Pictures of Kitchen Table and Chairs

Here are the pictures of the kitchen table and chairs. I hope they help.

The Kitchen Table

I will get you better pictures and post them soon. My son helps me and I think I get him on Wednesday. Pictures will help. Forgive me, I never thought I would be telling anyone how to do anything I made.

This kitchen table and chair set is not easy to do. It is made from basswood and telescoping aluminum tube from Micro-Mark. I will do my best to tell you how I went about making the set, but I think I was successful because I had this set in my kitchen to constantly refer to.
Sometimes flea market/antique malls will have vintage tables and chairs, I would go looking for one you like for pictures and measurements.

The table is 2 1/2" tall, 3 1/8" long and 2 1/4" wide. I used 3/23" basswood for the top and apron. I bought 3/32" cove from Hobby Builders. This is for the edge of the table.
What ever your measurements are for the top of the table you will want to take 3/32" from each side. Miter the corners of the cove and glue onto your table top. There is a second table top if you look closely at the picture. These are the sliding extensions, no, mine do not work. Mine are roughly 3/4" with the cove on 3 sides. You won't put the cove on the side that is under the top. You will need 2 extensions with a piece of cove, serving as a handle, between them. I know you can't see this in the pictures, that's on the side where the chairs are.

I made the apron from 3/32" basswood. It is almost 3/16" smaller all around than the table tops. It looks like I cut the strips between 3/8" and 7/16". I did not miter the corners, just butt glued. On the corners it looks like I used 1/4" dowels. I drilled an 1/8" hole, it looks like it is off center on purpose so I could cut a section out to place on the corner of the table. I then cut half round and glued onto the dowels. This is imitating what my table has on its corners, although they are carved into the rounded part. I could not do that so I added the half round.

I added a false drawer front to one side of apron.

I used 1/8" aluminum tube for the large leg and found straight pins that would cover the hole in the bottom of the tubes to serve as feet. The smaller inner leg is 1/16" aluminum tube. I drilled a hole in the larger tube for this to fit into. Note: When drilling into this tube it helps to fill the tube with a dowel so you won't bend the tube. Also, when bending the tube fill with wire that is a tight fit. This keeps the tube from kinking.

O.K. I cut the table tops to size, minus the cove. Mitered and cut to size the cove and glued to table tops. I painted these with several coats of Rustoleum White, then carefully edged them with black Rustoleum. I remember there was a lot of repainting here.

Glue the table tops together, keeping the outside edges even. Glue the little piece of cove, the handle, to the bottom of the top tabletop, in between the extensions on the chair sides. This is painted white and there is a little space between the extensions and the handle.

Cut the apron to size and glue together. Cut the corner dowels and drill holes. Glue to the corners of the apron. Glue on half round, I used 4 pieces. Underneath the apron, glue 4 pieces of 1/4" square basswood into the corners. Cut these pieces shorter than the apron. You do not want to see them. This is for drilling a 1/16" hole in and securing the small leg of the table.

Paint the apron and glue the top on.

Make the false drawer front paint and glue on. I bent a wire for a handle. Drill small holes for the wire handle and glue in.

Drill 1/8" holes into the corner dowels for the larger leg that sets on the floor. Drill 1/16" hole into the corner blocks for the smaller leg.

Cut the aluminum tubes to length, it's easier to cut with dowels in the tube. You can cut it with an Exacto knife. Drill a hole in the larger tube, not over a 1/16" from the bottom. Gently bend the smaller tube, with a wire inside to prevent kinking. This smaller tube is 1/8" away from the larger tube when glued in, it finishes 3/16" away at top.

I would love to see what you have done, and I promise to get you more pictures of the table. Next week the chair! TTYL Kris

Just checking in to see how things are. I see I have 2 followers that aren't related, great! I have started to sell my upholstered furniture on CDHM.org. I will try to get back to techniques now that I have some furniture made up. TTYL Kris

I'm Baaack!

I've gotten everybody moved. I think I've moved every piece of furniture in the house. It's all clean and as soon as I get my room reorganized I can begin again.
I have been pondering about the last piece in the kitchen room box. The table and chairs. I cannot put the patterns on the blog, you can't print them to the exact size. I can talk you through making them, what I did and the materials I used. This project is more complicated than the other things. The best thing I had to help me was the full sized version in my own kitchen. I used it for all of my measurements. If you have access to any full sized version of anything you want to make, that's your best tool. Talk to you later. Kris

How to make a Miniature Vintage Refrigerator

This refrigerator starts out as a block of wood, just about anything will do. I think I used pine 2 x 4's. For the body cut a piece 5" tall x 1 7/8" deep x 2 3/8" wide. If you have to stack and glue to get your size that's all right. If you have an old refrigerator to copy and measure, that's great, use it. Refrigerators will vary a little on measurements. I know the old ones were smaller than today's refrigerators.

