A few years ago, I had a rule about using multiple species of wood on a single project: Don’t.
But recently I have had a change of heart when it comes to mixing species, especially when those various pieces create an interesting geometric design. I think this table is a good example of exactly that. The chevron (not her-ringbone!) design is interesting to look at but not overpowering. I used six different wood species, but of course that is a completely subjective decision; you could go with more or less.
The table is easy to build and quite sturdy. As a dad with little kids, sturdy is very important to me. This table will need to withstand some rough-and-tumble times!
Starting Out
The core of the tabletop is two pieces of 3/4" plywood. Cut the pieces to size, as shown in the on page 47. You’ll notice that one of the pieces is 1/2" longer than the other — that’s intentional. With the two pieces cut, form the radius on the corners of Top #1, the shorter piece. I’ve found that getting exactly symmetrical radii on corners is very easy to do with a corner radius routing template, such as the one shown in the above left photo. I use the template to mark the shape, rough-cut it with a jigsaw or band saw and then step
