I want a dining table with a cubby -- like a school desk

Dadpad's design and the wine table are both getting close to what I have in mind! Yay! Thanks!

I really like the industrial look of Dadpad's design and think just kicking it up a few notches would be super nice -- maybe butcher block or something similar, some legs from an old machine..... hmmmm.....

I suppose simply taking the drawer out could be an option but it would depend on how the drawer is framed in and whether you're talking solid wood or veneers. Most drawers are fairly small and I want something that runs the entire length and width of the table.

One of the problems with simply removing the drawers is that it could effect the stability of the table.

Good point!

Maybe I could have the top made out of a slab of walnut:

I'm a bit chuffed. I made that.

Heres another view with the table as i intended.


It was in fact a steel framed school desk. The original wood was rotten so i removed that. The replacement timber is 50mm thick treated pine for outdoor use.

Tell mr B if i can do it so can he.

I love slabs like you have shown but recycled timber can be just as beautiful.

Then I assume "chuffed" is a good thing because that is by far the closest I've seen in conceptualize my idea. I really do like it. My only concern is that I couldn't fit my knees under the cubby. I even showed it to Mr. B saying "see, this is what I mean".

I totally want that table.

I'm guessing that if it was made from an old school desk that knees can fit under the cubby.

The slabs at this mill are recycled in a way -- the company removes dead, dying and fallen trees and slices them into slabs. They'd lay in the forest and rot if they weren't reclaimed. My concern is that most of them are 3 inches thick which wouldn't allow room for a cubby. They might be able to saw them again so that one would end up with two identical pieces though.

Then you want something like this, boomer. Just need to add some wood pieces below to make another shelf.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=baker+table&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=uuQ&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&prmd=ivns&resnum=3&biw=1135&bih=629&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=990971944276962291&sa=X&ei=1NSZTZeCNZSisAPq1vSHAw&ved=0CGYQ8gIwAA#

or this
http://www.florenceadams.com/john-boos-ess-stainless-steel-work-table.aspx

childrens kness, actually teenagers. Fitting knees under the table is going to be your biggest problem.

Have Mr B sit at your current table and measure up his leg to the knee plus a bit. (thats a precise measurement...knee height plus a bit), but keep in mind the height of the chair will make a difference. If you change chairs you will need to make sure everything still fits.

Can you use your existing dining table?

Fit cross member rails to the legs at each end and run timber between the cross members. Then install the vertical supports. Fix the verticals to the underside of the exiting top using a couple of L brackets. Same L fixings at the bottom of the verticals will save you having to rebate as I have done and then you can use a thinner cut of timber. 15 mm thick should be fine. errrm 1/2 inch? not sure what sizes your timber comes in,

Cross members at the ends might limit the sit-ability of the "head" and "foot" of the table.

I'll show your schema to Mr. B. I'm sure it will make sense to him. I'm hopeless in envisioning such plans.

Our current table has a 1" top and a 4" apron, which seems to mean we have that much room to play with -- a 1" top, a .5" bottom and a 3.5" cubby.

The bottom of the apron is 26" off the floor (the top of the table is 31"). I don't think we could use our current table's legs since they are recessed under the apron -- it would make the table about 4" too high. I don't think we could chop them down and keep the proportions looking good.

You just want a new table dont you.

* sighs and rolls eyes

Snort!

You're right. I do want a new table. The one we have is one we bought about 25 years ago and it was used then. The surface is pretty much destroyed and since it's veneer there isn't much hope of rescue. It's very wobbly despite our having shored it up with supports. It's time for a new one and I want one with a cubby!

The Joinery says they can engineer and build my table for $2400. That's a lot of money but it's less than I expected. I'm thinking since I took it as far as going in and asking about it that Mr. B might accept my challenge. Otherwise I'd better start saving my pennies so I can have them build it before my old table falls completely apart.

It was cool to go in and talk to them. I told them I wanted a certain type of table and couldn't find one. They said "Tell me about what you want" and they sketched it out as I talked.

Fabulous.

Several months ago, I bought a stool at an antique shop that was made at the Maine Penitentiary. I asked about prison furniture here at a2k and someone told me her dining room table was made at the local prison. You might want to check out the nearest Gray Bar Inn.

for a dining room table even if its for general use I think you will be better off using the professionals. the joints need to be good close fitting joints either dowled or toung and groove, rebates need to be exact and the timber needs to be well seasoned. I'm sure Mr B could do a fine job but this is a piece of furniture not an outdoor picnic table. Its more than I would take on

Now theres a challenge for him. I just said he's not up to the job. Prove me wrong.

Ha!

He's considered building a table before but after looking into it a bit he realized that they are really pretty complicated structures and that the leg/top proportions are not always easily right. Mr. B is usually pretty good at knowing when to spend money instead of trying to do it himself.

When I told him about my visit to the Joinery he wasn't too flinchy. He loves their furniture. They really do make beautiful, well crafted things. He blinked at the price, but didn't balk..... yet..... I didn't talk wood with them and I'm sure that upgrading from cherry will cost. Still, I can live with cherry.

My kitchen table was made at the Iowa State Penitentiary. I don't know if Oregon has the same type of program, but I would recommend looking into it.

I did look it up after plainoldme suggested it but I forgot to post that I looked it up.

They do make furniture and you can kind of customize the finish but they don't build custom furniture. Some of the tables have drawers but none of them have cubbys and I really want a cubby.

I'm glad you looked into it. Too bad they don't do custom stuff. The Joinery looks fab, BTW!