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I Forge Iron

End or Night Table


FieryFurnace

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Primary material 5/8-inch square bar.

Primary technique was the Habermann square corner bend

Also features central collar and steel rivets

Hand-forged copper nails

Locally milled and dried, walnut top

 

16-inch diameter top

Approximately 22 inches tall!

 

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Thoughts?

 

 

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I second Bruce's remark, and my first thought is speaking from experience capturing the wooden top within the steel band can get risky as that wood likes to grow come humid weather in the summer……been there done that myself.

 

Beautiful looking table. Dave well done!!

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It looks great, but tell the truth, is there a mig weld under the coller?

 

:D

 

Yes there! I tack-welded all of the pieces together beneath the collar with 1/2-inch tacks. Then collared. I'd like to think that the strength is in the collar and the tacks were added for the convenience of holding everything together for collaring. :D

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Your talent always amazes me. Very nice. How many hours do you have in it, if you don't mind sharing?

 

 

I never mind sharing hours.......but I didn't keep really good track here. Maybe 12-16 hours. I wasn't concerned about time because this was for an art jury, not just for an art/craft show.

 

If/when I start producing these for art/craft shows, I will axe the copper nails and go with "forged looking" lags from blacksmith depot. I will make two jigs, one for the ring, and one for the half circle on the legs. I would then set up and do a half dozen or so at a time. I think with that I should be able to get the time down to 8 hours per table.

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I never mind sharing hours.......but I didn't keep really good track here. Maybe 12-16 hours. I wasn't concerned about time because this was for an art jury, not just for an art/craft show.

 

If/when I start producing these for art/craft shows, I will axe the copper nails and go with "forged looking" lags from blacksmith depot. I will make two jigs, one for the ring, and one for the half circle on the legs. I would then set up and do a half dozen or so at a time. I think with that I should be able to get the time down to 8 hours per table.

 

Thanks for the info Dave! Your time seems great for what you have. I think it could be a good seller for you. I need to get to my forge more to get my skills up to a level were I can make some as nice as your table.

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I would like to be able to offer this theme in coffee, end, night, and dining tables. However, as MacBruce pointed out, the table will undoubtedly get shaky the wider the diameter. This would be increased if, instead of a true circle, the curvature of the legs was oval. I'm thinking possibly stick with the same leg design, keep the curve a true circle. Then just use a taller leg for various purposes. When a larger diameter is need, instead of the central bundle (which would go unseen in a large diameter table anyway,) use a strong flat-bar oval, rectangle, or circle to connect the legs. The legs would not touch but would be placed on the outside edges of the table and would all be attached via the steel band around the top and a steel band in the center inside instead of a collar on the center outside.

 

Ok maybe that made no sense whatsoever. I'll just post pics when I have to build a bigger one!

 

 

There are some tiny air gaps between the wood and steel band, so it can grow without restriction.

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wondering why you would ask that?

 

I get the idea that Mr. Gerald likes to closely critique techniques.

 

I'm not sure that a collar here would be strong enough be itself. If all the strain was on it, it would come loose over time. Traditionally I think the route to go would have been flush-rivets either under or on top of the collar running through the legs and central element. The only thing held in by the collar would be the small tapered pieces on the corners.

 

Every post Mr. Gerald has ever written on my threads has come from an extremely critical angle (whether intentionally or not.) I LIKE THAT! It challenges me to rethink why I chose the methods I did. It shows me to think about the why and not just the how.

That's not to say that next time I'll be riveting instead of welding. I did not take Mr Gerald's post as condescending, and I'm not one to be swayed by other people's opinions alone. There's strength in a multitude of counselors and that's why I ask for other people's input. 

 

I'll still be welding on the others I do. However, I appreciate someone calling me out there, and saying, OK tell us what you did here. It makes me think about why I've chosen the methods I've chosen.

 

Thanks Mr. Gerald!

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I believe the welds under the collar was/is necessary on a piece like this. The only sin is (and a very small one at that) is being able to see it. I always weld under collars when it is structurally the smart way to go and it saves a huge amount of time. I do my best to keep the welds from view but I have sinned as well........

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I believe the welds under the collar was/is necessary on a piece like this. The only sin is (and a very small one at that) is being able to see it. I always weld under collars when it is structurally the smart way to go and it saves a huge amount of time. I do my best to keep the welds from view but I have sinned as well........

 

 

Same thing here. I always try to hide the welds. You can see a tiny, tiny bit of the weld on this one, but it takes some definate looking. I'll take a bit more care next time. :D

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Lastly, on the subject of collars:  Perhaps I'm alone in this, but I never weld under a collar.  A collar is a form of joinery, if done properly, it requires no other help.  Nor do I ever hide a weld.  If I weld, why would I need to hide it?

 

You really think just a collar would have been strong enough to hold the legs and filler elements by itself? I don't have a whole lot of experience as regards collaring so I haven't really strength tested them.

 

 

As far as what threads that I thought you had an "extremely critical angle" in, I know the one was your thread on the "Mark Aspery Hammer Challenge. I believe you sort of questioned my honesty a bit. :D There was a second one, but I don't even recall what it was to be honest. Like I said, that sort of thing doesn't bother me.

If you did intentional question my honesty, I know I was being honest so why should it bother me?

If I simply misunderstood your post, that's my fault, why should that bother me? :D

 

Don't worry about it!

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Lastly, on the subject of collars:  Perhaps I'm alone in this, but I never weld under a collar.  A collar is a form of joinery, if done properly, it requires no other help.  Nor do I ever hide a weld.  If I weld, why would I need to hide it?

 

You are not alone in this Gerald, Collars are not merely decoration or camouflage, if they are done correctly and in the right proportions. 

 

As they are applied and closed in a hot state, they then shrink and tighten up on the pieces to be secured. This is totally dependant on the mandrel being used to form the collar being the correct size/form.

 

As they cool, the items being secured will be 'snugged in together to form the joint, if you have welds holding the pieces, there is no 'Give' to allow them to settle in final position after cooling, and your welds will also have to be ground down flush with the bars under the collar area or you will get bulges, and ill fitting collars.

 

IMHO There are a couple of reasons people weld before collaring,

 

The main one is lack of confidence in producing an effective collaring,

 

Secondly securing the pieces being collared as the collar is being located for final fitting, That particular bundle of 9 (?) being extremely tricky,  

 

If it is tricky holding them, then some way must be adopted to secure the items in situ as it is being collared, in this case Dave chose to tack weld them, there are other alternatives, ie loose pins (like a rivet but not solid), wired, clamped.

 

Anyway lessons learned, and a "well done" for such a good job,

 

(I will leave the argument for three legs as opposed to four being used for small tables for stability for later) 

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