Build a Guitar Pick Table - Mid Century Modern Style

[@geoffreykeane4072]

Your pacing is always spot on Mark.

[@nobbysworkshop]

Wonderful video Mark. It brought back happy memories of my Dad. Back in the 1950/60s he built all the kitchen cabinets and worktops at home. All made from solid wood. The worktops were covered in a material widely used at the time called Formica. Not used as much today, but still available, and very expensive. He also made a lot of side/coffee tables, using a similar extruded aluminium strip, held in place with screws. To cover the screws you inserted a moulded plastic strip into a groove around the edge. A lot of the tables were given as gifts. I learnt a lot from my dear old Dad. Thanks for the video Mark. Looking forward to the next part. Cheers Nobby

[@Preso58]

Thanks Nobby. I wonder how many people still make furniture or give it away as gifts. It's a bit like clothing. Sewing machines used to be in every home and now hand made clothing seems to be a novelty and quite rare. Regards, Mark

[@voodoochild1954]

I remember kitchen tables with those Aluminum edges when I was young. The aluminum edge was much wider and it never dawned on me they were covering up the cheap wood top edges. Thanks for the memories and good job! 😊❤

[@Preso58]

You can still purchase those really wide extrusions and they have a rib on the back surface that can be hammered into a saw cut to keep the extrusion aligned. They are easy to get in the USA but I would have had to pay A LOT to get it shipped to here in Australia. Regards, Mark

[@MattysWorkshop]

Gday Preso, this has brought back plenty of memories, my parents still have a kitchen table that’s a very similar design in there spare room, great episode mate, cheers

[@Preso58]

Thanks Matty. I would never have thought that those old formica topped tables would become popular again. When I was growing up, every house had one and I wonder how many went to the tip to make way for IKEA furniture. Regards, Mark

[@NottinghamshireNick]

As always Mark, your content and explanations are superlative. Please don’t change the format or style of your videos. Each one is a detailed ‘how to’ regardless of the subject and they all showcase your amazing skill set and talent as a tutor and craftsman. There is absolutely no call to apologise for multi-part videos or duration. Personally I agree - you can’t just whizz through something quickly and learn from that and, aside from enjoying watching you (and other makers) demonstrating your abilities, I like to learn. Thank you for all the effort you put into making your content - both on and off the screen. Your professional approach throughout shines through every video - please keep them coming. Cheers, Nick

[@Preso58]

Thanks Nick. Good feedback is always welcome. I am glad you like the format. I don't think I will be able to change the way I present these projects. I know it doesn't suit everyone but it's impossible to be all things to all people. Regards, Mark

[@broglet2003]

Hi Mark, your projects are always interesting an instructional. The half hour format works really well.

[@RotarySMP]

Very retro cool Mark. Nice one.

[@Preso58]

Retro is good! Jetson-esque maybe? Regards, Mark

[@Rustinox]

That's a very nice build. That thing is gonna pop. And indeed, it brings us back 50 years :)

[@Preso58]

Thanks Michel. Normally I am an Art Deco fan but the MCM aesthetic is more nostalgia rather than high end design. Regards, Mark

[@joell439]

beautiful 👍👍😎👍👍

[@stephenlesbos6208]

Keep doing what you are doing at your content speed. Your pacing is part of your wonderful brand 😸

[@Preso58]

Thank you! Will do! Regards, Mark

[@foxwhiskey]

Nice work ! Hardly can't wait for the 2nd part ! Greetings, Preso 😊

[@StuartsShed]

Good morning (it is here anyway) Mark, I really like this furniture series. Also, your presentation style is right on in my view - a series of videos breaks the project down and shows all the details thoroughly in reasonably sized episodes. Thank you for taking the time to document and record thoroughly.

[@Preso58]

Thanks for that. Short videos are probably more popular but the longer format allows for a bit more in the way of explanation of the steps and the thought processes that go into a prototype design. Personally, I like to hear about the challenges that go into building a thing and how the design solutions evolve. Regards, Mark

[@kimber1958]

Great job Mark. I loved it. Kimber

[@johnmolnar2957]

another great video . I like your commentary on your videos . they're perfect !

[@fepatton]

This whole series is fantastic! My grandfather made several mid-century modern pieces and I grew up with them, so this style resonates with me. Can’t wait to see part 2!

[@philmenzies2477]

I think we had that exact table when I was growing up!

