[Otto Nobedder]

I can't help myself...

So, they were single-bolt doors, and opening the hinge side got you in?

I can't wait to see the finished product, and I'd like to see what you do with the "birthday" doors.

Steve S

[TamJeff]

Perhaps a roto broach the same OD as the screw shank for cutting the screw heads off?

Cool project and thread.

[delraydella]

The screws were all #10, so at first we drilled out with a 3/16ths bit, but the angle to get into some of the screws was really weird. I bought some screw machine length drill bits (shorter than standard jobbers length) and that helped a little, but eventually we drilled them out with almost a 5/16ths just to make sure we got all of the screw out.

TamJeff, based on a post in another thread, I wound up buying a Makita right angle drill to try to get into some of the trickier spots. The drill worked okay, but the angle gearbox got so hot after just a few minutes of drilling that we could barely touch it. It took about 15- 20 minutes for it to cool down enough just so we could use it again. Like you, we've used Makitas for years, but lately I'm not so impressed with them.

Other Steve

[delraydella]

Here's another update to our ongoing table project. We laid out the doors in the pattern that they will be on the table and mortised out a sheet of 3/4 MDO which is part of the base to hold the doors in place. We had to mortise out for the lockset boxes that are on the back of the doors. While the boxes are removable, the door locks are attached to them and they want to keep the locks. The second picture shows the back of the door with the lockset box. We also had to cut off the bolt part of the lock with a horizontal bandsaw because it would have just gotten in the way of the mortise.

Tomorrow I'll cut the angle iron for the table frame and start welding up the base out of 2 x 2 square tube. I might actually have one complete before Labor Day!

Other Steve

[Otto Nobedder]

This is going to be some "high-end" stuff, for the work involved!

Steve S

[delraydella]

I found out yesterday that the client is expecting all 4 of them to be done and brought in before Labor Day!


I laughed.

I guess the tables are supposed to be featured in some magazine and the photographer is already scheduled to come in on a certain day.

I laughed again.

We've been talking about this project with them since May/ early June. We just got the official go ahead on it 2 weeks ago because they dicked around on it for two months and now they want it in a week because some corporate moron went ahead and scheduled a magazine article way back in April about something they couldn't decide on what it was even supposed to look like until 2 weeks ago.



Other Steve

[Otto Nobedder]

Well, of course!

Those magazine types are just like the executives... Snap your fingers, and it appears!

Not a one in the bunch with the first inkling of the work involved.

Steve S

[Otto Nobedder]

Even with your propmaster skills, you'll impress me if you make this shoot!

Steve S

[Otto Nobedder]

(And I'll bet you make the shoot)

[delraydella]

Thanks Steve! I appreciate the faith!

I will get one of them done in time for the shoot, but I can only finish one because now we are waiting on the glass guys. Each table gets a 1/4 or 1/2 inch tempered glass top and they can only get one piece cut and polished by next week. But at least they'll have one of the tables in time.

[Otto Nobedder]

Steve,

What magazine, which issue?

I'll buy one!

Steve S

[delraydella]

Now I'm not even sure it is for a magazine, but they do want to enter the tables into some kind of furniture design competition, so as far as I know now, that's the reason they want them in so early. The amount of misinformation I get on most jobs is staggering!

Anyway, here's some more pictures on progress. We will have 2 tables done in time for the shoot, there just won't be any glass in them. The glass is still 2 weeks away.

The 1st picture shows the table frame all welded and castered. It's upside down on the table for this picture. The square tube legs and cross pieces are 3x3 x 3/16ths wall and the angle iron top frame is 2 1/2"x 3/16th wall. There is another piece of angle iron welded into the top frame, this is to hold the glass top. The inner supports are 3" x 1/4" flat bar stock. Because the space is so tight inside the frame there was no room for a weld bead, I opted to drill 1/2" holes into the smaller angle iron and weld through them into the larger angle iron. Sort of like a spot weld/ rivet. It works very well. The second picture shows this.

The 3rd picture is the table base right side up with the mortised out 3/4" MDF sheet in it's slot. Again, because space was so tight, I welded the frame into a "U" shape, slipped the MDF sheet inside it and then closed it off with the other end piece of angle iron. The finish was just clean the steel and lacquer it, so that's what we did. I wiped them down with lacquer thinner and then sprayed lacquer on them. Very easy finish!

Other Steve

[delraydella]

Here's some pictures of the almost finished table(s), sans glass. We still have to secure the doors in place so they won't vibrate out of their slots once the glass is in.

Other Steve

[TamJeff]

You really do manage to get into some interesting projects. Nice work!