The door is 3 5/16" tall x 2 3/8" wide and 1/4" thick. I used basswood.

The drawer is 1 1/4" tall x 2 3/8" wide and 1/4" thick. I used basswood.

The bottom grille is 3/8" tall x 2 3/8" wide and 3/16" thick. I used basswood.

You will need some basswood 1/32" thick for the gasket and bottom and 1/16" thick for the back grille.

Once you have gotten all of your pieces cut to size make a pattern to use for the top of the body. If you have access to a band saw or scroll saw use it to round off the corners on the top of the refrigerator. If not get some 100 grit sandpaper and sand the corners off. Soften the front and back edges just a bit. Don't keep them sharp.

**Important** Please dry fit your pieces to your pattern to keep the rounding off from going to far. Dry fit your pieces together while you are sanding to make sure they will fit . You want a space between the door and drawer about card stock thickness. A little more between the drawer and bottom grille. The bottom grille should be even with the bottom of the body. Adjust your pieces now before the painting and gluing.

After you are happy with the body match the door to it. With sand paper, maybe 220 grit, round the face of the door. Soften the edge that will be towards the body, leave the outside and inside bottoms alone. Keep these sharp.

Go onto the drawer. Keep the inside and outside bottom and the top edges sharp. Round the face to the sides just as you did with the door.

I copied a refrigerator that had a round center pull on the drawer. I used my Dremel to cut into the basswood. I used an engraver cutter. Unfortunately, I couldn't undercut the center circle enough. When trying I just kept making the center smaller and I thought I should stop while I was ahead. Thinking about it now I should have taken the center out and replaced it with a dowel that had a small circle glued to it. You can do either.

The bottom grille is sanded just like the drawer. I glued on 3 pieces of half round to make it look like a grille. You can make half round from 1/16" x 1/16" basswood strips, sand 2 corners round on one side. Glue these evenly spaced onto the front of the grille. Round them off towards the sides.

Use Rustoleum white and black for the painting. The grille will be painted black, the rest is white. Give everything 2 coats, let the paint dry between coats.

Now sand, using 220 grit. The body is going to take longer if you used pine or even if you stacked basswood. You will have to paint and sand to cover the grain and where the pieces were glued together. We are painting a couple of coats then sanding to a smooth finish. It will take a few days to do this. As you start getting a smooth finish start using a finer grit sandpaper, up to 300 or 400 grit. You are after a smooth porcelain appliance finish. You stop when you are satisfied, do not sand the final coat.

While you are painting and sanding you can make the back grille, gasket, and bottom.

Trace around the back of the body onto card stock. Measure in 3/32" to 1/18" around to top and sides. Cut out and place onto back of body. If you need to change the size do it now, you should have not more that 1/18" of the body showing.

When you like the size, trace onto 1/16" thick basswood and cut out. Remember to cut on the line or your piece will be bigger than you expect. Dry fit this, if it's the right size paint it black.

Trace around the bottom of the body onto card stock. This piece's edges are even the the body. Trace onto 1/32" thick basswood. Dry fit and trim if needed. Paint black.

Trace around the door onto card stock. Measure in a 1/16" around the top and sides. Cut out and place against the door. We want this gasket to be just inside the door, not too far in, enough to see that it's just a bit smaller. When you are happy with that, trace onto 1/32" thick basswood and cut out. Dry fit, make changes if needed. Mix your Rustoleum white and black to make grey and paint the gasket.

I used Testor's silver enamel to paint a line on the bottom of door and top of drawer, around the circle and the knob of the drawer. I used masking tape to do the lines.

I use wood glue to glue the parts together.

Glue the bottom onto body, keep the edges even.

Glue the back grille onto back of body. Make sure you have an even margin of body showing on sides and top.

Glue gasket onto front of body. Keep an even margin of body showing around top and sides.

Glue on door, drawer and bottom grille. The bottom grille is even the the body, not the bottom piece you glued on.

For the handle I used 1/16" thick basswood. I traced a circle 1/4" round. I cut this in two so each piece was 1/4" x 1/8". The next piece is 7/8" long from 1/16" thick basswood. One end is cut just like the 2 other pieces (1/4" x 1/8") to fit between them. The other end is long and straight for the handle pull. I have a diagram at the top of the page. Glue these 3 pieces together. Sand round the end of the handle pull tip. Paint this silver. You will have to do this a few times with a little sanding between coats to get a smooth aluminum finish.

I used super glue to attach the handle, be careful.

If you have any questions about this project, please e-mail me and I will be glad to help you.

Kris

Vintage sink, Kitchen Room Box

This is how I made the kitchen sink for the kitchen room box. I made the sink from wood, gesso and a jelly container, the small single serve kind from restaurants. If that's not available I've used any "bubble" packaging that is the size of the sink I want, this one being 1 1/2" x 1 3/4".

