First woodworking attempt for a mothers day gift.

[blademasterii]

I started gathering the tools for woodworking a few weeks ago and decided to make my mother a baking/pasta table with a marble work surface. I used cedar because it is available and easy to work if you have very sharp tools. I managed to find a few pieces that had some nice grain. It was all rough sawn wood that I put through a tabletop planer and jointer. Routed the top to inlay the marble 1/2 in into the top. It was designed to be raised above the surface for a better worksurface. Learned a lot building this. The next pieces I build should be a lot better. But this one turned out pretty nice looking I think. She liked it. She came over unexpextedly and saw it just as I finished setting the marble. 104504

[pretzelxx]

I like it!! How high exactly does it stand? I see a foot in the background, not enough to go off of for a guess haha

[blademasterii]

It is 36 in to the wood top. Same height as her counters. My bro in law who lives next door helped me set the top and held my beer while I took the pics. :D

[CastingFool]

That looks nice!

[MaryB]

I could use one of those, but with a wider wood work surface to one side to hold my flour mill and a drawer underneath for baking tools/flour mill parts.

[blademasterii]

It was not as hard to build as it seemed. Mary, if you were closer I would help you build one. I have probably 50 or 75 in materials without the marble which my parents have had for 15 years or so. It was under the water barrel outside. Had my dad pull it out for me and built the table around it. Took me several hours to polish it out.

[xs11jack]

You have a true talent, young man. Keep at it.
Ole Jack

[MaryB]

I have the tools to build it... it is the energy and pain free time to stand there and do it. Right now I am building a bench that will hold the batteries for my solar array. Moving them into one side of the living room from an unheated porch to improve their lifespan. 1200 pounds of batteries in a 6'x30" deep x 20" tall bench. Building rustic style... need to rip down some 2x6 to get rid of rounded edges for the corners and vertical braces. Then I will stack 1x4 inside that for the walls. Line it with FRP panel to make it acid resistant and it will have a 2 inch vent to outside. Batteries are to expensive to be subjected to a temp swing of -20 to +130 in that closed porch.

[Jr.]

Looks great if that is your first time and that hobby will produce a lot of flux. :-P

[Just Duke]

Well done sir.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Look Great to me.

Are the marble and the Marble and the center of bottom self , floaters are mounted?

What type of corners did you use?

[chsparkman]

Very nice and inspiring for an old procrastinator. Can't wait to see more from you.

[blademasterii]

Stone is floating but will be sealed in with silicon around the top to make it more sanitary. No cracks to let stuff get into. The bottom is glued and finish nailed in. All corners are 45* angles and doweled in. The only fasteners other than the dowling is 4 screws running underneath to the top for extra braceing and the finish nails. Probably could have done away with both if I had thought about it. It was kind of a hurry up job to get it done for today. Used a router with rabbeting bit to cut the shelf for the stone and the cedar planking then cut the corners square with a chisel.

[Bullfrog]

I should have contracted you to make a mother's day gift for my wife :(

This is a most excellent project that your wife will love for years to come. Great job Sir!

[bandsmoyer]

Good job!

[StrawHat]

...Stone is floating but will be sealed in with silicon around the top to make it more sanitary. No cracks to let stuff get into...

It looks very nice. I would recommend not to use anything to glue the marble in place. If the marble is removeable, anything that drop in can be brushed out by lifting the marble. Maybe Mom can't lift it but you or Pop could. After all, you are getting the pasta!

[blademasterii]

If I use a silicon sealer it will flex with the wood and seal the gap between the wood and stone. The stone is a very tight fit and is not removeable anyhow due to that. I used a rubber mallet to get it in. Was just thinking maybe I will make some granite inlay trivets for the mother in law. I have a few pieces of black granite tiles laying around. I am a fabricator by trade so building things is what I do every day. Normally it is aluminum boat tops, so wood is just a new medium and new set of tools.

[StrawHat]

With that tight of a fit, if the wood shrinks or swells, I would worry about the wood splitting.

[blademasterii]

It is sitting outside in my carport where I built it so it should be swelled to the max it should ever get. I expect the humidity and heat will be much lower inside her house. The joints are also dowled and glued so they should expand and contract a little. But I will try to allow for that in the next builds. Thanks for the input. Like I said, it is a new medium for me.