Ming Style Low Table

[MTod]

As nothing can be done without inspiration, I would like to express my gratitude for documenting their efforts in this style to the late Chris Hall and Girino from OWWM. I first read about the Ming style waisted table on the blog The Carpentry Way. He detailed the historical construction of the three-way joint that is formed by the leg and apron. I was taken by the elegance of that joint and also the shadow line created by the waist. Fast forward ten years and I was having a burger at the bar in a local restaurant and I struck up a conversation with the guy next to me and after some back and forth he told me he would like to commission a table. So began this project.

I started with templates.


Then a sample leg

Then cut the miters and the sliding dovetail

First Assembly

Then shaping the parts

The top

Full Assembly

After Finish

 

[Melinapex]

Wow. That’s gorgeous!

 

[Henry W]

Looks great. Thanks for the pics.
Any details on materials and finishes you chose to use?

 

[JNCarr]

Outstanding! Great craftsmanship.
Congrats on a beautiful table.
How is the leg joint cut?

 

[MTod]

Looks great. Thanks for the pics.
Any details on materials and finishes you chose to use?

Thanks Henry, the wood is black walnut, much of it from a single board. Finish is Rubio monocoat applied in 3 coats with successively finer scotch brite pads.

 

[MTod]

Outstanding! Great craftsmanship.
Congrats on a beautiful table.
How is the leg joint cut?

Thanks Joe.

The 3 way joint at the leg and apron is the crux of it. I spent about a week cutting test corners. It is quite complicated.

First the mortise is excavated.



Then the miters cut.


Then the tapered sliding dovetail male part is cut on the leg. Then the female part is cut on the apron.
The aprons are inserted from the top and slide straight down the dovetail with the taper drawing everything together.


Once together it is quite a strong joint with all of the opposing surfaces locking it together. This joint is not glued together in the tables.

I hope that makes some sort of sense.

 

[Wilsoncb]

Really nice piece, I love unique joints that show it’s hand crafted.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Extremely nice piece, and certainly one to be very proud of.

 

[Michael Mathews]

Wow! Amazing craftsmanship and absolutely gorgeous piece! Congratulations on a job well done!

 

[Henry W]

Thanks Joe.

The 3 way joint at the leg and apron is the crux of it. I spent about a week cutting test corners. It is quite complicated.

.....
View attachment 245407

Once together it is quite a strong joint with all of the opposing surfaces locking it together. This joint is not glued together in the tables. .....

OK even more WOW - I somehow missed this 3 pc joint in the original description, although the text was clearly there.

 

[Hmerkle]

The 3 way joint at the leg and apron is the crux of it. I spent about a week cutting test corners. It is quite complicated.

I agree with Henry, WOW!!!
I was going to post that about the presentation pictures, but as soon as you posted the WIP pictures, that joint gave me cold chills up my spine. (I would have been SO nervous the first time a tool started cutting into a piece of Walnut!!)
Thank you for sharing.

 

[JNCarr]

Thanks for the excellent explanation.
Always looking to learn a new technique/design.
Definitely something to do in the future.

 

[ChemE75]

Looks great!

 

[Graywolf]

Great work, you should be proud.

 

[Martin Roper]

Chinese and Japanese joinery is no joke. Some years ago I bought a book on Chinese joinery. I felt like a freshman math student who had accidently walked into a PhD class.

This is the book:

There isn't a word of it in English. It's profusely illustrated with plans and templates.

 

[MTod]

Chinese and Japanese joinery is no joke. Some years ago I bought a book on Chinese joinery. I felt like a freshman math student who had accidently walked into a PhD class.

This is the book:

View attachment 245469

There isn't a word of it in English. It's profusely illustrated with plans and templates.

That looks like an interesting book Martin. Any idea where I could find a copy?

 

[Martin Roper]

Apparently I have just one book of a two-volume set titled Ming and Qing furniture production decomposition Appreciation and illustrations (明清家具鉴赏与制作分解图鉴), published by China Forestry Publishing House in August 2013 and edited by Liu Wenli and Li Yan.