Start out with a piece of 1/16" thick stock, 1 7/8" x 4 1/2". Cut a hole in the center for your sink. I am now going to refer to this piece as the sink top. The plastic bubble should have a flange that you can use to glue the "sink" onto the wood. I glue the "sink" under the top. Don't glue now, just don't trim this flange off. Measure the sink and cut the opening, 3/8" from the back and 1/8" from the front. You can use an exacto knife, cutting a little bit at a time. Sand smooth.

We are going to add onto the 1/16" x 4 1/2" x 1 7/8"piece, the sink top, by gluing more wood to the top of it to make it thicker for the edge, back of top and drain board ridges.

From 3/32" stock cut a strip 3/8 wide and 4 1/2" long. Soften one edge of this piece, it should not be square, diagram A. This piece is glued toward the back on the of the sink top. This is where the faucet will be glued on. Glue the strip on using wood glue and clamp.

From 3/32" stock cut a strip 1/8" wide and 4 1/2" long, also cut 2 strips 1/8" wide and 1 3/4" long. Soften the top 2 edges of these 3 pieces, diagram B. Glue these pieces onto the sink top according to diagram C. Clamp and let dry. When dry slightly round off the front 2 corners of the sink top.

When everything is dry I sanded a slight slope to the drain boards going toward the sink.

Cut from 3/32" stock 1/16" wide strips. ( If you have access to 1/16" half round use that.) Round off the top 2 edges of the 3/32" x 1/16" strips according to diagram B. These are the drain board ridges. I glued 6 of these onto each side of sink. You'll need to clamp these down if you sanded the slope in.

Before you glue the sink to the underneath side of the sink top, cut a hole in the center for your drain. I found a plastic cap about 1/4" in diameter. I cut it off at about a 1/4" and stuck a straight pin in the center, painted it silver and dotted it with black on the inside of the cap to simulate the drain holes. This became my sink strainer/basket.
Another option is to use a gripper snap for the rim and leave out the strainer/basket. Gripper snaps are found in the notions department of a fabric store.

When you are satisfied with all of your sanding, glue the sink to the underneath side of the sink top, and set this assembly aside.

Cabinet. Follow the sizes in the diagram for cutting out the sink sides, back and front. Round off the top 2 corners of the back. Glue the sides onto the back, bottoms even, the back will be 3/8" taller, that's the back splash.
Glue the front onto the sides, keep the tops even. Follow the drawing at the top of page.

Cut from 1/16" stock a strip 3/8" x 4 3/8", this is to be painted black and will be glued onto the bottom front of the cabinet, it's the back of the toe kick.

The doors are made from 1/16" stock, cut 1" x 1 3/4", cut 4.

The drawers are 1/16" x 1" x 1/2", cut 2

The center vent is 1/16" x 1 1/16" x 1/2", cut 1.

With sand paper soften all four edges of the doors, drawers and vent.

I cut vent slots with an exacto knife. I've also seen a shape cut out and filled with decorative screen, maybe paper with tiny holes punched into it, or cross stitcher's perforated paper.

Glue sink top onto cabinet. The sink top will be longer and wider than the cabinet by just a bit, center the cabinet under the sink top from side to side and it should have extra in the front.

I use gesso to smooth everything in, all the seams need to be filled. I paint the whole sink top and let dry. The gesso will sink into the seams, so you will have to paint the gesso on a few times. After you've got everything filled you can sand it all smooth. Remember you want this sink to look like a piece of cast iron with the smooth finish of porcelain.

When that's done paint the sink top and cabinet. Paint the doors separately. I used Rustoleum white, it's an oil base enamel, gives a good appliance finish. Paint and sand between coats with fine sandpaper, I will use up to 400 grit to get a good smooth finish. When you are satisfied with the surface, do not sand the last coat of paint. Glue on the doors and toe kick. Go to the Kitchen Room Box Stove for a little more explanation of the painting.

I don't make my kitchen cabinets or appliances open. I am not going to open them and I don't leave them hanging open. They aren't hanging open in my full size kitchen. I think leaving them open in a miniature scene emphasizes that it is a miniature. I'm going for as much realism as I can achieve.

For the handles I painted a plastic drinking straw silver, then I tried to slice off identical widths, then I cut these in half. I glued the handles on with super glue, be careful.

Glue your strainer/basket in. I ordered a faucet from Hobby Builders, #938, $6.99.

If you have any questions about this please e-mail me and I will be glad to help you.

Be back soon

Hi, if anyone is following my blog, thank you! You might have noticed that I haven't been blogging lately, I am moving everyone around in my house. Daughter going to college, son still living at home, rearranging bedrooms, painting, flooring installed. I will be back as soon as I get this all done, I am expecting about a month. Kris