Garden Table Build Process
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Posted 22nd April 2025
I had a little bit of time this evening and I couldn't resist having a quick look at the table with the clamps removed (removing all the clamps and putting them away took a surprisingly long time!)
The size of the table-top is extremely conveniently (and by pure coincidence) just right to go between a couple of stops on the bench. That meant that I could place it on the bench top and have it well supported on three sides (two with stops and one with the wall). A single hold-down held it in place firmly enough that I could have a go at cleaning up the top. I started with a 62° angle plane (50° blade in a low-angle smoothing plane) but quickly concluded that the #80 cabinet scraper was the tool for the job. When I do the final clean-up I think I'll need to use a card scraper in some places, but the cabinet scraper worked well for the bulk of the job.
It's far from perfect, but it'll do for now. I also need to deal with the bottom, which I didn't have time for today. That'll involve a bit more aggressive stock removal (with a plane of some sort) as the boards weren't all the same thickness and hence some stick out the back further than others. It's not critical I do that before fitting the intermediate slats (as I'll be referencing off the top surface for any dimensions), but I think it'll make the job a bit easier so I'll probably do that next.
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