18 Of The Most Magnificent Table Designs Ever

EARTH PORM

How often do you use your dinner table? Likely everyday, and probably for more than just eating. We work at tables, do arts and crafts, enjoy a good cup of coffee, and even store things on tables. Tables also serve as a great design focal point in any room.

While most tables are simple wooden configurations, these 18 tables are anything but! If you aren’t tempted to buy a new table now, you might be after checking out these incredible table designs.

Swing Set Table

Swing life away on this table that doubles as a fun play toy. If you have kids you will never be able to get them off of the dinner table!

Glass Coated Branches And Tree Stubs

Instead of carving wood into traditional table shapes, this table design allows the wood to remain in its natural condition, encasing the branches and logs in glass to keep them functional and durable.

Table To The Moon

A Table That Sparkles

Bring the party to life in your living room with this wild, glittering table reminiscent of a disco ball.

Glass River Tables

These tables are created by Greg Klassen, each one is made to look like a river runs through them. The glass is added on top to make sure the table remains completely functional and aesthetically perfect.

See more of Greg Klassen’s glass river table designs.

Wood Tables With Aluminum Accents

The way the wood is cut for these tables allows the logs’ special markings to remain intact, offering a really natural look. The wood flows into specially cut metal for a rustic appeal any cabin would appreciate.

See more of Hilla Shamia’s metal and wood furniture.

Amethyst Table

Not only is the base on this table incredibly unique and detailed, but the giant amethyst at the center is enough to make your heart skip a beat!

Table Made From Recycled Jet Engine

Save the trees! Skip the wood all together with this awesome table design. This table is made from a recycled jet engine, for all of you plane fanatics out there!

A REAL “Picnic” Table

The picnic comes to you everyday and night if you have a table coated in a layer of grass. I just hope you don’t find any ants in your grass!

Take Me To The Lake Table

Citrine Table

If you are into gemstones, these citrine tables make the perfect indoor or outdoor addition to your home.

Teal Blue Abyss Table

A deep oasis to jump into, or a beautiful table? This design doubles as both.

Table With Bubbles

The bubbles never pop on this amazing table!

Accent Table Made Of Petrified Wood

You may not be able to eat your entire dinner on this little table, but it will sure make a nice accent piece that looks 100% natural, and beautifully so!

Leaf Table

This table highlights the beauty of the foliage that grows from trees. I especially like the gold-tinted detailing of the leaf veins, along with the perfectly carved edges.

Table For Chocolate Lovers

If you like chocolate more than you like nature, perhaps this table oozing chocolate will serve as the perfect accessory in your home… it would sure make me hungry all of the time.

Invisible Table

The ghost of all table designs..

Wood Log Table

The perfect table for a big room full of wine barrels! This table brings back to life the tree that was cut down to create it.

White Oak and Cedar

White Oak:

good results with hand and machine tools

Has moderately high shrinkage values

an react with iron (particularly when wet) and cause staining and discoloration

Responds well to steam-bending

Glues, stains, and finishes well

For more information on White Oak: http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/white-oak/

Cedar:

some finishing methods are ideally suited to cedar, but paint is not one of them

tend to have a lot of expansion and contraction depending on the season

nails and screws tend to work themselves out over time due to the seasonal movement of the wood. Stainless steel bolts, with nuts and washers would be a better choice

For more information on cedar: http://woodworking.about.com/od/typesofwood/p/Woodworking-With-Cedar.htm

Summary:

During the Arts and Craft Movement in Europe, America had no important figures like John Ruskin or William Morris to help widely spread the idea of Arts and Crafts throughout the nation. Our conscience and reactions were less obvious at first.

In 1876, the world invited Philadelphia to help United States celebrate a century of independence. However, visitors were horrified by the furniture exhibits that show a taste for grandeur and no pride in craftsmanship.

By the late 1870s, America own Arts and Crafts Movement was underway as America tried to surpass the art of furniture of England.

Between the years of 1901-16, it is often referred to as the Craftsman Movement as a generation of designers established a severe, geometric style of furniture and ornamentation.