[@mikebarton3218]

Hi Mark, I used to work for an electronics company whose product used a laminated worktop. In a bid to cut costs our engineers, in their infinitesimal wisdom, chose to dispense with the bottom laminate. The worktops were fixed to a square steel tubing frame with threaded inserts bonded into the underneath of the worktops. All was well until an Indian customer who bought several of these systems reported that the worktops were going banana shaped and when the inserts pulled out of the worktops it was like a rifle being fired. Our QA people complained to the worktop manufacturer but got short shrift… “We told your engineers that the worktops needed a balancer laminate or they would bow in humid conditions. I know you are going to seal the underside and I hope that will be sufficient but I share this tale with you in case you decide that a balancer laminate is a prudent option. Thanks for all the great Saturday morning videos (UK time). Cheers! Mike

[@Preso58]

Well, that has reminded me of a workshop tour I did with a group of other teachers back in around 2008. There was a company called "Just Benchtops" which was a state of the art manufacturer of laminate benchtop material. They used a lot of German products and they eventually went into receivership due to the flow on effects of the World Financial Crisis in the same year. However the guide that did the tour did mention the use of balance laminates for the post formed tops that they made. I had totally forgotten about it but I do know that when I was doing a lot of marquetry work with timber veneers I always put a cheaper quality veneer on the backs of the panels to keep them flat. I can only hope that the relatively small size of this top and the sanding sealer and paint coating will keep it from warping. Regards, Mark

[@mikebarton3218]

@@Preso58 HiMark, I thought, after posting this comment, that the small size will negate any problem. Thanks for your nice reply. Best wishes. Mike

[@campbellmorrison8540]

I'm sitting here watching you video at my computer table which is exactly as you say, chip board with Formica top and an aluminum extrusion wrapped around the side, probably an old small kitchen table from the 70s. Wish mine had that top pattern you are using, love it.

[@Preso58]

I wonder how many of those old tables ended up on the tip because they were "old fashioned". Now they are selling for a premium. Regards, Mark

[@garagemonkeysan]

Great video. Love the design. Mahalo for sharing! : )

[@oraflores]

Very enjoyable, Mark. Tremendously nostalgic for me as well.

[@roylucas1027]

Great video. I clearly remember that type of table. We did not have one, my parents liked “real wood”.

[@Preso58]

I must say I was somewhat embarrassed that my parents retained our old formica topped kitchen table well into the 1990's. For whatever reason they have become cool again. Regards, Mark

[@robertwalker7457]

Great work, it has been a long time since I have seen a hand plane used for a big job. Amazing what hand tools like planes and drills can do. Thanks.

[@Preso58]

Thanks. I like using hand planes because everything happens a lot slower. Power tools can ruin a job very quickly but sawing a big old plane back and forth gives you a chance to see when you are approaching a line and you get some feedback on when to stop. Regards, Mark

[@belair_boy6035]

G'day Mark, Another enjoyable video. I had to cringe when you removed the remaining laminate with the scraper. A person I knew did the same and a shard of razor sharp laminate slid up the scraper and sliced his hand open in an instant. More likely with thicker laminex where more force is required but care is needed never the less. Please keep the great videos coming.

[@bignige42]

Was thinking the same thing……my toes were curling over waiting for one of the laminate pieces to disappear under a finger nail…..! 🫣😂

[@Preso58]

You are correct. I realised part way through that there was a risk. I do have a tool that works on the pull stroke and it would have been safer. The only issue is that it must be stored in a "safe place" which I cannot find. Regards, Mark

[@CreaseysWorkshop]

I don’t mind a multi part series. They are quite satisfying.

[@Preso58]

Thanks John. And weren't we all trained to tune into our half hour episodes of M.A.S.H, Gilligan's Island and Happy Days? Regards, Mark

[@CreaseysWorkshop]

@@Preso58 really it’s just like a weekly catchup with an old mate who never lets me get a word in.

[@erniecamhan]

Love it..!

[@iTeerRex]

Mr Presling, for thinning large stock, a router with a flat bottom tip, and a simple wooden frame works great 👍

[@seabreezecoffeeroasters7994]

I think he NEEDS to build a 1200x600'ish CNC Router instead 🤣 Sleds are a still a good option too if you have a Decent Router that will run a facing bit.

[@iTeerRex]

@@seabreezecoffeeroasters7994 Yes that would be a good project.

