Floating-Top Table
I decided to build this table when I saw a similar design in Fine Woodworking magazine. The concept is from Michael Pekovich. I made a few edits to the design such as the reveal between the top and the base. I also decided to keep the apron rails straight instead of curved as well as inlaying walnut into the feet.
The wood for the tabletop came from a walnut slab that my uncle gave me as a holiday gift. The cherry for the legs came from a larger piece that I had stowed away a few months earlier, and the birds-eye maple for the apron rails came from an extra piece from my speaker project that you can view here
This build was fairly simple. I started by milling up the legs, then cut the bridle joints for the aprons. Next, I drilled and chiseled out the mortises for the stretchers and chopped the through-mortises for the sliding dovetail rails. After the base was ready, I prefinished it with a few coats of danish oil, and then glued on the top. Since wood is a dynamic material, many tables have a method of allowing expansion and contraction of the wood due to seasonal humidity changes. For this table, I used a snugly fitting sliding dovetail to allow for lateral expansion.
This project was a lot of fun to build and it was a great practice in exposed joinery.
