Updating old furniture

[Vandernaught Family]

I was given a coffee table that was my grandmothers. It is a nice table as it stand but a little old looking for our contemporary house. I'd like to update the appearance a bit.

I'm told the top is solid maple. It is a medium wood tone. The top is easily removed from the base. My plan is to trim about an inch from all sides and then add an edging from some leftover birch plywood I have. The color will be close enough to proved a good contrast, and having the multiple plies around the edge will give it a contemporary look to match the shelves and bookcase I made a couple of years ago.

My question is the about the corners. With my tablesaw it will be hard to get a good miter to fit exactly. Is it OK to just put two strips on the long side and leave them extended about an inch, then cut two shorter pieces to fit in the ends? Any reason they should be mitered?

I plan to sand them even before I put on the polyurethane finish so it will all blend together just like it has always been there.

Robert Vandernaught, Jr.

[Frank McVey]

You're planning to cut up a solid maple table belonging to your grandmother and put a plywood lipping on it?

You have to ask why mitres are prefereable to butts?

Don't.

Frank

[George H Hughes]

My question is why would you want to take and old maybe antique table that you got from your grandmother and trim off the edges, put plywood around the edge to make it modern????? Why??? Hell contemporary furniture or not that table would be worth a hell of a lot more in sentimental value that you will ever make it. To hell with it not fitting into your furniture that is from your grandmama. I would make it the center piece and really cherish it. If I had to get a fit it would be a new one with a hell of a lot less personnal value to it. George in Ga

Gonna leave in the rest for reference, sorry!

grandmother

[darin-N O S P A M-nntp2]

[bridger]

snip

troll, I'd say.

[Andy Dingley]

I've not seen a coffee table that was older than the '40s. So if it was grandmother's, that probably makes him somewhere in his teens.

Which fits with the fairly obvious trolling.

Anyone fancy an 1890-1914-ish English Arts & Crafts dresser, wearing '50s plastic handles ? No top either, because the previous owner ripped it off as "a handy piece of wood" before throwing out the whole piece. It's now in my lounge, waiting for me to get round to restoring the damage.

[J. Clarke]

Seems to me the _right_ thing to do (although way beyond the skills of the OP if he can't make a miter fit) would be to use the table as an excuse to make a house (or at least a room) full of furniture in a matching style.

[David Hall]

....and a particularly sick one at that!!!!!

Dave Hall

[jo4hn]

[snip of scary stuff]

Engerman, is that you?? j4

[R. E. Engerman]

I'm very disappointed. I was told this was a friendly group and would be able to help me, but I guess I was wrong. No one even tried to answer my simple question. You just made fun of me and questioned my motives. All I want is some trendy looking furniture

Well, I'm not going to get mad. I'm used to people treating me that way, ever since I married my young cousin. You guys are as bad as the people always trying to look into my back yard when we are out there in the summer.

Robert Vandernaught, Jr.

[Frank McVey]

Attaboy, Bob, you've got style. I bit. Gimme six! (Cue "Duelling Banjos")

Cheers,

Frank

[bridger]

this is my kind of troll. on topic, polite, funny.....

thanks, "Ralph Engeman"- or was that "Robert Vandernaught, Jr."?

I bet youse gots some other sock puppets running around out there too....

[bridger]

... and I see that the one you use on rec.food.cooking is a bit more profane. it may come hammuh time here, sockman.

[Bubba]

I've had the same problem and find that the best approach is to leave the whole thing assembled, then just trip along the edges with a circular saw. If your blades are like mine, it will splinter the wood around the cuts. No problem. Just smooth things over with a can of bondo. When the bondo dries, cover the whole top and side with contact paper. Simple - - - effective - - - cheap. Contact paper is available in a wide variety of contemporary patterns and colors. I've also found that you can spiff up old fashioned looking legs with aluminum paint from a spray can. It won't look anything like you or anyone else remember it.

[Tom Veatch]

My thoughts, exactly. Hey...maybe I'm getting a little less naive, maybe...?

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

[R. E. Engerman]

I won't be posting for the next few weeks. I'll be taking some woodworking courses to improve my skills. I've got lots of big projects ahead and want them to come out perfect. Here is a list of courses I'm going to take at Woodland Academy

Faux finishes for particleboard

Mounting your lawnmower to your router table. (Class supplies include an adapter that holds 1/2" bits)

Converting Steel Strapping to Bandsaw Blades (Participants must brig their own file and tin snips to class)

The tuition is expensive, but I get a 10% discount because I'm a member of the Craftsman Club. Hope to see you guys soon. You can be sure I'll share some of the wonderful things I've learned. Yep, it'll be nice to be "Home Again" eh.

Ralph Engerman R. E. Quick Transit

[R. E. Engerman]

Only Luigi knows for sure.

Ralph Engerman R. E. Quick Transit