[@Preso58]

When I was still teaching, we had an overhead router which would have made short work of that job. We also had a 20" thicknesser but sadly, I don't have access to those machines any more. I do need to upgrade my router. It's a very old Makita with no plunge facility but it is rugged and quite powerful. I think there are specialty bits for surfacing but they aren't exactly cheap. Regards, Mark

[@RogerSchoeni]

Hi Mark, that is going to look amazing. Don't worry about multi part videos. Your videos are much more worth with all the explanations. It always sparks ideas on how to tackle my own projects. I guess the wood didn't fit in your laser, otherwise the marking out could have been much easier.

[@Preso58]

I wish I did have a bigger laser. Maybe we will all have massive metal cutting fiber lasers one day! Regards, Mark

[@Warped65er]

Thx for the vid.

[@sheph7]

This is interesting and instructional to watch. I like the way you attached the mounting plates to the hairpin legs while maintaining the compound angle, the legs are splayed... yes? Why did you choose to not recess the mounting plates into the table like the example shown at about 0:53. What is the table height? Is it being dictated by the size of your powder coat oven? Interesting build for sure, thanks. Yes, I prefer a bunch of 30 min ish videos with lots of detail.

[@Preso58]

The height of the legs was dictated by the space between the chairs where it will be situated. I will show the finished project in the room with the chairs in the final episode due out on Saturday. I just got lucky with the fit inside the powder coat oven. As it turns out, many of those guitar pick tables were proportioned more like coffee tables. Generally longer, wider and lower. If the one I made was any taller it might start to look a bit disproportionately tall. I didn't consider recessing the mounting plates. From a normal standing position, they are not particularly visible. The legs are splayed with the contact point at the bottom of the leg coincident with the outer edge of the table top. Regards, Mark

[@rexmyers991]

In the mid 1950’s I apprenticed in my grandfather’s cabinet makers shop. We built booths for restaurants,and bars. We also built shelving and cabinets.only the high end customers ordered hard wood with beautiful natural finishes. Most everything was finished in Formica. You could get ANY color at pattern you wanted and, it was cheap. Now, it’s hard to find and expensive.

[@Preso58]

I am wondering if cabinet makers will need to go back to using formica and laminates now that engineered stone is now banned due to the silicosis epidemic. It was a good product and it had it's day in the sun. Regards, Mark

[@TheOwlman]

Our 1950s dining table had a similar aluminium extrusion though the central recess was slightly narrower and it was shaped to hold a coloured vinyl insert (red as I remember it, presumably to tone in with the rather jazzy pattern on the Formica top). When I saw one at an antiques fair in the 2010s I wished we had kept it rather than sticking it on the bonfire - the example on the stall was in worse condition than the one we burned and had an eye-watering price tag.

[@Preso58]

I did some research on those old formica tables and some of the designs were truly garish in a cool sort of way. Some of the edge treatments had grilles and bars reminiscent of 1960's motor cars. I did see some with contrast insert panels in the tops. My wife and I were in Port Townsend, Washington State and there was a retro diner with the entire interior design in MCM style. It looked absolutely spot on, but it wasn't open at the time we were there. Sigh! Regards, Mark

[@TheOwlman]

@@Preso58 As an aesthetic I don't think I could live with it these days but following post war austerity it was a breath of fresh air, and I was very young so bright colours were enchanting. My earliest memory is the dreary brown utility table that we had before and the contrast was extraordinary: white tubular steel frame with red vinyl caps on the legs teamed up with a white Formica top printed in red with the aluminium edging and red vinyl stripe. Although it was relegated after around a decade, it remained in use for a good 20 years before the rust spots on the frame led to its demise. Only the top went onto the bonfire, complete with edging; the frame ended up in the shed with a coat of random paint and a piece of plywood as a top!

[@thehobbymachinistnz]

Good build for the table Mark. I have a long list of projects to do, may be you can build some of those for me ;)

[@Preso58]

We all have that same long list. Mine looked like it was drying up and then it suddenly filled up again. We are in Queenstown at present and we are doing Milford Sound on Friday. We went on the Earnslaw trip today and the weather was glorious. Regards, Mark

[@thehobbymachinistnz]

@@Preso58 I hope Milford sound goes well for you. It looks like the weather is clearing up. Are you coming up to auckland? Or are you heading home out of Christchurch?

