Building an Oval Table with Abstract Shelves Podcast By cover art

Building an Oval Table with Abstract Shelves

Building an Oval Table with Abstract Shelves

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 Building an Oval Table with Abstract Shelves and Sculpted Legs For today’s Custom Furniture project, I set out to build a unique oval table with abstract lower shelves and sculpted legs. The process was a mix of careful planning, improvisation, and a little bit of trial and error—especially when my daughter compared the Oval Table design to Squidward’s head from SpongeBob SquarePants! Milling the Lumber and Glue-Up I started by milling the lumber as usual, but when it came to the glue-up, I decided against using dominos for alignment—something I typically rely on. Since I was cutting an oval shape and some abstract curves later, I didn’t want to risk a domino being exposed on the edges. Instead, I cut some cauls and covered them with packing tape to prevent glue adhesion. These helped keep the panels flat during the glue-up. To make clamping easier, I spaced the clamps off the workbench with scrap wood, allowing room for the clamps to slide underneath the material. Cutting the Oval Shape After the glue-up, I crafted a quick shop-made oval-cutting jig. I’m no mathematician, but the basic idea is that the jig has two sliding pivot points—one controlling the length of the oval and the other controlling the width. I double-stick taped the jig to the center of my workpiece and made several shallow passes with the router until I cut all the way through. Shaping the Lower Shelves The lower shelves only extended halfway across the table, so I glued up two shorter blanks and traced half of the oval onto them. After rough-cutting them on the bandsaw (leaving the line for cleanup), I used double-stick tape to attach the top to the lower shelf. Then, with a bearing-guided bit on the router table, I matched the shelf’s curve to the tabletop. Where the oval transitioned into the abstract shape, I blended the curves with a disc sander. My daughter’s observation that it resembled Squidward’s head was too amusing to ignore—so with her approval, I refined the shape and cut it out on the bandsaw. After cleaning up the cuts at the spindle sander, I used double-stick tape again to make a matching copy for the second shelf. Designing the Legs Originally, I thought using the oval’s arch for the legs would be clever, but after sketching it out, I realized it looked too busy with too many steep curves. Instead, I opted for straight legs with a curved top section, resembling the shape of a calla lily flower. To cut the legs safely, I used a table saw for the straight portion and switched to the bandsaw for the curve. Then, I refined the shape at the spindle sander and hand-sanded with a flexible strip to ensure a smooth transition. To prevent kickback at the router table, I added small plywood blocks with CA glue at the start and end of the template. This gave the router bit a solid surface to engage before cutting into the workpiece. Joining the Legs to the Table The legs were notched to fit into the tabletop and shelves. A dado stack cut the notches, but since the tabletop was curved, there was a small gap. I fixed this by chiseling a concave curve into each leg to match the table’s shape. During a test fit, I noticed a gap on the lower shelf due to Squidward’s sharper curve. I marked the leg’s position, sawed a notch with a Japanese pull saw, and refined it with a chisel until everything fit snugly. Final Shaping and Finishing For a smooth roundover on the legs, I used a router table with starter blocks to prevent catches. After knocking off the blocks, I trimmed the leg tops at the miter saw (though in hindsight, the table saw might have been safer—lesson learned!). A hand-sanded chamfer along the edges softened the transition between the legs and the table. Before final assembly, I pre-finished the pieces with wipe-on satin polyurethane, masking the joints to avoid glue interference. Assembly With nine joints across seven pieces, I opted for slow-setting epoxy. The band clamp, as usual, proved frustrating and was eventually abandoned. Despite my daughter vetoing the name “Squidward Table,” I’m really happy with how it turned out!
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