I just finished my first coffee table made of oak. It looks nice, but it’s not just another oak table, this is my first one. Moreover, this one has history involving unfinished shelves, broken corners, accidents and many more.

The journey began in December 2023 when I purchased two pieces of raw oak wood, intending to create some nice shelves for a friend.

We had a ton of snow back then!
5-6cm

After a few weeks of planning, asking for advice, and buying tools, I realized that I wasn’t quite ready to build a shelf. I lacked the tools, experience, and courage. Plus, solid wood is heavy, making it challenging for a floating shelf.

That's all I had after MANY hours of work... A plank? Is that a joke?

Months later, I decided to take on a bigger project: a coffee table for my wife’s birthday. This would be a significant upgrade from my previous gift, a cutting board, which was my first woodworking attempt that ignited my passion for the craft. I asked Beata for the dimensions she wanted and set out to design the table. Instead of opting for a simple solution, I dove into learning about joining wooden pieces at a 45-degree angle and how to create a wider table than the wood’s original width.

Most important part of this chapter was that I knew what I want to do and I approxaimately knew what I need to do to achieve it.

The exciting moment came when I cut the wood to size. I attempted to use a track saw, but the heavy wood made it too dangerous, so I switched to a plunge saw, which was much safer and easier to control. After cutting the pieces, I planed them to ensure they were straight, parallel, and uniform in thickness. The glue-up was a fun challenge. I used plenty of clamps and was thrilled with the result, though a bit frustrated about the places where I applied too much glue. 😅

The glue-up is not complicated but an attention-demanding process. The better you do this part - the easier is later.
When the pieces are too wide for the planer, hand-tools come to the rescue!

The tricky part involved creating the 45-degree angles. By the time I reached this stage, the tabletop was around 4cm thick, and my saw was at its limits. The cuts were long, requiring careful precision. After making a few test cuts on scrap wood, I was ready to cut the tabletop. It turned out well, although I slightly miscalculated the angle, ending up with about 44.5 or 45.5 degrees. I decided to keep it as is (better done than perfect, right?) and moved on to the next step.

With all the pieces cut, I did a dry fit to see how it looked. Unfortunately, one of the larger pieces slipped off the table, and I broke a corner. I was furious with myself, needing to take a break for a few days to regroup after such a costly mistake.

Shi.....et.

When I returned, I decided to fix it once the table was assembled. Then… another accident occurred. While moving pieces, one fell and cut my hand. I was worried since the last time I cut myself, the wound took weeks to heal. I went to the hospital, but with the doctor unavailable, the nurse and I opted for a simple bandage. Fortunately, it healed nicely, and I was back to woodworking soon after.

There were several scratches and dents to fix. I used black wood filler and lots of sandpaper to make the table presentable. A lot of sanding was necessary to create a smooth tabletop.

Fix fix fix
Glueing up like this ended up much more complicated than I thought.

I added dowels to join the pieces and recut the longer pieces to fix the broken corner. Honestly, refactoring in IT feels easier than in woodworking! 😅

Sanding

Finally, I applied an oil finish, and the table was complete! For the legs, I opted for some pre-made ones from the store.

It’s incredibly heavy, but it looks fantastic! My wife is happy, and I feel a strong sense of pride in this project. I’ve learned so much during this process and am looking forward to tackling my next woodworking challenge.

I hope I will not cut myself again. 🤞🏻

If you have any questions about the project, feel free to ask me!