[@Preso58]

@@thehobbymachinistnz Milford Sound could best be described as wild and moody. The rain started as we crossed the divide and the waterfalls were everywhere. We got quite wet but we were told it rains two days out of three so I guess it was inevitable. We are flying home from Christchurch. We watched a film called "The Convert" a few months ago. It was filmed around Whatipu Beach just south of Piha. We had been to Piha and the beach looked very similar to the locations in the film. We really enjoyed the film but for some reason I get very emotional whenever I hear any Maori language or song. The Haka really sets me off. We went to Te Papa in Wellington last week and there was a feature on a Waka journey recreating a voyage 50 years ago. I must say it stirred a lot of emotions in me. I have no ethnic connection with the Maori but my father used to play records with Maori song. He was quite racist towards the Maori but he admired their culture. Go figure! Regards, Mark

[@MyMiniHomeWorkshop]

I'm old enough to remember that style of furniture. I was thinking that those little ridge remnants may have pared off fairly easily with a sharp 1" chisel. 🤔 My dear old dad made a coffee table from a piece of chipboard, he just stained it Orange of all colours and then sealed it, he also used a very similar aluminium extrusion around the edge as well, believe it or not, it actually looked pretty good, despite the colour.

[@Preso58]

Ah yes.... the old brown and orange theme. Our entire kitchen turned brown with fake woodstain laminate on all the door and drawer fronts. The tops were bright orange laminate and even the old wall clock got a coat of orange paint. Quaint indeed. Regards, Mark

[@bmalovic]

Hmmm... 10 and 18mm plywood should be the standard thickness (also 20 and 8). Just easier to glue them up, compared to thinning the citchen top Probably more expensive... And... thank you for bringing back some nice memories from 60's. Those washers and screws...

[@Preso58]

I did try to find some small sheets of MDF and plywood in sizes that would make up the thickness I needed. However the range is limited and I would have had to buy full sheets. Also, the surface is never as flat as you would like with plywood. The kitchen benchtop already had a nice flat melamine surface, and it was free! I was lucky enough to be given a big box of vintage nickel plated slotted head screws. They were all mixed up but they are great for older style furniture. Regards, Mark

[@outsidescrewball]

Great discussion/build…enjoyed!!! Last view the anchor plates are visible? Maybe rout a void to set flush with the bottom surface? Or does the finish metal cover?

[@Preso58]

Yes, you are right. If you stand in the right place you can just see the corner of one of the brackets. I could have rounded the corners but it's done now. Regards, Mark

[@franksmodels29]

Another cool build great 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@dougaldhendrick3497]

May look complete with 1/4" steel pieces rounded on corners.

[@Doc_Fartens]

Regarding the video length, as you were discussing at the end, I wouldn't object to hour long videos, but that's clearly not something you want to do. Just stating my opinion. Looking forward to pt 2.

[@mrtom64]

Excellent as always but did you have to reduce the thickness of the whole top? Could you have cut the top out first then routered, say, a half-inch rebate around the edge? I doubt from normal viewing angles the thicker part would even be seen....or matter? I dunno, it's great whatever you do, thanks.

[@Preso58]

I did think about putting a wide splay on the edge but it would have gotten complicated around where the leg brackets had to be fitted. Regards, Mark

[@Chromevulcan]

What size is the arbor on your table saw?

[@Preso58]

I think it's 1" but I am on holidays at present so I cannot measure it. Regards, Mark

[@iTeerRex]

Who says the videos have to be 30 mins? I personally would like an hour long video. About the next project.. maybe the audience can make suggestions, and/or pick from a list. Cheers from Colorado, Rex

[@Preso58]

I have two new projects which sort of just magically appeared. One will be the repair of a model turbojet that I built back in 2008. I want to get it running again after it suffered a hot start and distorted the nozzle guide vane assembly and the other is the restoration of two pressed sheetmetal toy cars that were given to me as gifts when I was a child. They will be going in the mid century suite in our house as wall ornaments. We are on holidays in New Zealand at the moment so I might have to have an enforced break making videos but rest assured, I have new content coming. Regards, Mark

[@LakeCliftonMachineShop-i2p]

Start the Rob Roy

[@Preso58]

I have made a start but only to make DXF files for the frames. I am going to get them laser cut. I know, it's a cop out but I want to see how good the laser cutting services are here in Australia. We now have a player in the market that offer services similar to Send Cut Send. Regards, Mark

[@MarkATrombley]

So next is a guitar shaped dresser?

[@Preso58]

I am on the lookout for a nice mid century dresser or tallboy. For a while nobody wanted them and they could be purchased quite cheaply. Now there seems to be surge of interest in furniture from that period and due to the laws of supply and demand it's all gotten expensive again. Regards, Mark

[@bw6378]

Well, Your half hour limit is self imposed. I dont mind longer videos, so if you need an hour Id say go for it. Thanks!

[@СергійМаксименко-г7й]

Кривий Ріг 📯 вітає 🎉 всіх, мирного неба Україні👍👍👍