# Art Deco Floating Table Tops



## jficke13 (Jul 17, 2013)

Hey guys, thought I'd share this table set that I finished recently.

It's a maple frame and legs with a Honduran mahogany top. I beveled the top's edges at 22-degrees, then clipped the tip off.

The legs are tapered on two sides, with a beveled top done on a band saw and belt sander.

It's all joined using mortise/tenon joints (except the top, which is held onto the frame with screws).

I finished it with Pratt & Lambert Varmor, gloss, polyurethane (still have some left since it was outlawed by the EPA). I rubbed out the finish by hand and polished it up nicely.

More info can be had at my blog: Warrior Woodwork: Art Deco Floating Coffee Table and End Table Set


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

Very nice build and I really like the floating top effect. It looks like magic.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Nice job Jonathan.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

I like it....


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## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

Jonathan,

That is good. Can you give a bit of detail on how you supported the top to give the floating effect?

Darryl.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

darsev said:


> Jonathan,
> 
> That is good. Can you give a bit of detail on how you supported the top to give the floating effect?
> 
> Darryl.


I second that, unless its a family secret.


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## jficke13 (Jul 17, 2013)

Absolutely. The rails are 3 inches wide. I cut the center supports that the top attach at to 4 inches wide. Then I took a band saw and cut away the area that was exposed above the side of the rail, using a spindle sander to smooth them out. I cut a few inches back, leaving a long stretch of 4 inch wide material in the middle of the support. This way the support pieces are flush with the rails where they meet (mortise and tenon joint) but stick out above the top level of the rails in the middle, so that when the top sits on them it "floats" above the rails.

I used mahogany for the supports, which in retrospect was probably unnecessary. I just wanted them to be darker than the rail maple to promote the optical illusion that there's nothing actually supporting the top. So I think maybe I could have used something cheaper and stained it dark.

I put a couple pictures of the bottoms on, hope they help if my explanation was hard to follow.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Really nice work!


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## Seenya (Apr 11, 2010)

Looks great, Jonathon! Reminds me of my childhood. My folks had lots of art-deco furniture. Heh, I guess my age is showing! :laugh:


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## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

Thanks, Jonathan. I had wondered if it was something like that. I constructed a floating table top not too long back and did something similar, but I couldn't see the supports in the photos.

Darryl.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

jficke13 said:


> Absolutely. The rails are 3 inches wide. I cut the center supports that the top attach at to 4 inches wide. Then I took a band saw and cut away the area that was exposed above the side of the rail, using a spindle sander to smooth them out. I cut a few inches back, leaving a long stretch of 4 inch wide material in the middle of the support. This way the support pieces are flush with the rails where they meet (mortise and tenon joint) but stick out above the top level of the rails in the middle, so that when the top sits on them it "floats" above the rails.
> 
> I used mahogany for the supports, which in retrospect was probably unnecessary. I just wanted them to be darker than the rail maple to promote the optical illusion that there's nothing actually supporting the top. So I think maybe I could have used something cheaper and stained it dark.
> 
> I put a couple pictures of the bottoms on, hope they help if my explanation was hard to follow.


Jonathan
Thanks for taking the time to write the explanation and post the pictures. I think the table looks absolutely great.
Steve


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## Fprodget (Oct 22, 2013)

Very good job here. The floating top detail is especially nice.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"...but I couldn't see the supports in the photos."
Mission accomplished! 

Nice job, Johnathon; Capital Punishment for anyone _not_ using the coasters!!


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Looks fantastic Jonathan.


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