Important People:

Horatio Greenough

1805 - 1852

A classicist with ideas that appealed to later generations of functionalist

Henry Hobson Richardson

1838-1886

Adoption of the Queen Anne Style

Avant-grade architectural tastes

Moved America into the Arts and Crafts Movement

John La Farge

1805 –1852

Stained glass window maker

How to lay out basic joints

how to lay out basic joints

http://woodandshop.com/getting-started-traditional-handtool-woodworking-step-8/

Fastener Categories

Fastener Categories

Wood Screws Screws with a smooth shank and tapered point for use in wood. Abbreviated WS	Machine Screws Screws with threads for use with a nut or tapped hole. Abbreviated MS	Thread Cutting Machine Screws Machine screws with a thread cutting (self tapping) point.	Sheet Metal Screws Fully threaded screws with a point for use in sheet metal. Abbreviated SMS

Self Drilling SMS A Sheet metal screw with a self drilling point.	Hex Bolts Bolts with a hexagonal head with threads for use with a nut or tapped hole. Abbreviated HHMB or HXBT	Carriage Bolts Bolts with a smooth rounded head that has a small square section underneath.	Lag Bolts Bolts with a wood thread and pointed tip. Abbreviated Lag

Socket Screws Socket screws, also known as Allen head are fastened with a hex Allen wrench.	Set Screws Machine screws with no head for screwing all the way into threaded holes.	Eye Bolts A bolt with a circular ring on the head end. Used for attaching rope or chain.	Eye Lags Similar to an eye bolt but with wood threads instead of machine thread.

U-Bolts Bolts in U shape for attaching to pipe or other round surfaces. Also available with a square bend.	J-Bolts J shaped bolts are used for tie-downs or as an open eye bolt.	Shoulder Bolts Shoulder bolts (also known as stripper bolts) are used to create a pivot point.	Elevator Bolts Elevator bolts are often used in conveyor systems. They have a large, flat head.

Sex Bolts Sex bolts (a.k.a. barrel nuts or Chicago bolts) have a female thread and are used for through bolting applications where a head is desired on both sides of the joint.	Mating Screws Mating screws have a shoulder that matches the diameter of the sex bolts they are used with.	Hanger Bolts Hanger bolts have wood thread on one end and machine thread on the other end.

Head Styles

Flat A countersunk head with a flat top. Abbreviated FH	Oval A countersunk head with a rounded top. Abbreviated OH or OV	Pan A slightly rounded head with short vertical sides. Abbreviated PN	Truss An extra wide head with a rounded top.

Round A domed head. Abbreviated RH	Hex A hexagonal Head. Abbreviated HH or HX	Hex Washer A hex head with built in washer.	Slotted Hex Washer A hex head with built in washer and a slot.

Socket Cap A small cylindrical head using a socket drive.	Button A low profile rounded head using a socket drive.

Drive Types

Phillips and Frearson An X shaped drive. Abbreviated PH	Slotted A slot in the head. Abbreviated SL	Combination A combination of slotted and Phillips drives. Abbreviated Combo	Socket, Hex or Allen A hexagonal hole for use with an Allen wrench.

One Way Installs with a normal slotted driver but can not be removed without special tools.	Square Also known as Robertson drive. Abbreviated SQ or SD.	Torx A six-pointed star pattern, specifically designed to prevent cam-out and stripped heads.

Nut Types

Hex A six sided nut. Also referred to as a finished hex nut.	Nylon Insert Lock A nut with a nylon insert to prevent backing off. Also referred to as a Nylock	Jam A hex nut with a reduced height.	Nylon Insert Jam Lock A nylock nut with a reduced height.

Wing A nut with 'wings' for hand tightening.	Cap A nut with a domed top over the end of the fastener.	Acorn Acorn nuts are a high crown type of cap nut, used for appearance.	Flange A nut with a built in washer like flange.

Tee A nut designed to be driven into wood to create a threaded hole.	Square A four sided nut.	Prevailing torque lock A non-reversible lock nut used for high temperature applications	K-Lock or Kep A nut with an attached free-spinning external tooth lockwasher.

Coupling Coupling nuts are long nuts used to connect pieces of threaded rod or other male threaded fasteners.	Slotted Slotted nuts are used in conjunction with a cotter pin on drilled shank fasteners to prevent loosening.	Castle Castle nuts are similar to slotted nuts but with the slots in a rounded section above the main nut.

Washer Types

Flat A flat washer used to distribute load. Available in SAE, USS, and other patterns.	Fender An oversize flat washer used to further distribute load especially on soft materials.	Finishing A washer used to obtain a 'finished' look. Usually used with oval head screws.	Split Lock The most common style of washer used to prevent nuts and bolts from backing out.

External Tooth Lock A washer with external 'teeth' Used to prevent nuts and bolts from backing out.	Internal Tooth Lock A washer with internal 'teeth' Used to prevent nuts and bolts from backing out.	Square A square shaped washer.	Dock Dock washers have a larger outside diameter and are thicker than standard.

Ogee Thick, large diameter, cast iron washers with a curved or sculpted appearance. Typically used in dock and wood construction	Sealing A neoprene washer bonded to a metal backing. Used to seal out air/water or dampen noise and vibration.