This project was built and designed by Nick from Rocky River Woodworks. It’s a clean and elegant hardwood end table featuring a rich sapele top and sturdy hard maple legs—perfect for sharpening your woodworking skills and adding a high-end look to any space.
The project blends strong joinery with beautiful hardwood grain, and Nick walks through each step with a focus on precision and craftsmanship. Whether you’re building furniture for your home or just looking to try something more refined, this project offers plenty to learn.
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Selecting Quality Materials
Nick chooses two hardwoods for this build: sapele for the tabletop and hard maple for the base. Sapele is prized for its reddish tone and dramatic grain, while hard maple offers strength and a smooth, uniform texture that’s great for legs and structural elements.
The combination of these two woods adds contrast without clashing. Sapele’s depth pairs well with maple’s brightness, and both are durable enough to withstand daily use.
Milling and Preparing the Sapele Top
The build begins by cutting the sapele slab into manageable lengths. After breaking it down on the miter saw, Nick uses a jointer to create flat reference edges for gluing.
Once jointed, the pieces are ripped into strips on the table saw and arranged edge-up to create a butcher block–style top. This orientation gives the tabletop visual depth and shows off the sapele’s grain nicely.
To keep everything square and flush during glue-up, Nick uses cauls on both sides. Clamping pressure is applied evenly, and the top is left to dry before moving on.
Laminating and Cutting the Legs
While the tabletop glue sets, Nick turns his attention to the base. The table legs are built from hard maple, which is jointed and then laminated in pairs to create thick, stable blanks.
Once the glue cures, the legs are squared up on the table saw. After reaching the final dimensions, center lines are marked for a cross lap joint—used to connect two support pieces beneath the tabletop.
Creating a Cross Lap Joint
To make the cross lap, Nick sets up a dado blade on the table saw. This allows him to remove precise sections of material from both support pieces so they fit together like a puzzle.
Multiple shallow passes ensure accuracy and reduce the risk of tear-out. Once cut, the joint is glued and clamped, forming a strong base for attaching the legs later.
Final Tabletop Shaping
With the butcher block glue-up complete, the sapele top is sanded with a belt sander to flatten any uneven areas and remove dried glue. This prepares the surface for shaping and finish sanding later.
Nick uses a circle jig and router to cut the tabletop into a perfect round shape. Multiple shallow passes help maintain control and reduce strain on the router bit.
Once the circle is fully cut, the rough edges are cleaned up on the bandsaw. A final pass with a flush trim bit at the router table smooths out any remaining irregularities.
Assembling the Base
The legs are glued onto the lap-jointed base using careful alignment and clamping. This ensures a sturdy, balanced structure capable of supporting the weight of the solid sapele top.
Nick takes time to check for square at each step, adjusting clamping pressure as needed to keep everything aligned. After assembly, any squeeze-out is cleaned before moving on to sanding.
Smoothing and Finishing the Table
Once fully assembled, the entire table is sanded starting with a coarse grit and working up to 220 grit. The goal is to remove any tool marks and create a smooth, even surface across the top and base.
Nick applies tongue oil as a finish, soaking it into the wood to bring out the color and grain without altering the natural tone too much. Multiple coats are applied for added depth and protection.
The result is a beautifully finished hardwood end table that looks sharp and will hold up well over time.
A High-End Result from Simple Techniques
This project is a great example of how thoughtful material selection and solid joinery can produce professional-looking results. The design is straightforward, but the execution requires attention to detail—making it ideal for intermediate woodworkers ready to level up.
Nick’s approach emphasizes patience, accuracy, and technique. The final product is functional, refined, and built to last.
Please support Nick by visiting his website here: https://www.rockyriverwoodworks.com/.