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    Build a modern coffee table

    Get safe, clean cuts on your router table with this shopmade auxiliary fence with removable spacers.

    Author Headshot By Mario Rodriguez #291-Sep/Oct 2021 Issue
    Article Image
    Custom curve. To clean up the slight offset in the thumbnail profile where the two passes of the router met at the middle, Rodriguez made a concave sanding block that matched the thumbnail.

    Synopsis: The generous surface, curved edges, and uncluttered undercarriage of this table make it great as a worktable or coffee table. The turned legs are slender, and canted for stability, while an angled brace eliminates the need for a medial stretcher underneath the table. The boat-shaped top has a thumbnail profile on its edges.


    I originally designed this piece as a low worktable for my wife, Nicole, who teaches fiber crafts, and her students, who sit around it while they work. Having built the first one, I could see that with its ample, rounded top and unobtrusive undercarriage, it could work beautifully as a coffee table as well, and I decided to make another for that purpose. For the new table, I chose walnut for its deep warmth and rich color. The top is a single walnut board cut from a big plank I’d been dragging around for over 25…

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