Oak End Table with Stained Glass Inlay - Craft Technique

The aprons on this oak end table are all curved, which in addition to being a nice design accent helps to keep the piece from feeling too blocky.

There is a fairly simple technique for making sure all of the aprons have the exact same curve so the piece is nice and even. To start out I took a piece of MDF (medium density fiberboard) cut the same length and width as the table's aprons will be. I use MDF because there is no need to waste good wood for a template part. On the MDF I trace out the curve I want (using a large compass to make it nice and even.

The I take my MDF template to the band saw and cut out the curve. Band saw cuts are fairly rough so it's necessary to smooth it out afterwards. Once I am satisfied with the shape of my MDF template I then trace the curve from the template onto all 4 of my oak aprons. I cut all of the aprons on the band saw as well. It's important to cut a little bit proud of the curve line - in other words leave a little extra, don't cut right to the line. Once I have all of my aprons cut I can then match them up to the MDF template one by one.

I clamp 1 apron to the template at a time and use a flush trimming router bit to finish the apron curve. The router bit uses my MDF template as a guide and cuts the actual apron to an exact match of the template. By doing this with all 4 aprons they end up being an exact match of each other.

Oak End Table with Stained Glass Inlay

I like this piece for the bold color in the stained glass, yet the practicality in its use. This is a fully useable end table, with a 1/4 inch piece of glass over the top to protect the surface. I really like making useable pieces, this way my work isn't just decorative, it's also functional craftsmanship.

I visualize this as being the perfect piece to site between a pair of arm chairs and having a lamp sit on top of it - preferably a stained glass lamp :) The table top is 19 inches by 18 inches and the table stand 19 inches high.

The stained glass piece is focused around the center bevel cluster. It may be a little hard to tell but all of the clear glass, which in these pictures appear white because of the background, are all beveled glass pieces. The pattern is a fairly simple geometric pattern that I designed that I feel makes the piece beautiful without being too busy.

The legs are tapered on two sides to keep the table from feeling blocky. Also the table aprons all have a gentle curve to keep the table looking light as well.

The oak table is finished with tung oil to bring out the natural grain of the wood. Tung oil is a great finish for pieces where you don't want to add stain but still want the wood grain to really stand out.