Sofa Display End Table

A year later, in September 2010, I used the insectarium table ( see previous post) as inspiration to design a display/sofa table for home. I had done a table for the kids a couple years before and I knew I wanted to make it modular.  I designed the table using Google Sketchup, a program I had used before to design other furniture. Adapting the design proved to be pretty easy. Where the original table was a box with legs and a glass top; I chose to make this one as a table with an inner shelve and a glass top. The difference being the legs support the weight of the top. See the Sketchup model in the pictures below. 

Sketch of  display end table as rendered by Google Sketchup.

Exploded view of the display end table showing dimensions.

Photo realistic rendering using Google Sketchup.

The model was finished in less than one hour with various iteration for the desired details like the second shelve and the tapered legs. When I created the model I made sure to use measurements for readily available dimensional oak lumber. Care was taken to make a Sketchup component out of every needed piece of wood.

The build

I like the look and durability of oak furniture. This was not going to be an exception. To make the legs I glued 3 pieces of 1x3x28 oak dimensional lumber. The picture below show the detail of the finished legs.

The table legs.

Finished frame

The legs are held to the frame via a diagonal combination screw bolt. The screw end attaches to the leg and the bolt end to the table frame. Notice the notch on the table side panels; the display shelve floats on these.

Details of the frame and leg joint.

Using the modular table design made it very easy to put the display table together.  This can be seen in the video below.

Demonstration of quick table build.

Next post will show the finished table.