I’ve got a task to build a dining room table, classic design of a colonial or shaker-style trestle table, out of knotty eastern white pine. This table has to seat *14* people. Any ideas on where I can get information on design assistance? Specifically regarding correct dimensions/proportions and maybe some feedback on structure and bracing? I’ve never built a table, let alone one this big.
FYI – it’s for my own house, so I can answer any questions about it.
Replies
Hello John,
This is a good chance for you to develop those design skills you have. Simply sit at a comfortable table with a place setting in front of you. give yourself the elbow room you are comfortable with, and take some measurements. Then lay out these measurements as you see fit (possibly 6 on each side and one on each end) allowing for some space in the center of the table for serving plates and bowls. You will now have your basic table top proportions. Look at it carefully and maybe make a cardboard mock-up, make some adjustments for visual balance if necessary. Once you settle on a top, I think the rest will fall in place. In the case of a dining table, I strongly feel form should follow function. Good luck and I can't wait to see the finished table in the gallery!
Bob, Tupper Lake, NY
There's a picture of a spectacular - and long - trestle table in the Christian Becksvoort book, The Shaker Legacy. Shaker Workshops sells a similar table - although not quite as long. (I know because they won't stop sending me their catalog.) Countless makers offer these tables. If you're at all comfortable pulling dimensions from a photograph, then the hard (design) work has been done for you. I plan on making a long trestle for my wife's upholstery shop. Trestle tables allow an easy "underfoot" access that few other styles do which makes them ideal as work and dining tables.
My only suggestion would be to make the base from something other than Pine. Maple, or even Birch, would stand up much better to the rigors of 14 hungry humans. A pine top would do.
It's a good project that dabbles in a number of skills. Buy some beer for "the crowd" you'll need to move it.
There's a book published by Taunton Press called, "Practical Design" that covers much of what you're looking for. Also there are two articles on table design considerations (seat spacing, table height, etc) that you should be able to locate on the FWW site. One was written by Christian Becksvoort and the other by Graham Blackburn -- sorry, I don't recall the titles.
Michael
Jon
I second the recommendation for "Practical Design." It has exactly the information you need (and a lot more).
Rich
Edited 2/23/2007 1:35 pm ET by Rich14
How often are you going to have 14 people at meal? Is this an everyday thing or just special occasions?
Routinely, seven or eight, depending on which of my kids' friends is over for dinner. Possibly once a week, ten. Larger family occasions, 14+, but I figure we can dig up a smaller folding table for the "smaller persons".
I just read Graham Blackburn's article about table design in a back issue of FWW, but it doesn't tell me enough. I would like to have a trestle design but also be able to make it longer with add-in leaves as opposed to just making one giant table. I do have the boards for a single long top, though - 3 pieces, 6/4 x 15" wide x 14' long clear QS white pine.
I have an antique banquet table. It's 4x4 and extends to 4x12 w/ 6 leaves. It's most comfortable w/ 12 people but seated 14 w/ a little squinching. Generally figure 2' per person. The additional width over a 36" table gives more room for dble dishes of foods and grets 2 people on the ends.trimjim
I love the idea of a single long table, but Ron beat me to the punch. I agree with his suggestion of two smaller tables that can be placed together. I am planning a new table for my own dining experience and have been imagining ideas for a daily use table and a section or two that can sleeve in at either end. The table we have now extends with leaves and I want to get away from that design. I have nothing on paper yet. Many other projects in the que.keep us posted.Andy
You're going to need a big room for a table that will seat 14 people. My dining table is 37" wide by 97" long and it will seat 10. You're going to need a minimum of 3 more feet in length to get 4 more people at the table and that puts you at 11 feet. You may as well make it 12 feet and then everyone will be comfortable. Like I said you're going to need a big room for that table. One solution would be to make 2 tables. You could make one 8 feet and one 4 feet and put them together when you wanted to seat 14 people. The small table could be used somewhere else in the house when it wasn't need for a dinner party.
Ron
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