Finally, some photos of the dining room table I made

I realized that I hadn't posted photos of the dining room table I made, which I detailed here. This post should rectify that.

Back story:

My neighbors Matt and Leslie had just moved in and saw me building some things for my place. They asked me to build them a table, and they wanted to have it ready for Thanksgiving last year. They ordered it on November 14, and I had it ready just in time for Thanksgiving dinner on November 28. A custom table in two weeks: not bad, I say, not bad. 

Some details about the table: 

I made the base in three sections, two leg sections at either end and the cross section. The three parts are only held together through Lincoln-log type joints, so the whole base can be dismantled for easy moving. The top too is easily removable and has guides that hold it in place.

The base is made entirely of fresh pine 4x4s, and the top is a solid oak construction. I used a Kreg Jig that I received as a gift to drill pocket holes along all internal sides of the top planks, and then used probably 25 screws to put it all together. I then reinforced the five-board top with narrow oak strips that run perpendicular to the seams.

I used the same stain on both the top and the base, knowing that the two types of wood would show the stain differently. I really like the two-tone effect of the the top vs. the base, and the grain differences between the oak and the pine contributes to that contrast.

I used a spar-polyurethane on the top, which should help the oak keep its color and protect against nicks. The base received a couple coats of flat polyurethane.

Immediately after building it, I was hyper critical and thought Matt and Leslie would return it for all its defects. Upon seeing it months later, I now realize that I had been too harsh. I think the table looks really good.