long C clamps)

I've been toying with the idea of buying the basic shop tools above but then I'd have to build a powered shed in order to store & use them.

That's why the class seems most intriguing.

[William Don**ly]

Here is the class description:

Woodworking Techniques 101: This comprehensive 12-session class is a complete course in woodworking techniques. Each 3-hour class covers basic and fundamental woodworking concepts for both the new woodworker & advanced techniques for the experienced craftsman. Lumber may be purchased from the instructor or brought by the student but only new lumber may be used on the school machinery. Each student must choose a project by the third week. Project grading will be based on safety, simplicity, form, and finish. A $25 charge for materials is payable to the instructor at the first meeting.

[Swingman]

Thanking for not cross posting. If you have a problem with that, kiss my ass.