This project was built and designed by Caleb from YouCanMakeThisToo. It’s a personal dining table made with a book-matched cherry top and a walnut base inspired by Nakashima’s classic style—elegant, strong, and built with intention.
From wood selection to finishing, every step of the build reflects care and precision. Caleb walks through the process while sharing thoughtful tips for maintaining grain continuity, strength, and beauty throughout the design.
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Choosing Walnut and Cherry for Contrast
The materials for this build are as intentional as the design. Walnut is chosen for the base due to its deep tone, strength, and stability. For the tabletop, Caleb uses book-matched cherry boards, highlighting the warm color and natural grain pattern.
Selecting quality boards is the first step, but Caleb also notes that not every board is perfect. One of the walnut pieces has a noticeable bow, which could pose issues during milling. Rather than trying to flatten a warped full-length board, he cuts it down into smaller parts first—an efficient method that helps preserve thickness and minimize waste.
Milling and Prepping for Joinery
After rough breakdown, Caleb flattens and dimensions the boards. Milling is done with care, checking for twist or cupping between passes. He’s relieved to find the boards remain stable during the process, allowing him to proceed without major corrections.
The pieces are then cut to final lengths in preparation for joinery. One of Caleb’s goals is to maintain visual grain flow between matching components, especially the legs. By carefully labeling and laying out each cut, he ensures the grain lines match up for a seamless look across each pair.
Using Bridal and Saddle Joints
For a table of this size and significance, strong joinery is a must. Caleb uses bridal joints to attach the cross supports and saddle joints to join the legs to the middle stretcher. These traditional joints not only hold up well under load but also offer clean lines that complement the minimalist aesthetic.
Each joint is laid out and cut with precision. Caleb uses a tapering jig on the table saw to shape the legs, ensuring they all match and angle consistently. Small details—like sanding the edges of the joints before assembly—make a big difference in how clean and tight the final glue-up appears.
Pre-Finishing for a Cleaner Assembly
Before assembly, each component is sanded and pre-finished. This prevents blotchy finish later and eliminates the struggle of reaching into tight corners after the table is put together.
For the walnut base, Caleb applies General Finishes Arm-R-Seal, which offers protection while highlighting the grain. For the cherry top, he plans to use a conversion varnish via spray—an ideal finish for a dining surface that needs both durability and clarity.
Gluing Up the Cherry Top
To create a stable tabletop with beautiful grain flow, Caleb uses two book-matched cherry slabs joined with a cleat system. This method keeps everything aligned during glue-up and allows for a tight seam between the slabs.
After the glue dries, he sands the top and addresses any uneven areas or glue squeeze-out. Special attention is given to keeping the top perfectly flat—essential for both aesthetics and usability.
Final Assembly and Detail Work
With the base fully cured and the top completed, Caleb moves on to final assembly. The cleat system used for glue-up also helps during mounting, keeping the top secured to the base without visible hardware.
Small touch-ups—like rounding over edges and blending joints—help the finished table feel refined without losing its handmade character. Once assembled, the table undergoes a final sanding and a coat of finish on the top to match the base.
A Table Built for a Home, Not Just a Shop
What makes this build unique is that it wasn’t designed for a client or a sale. This table is for Caleb’s own dining room, giving it a level of emotional value and personal connection that’s hard to replicate.
The design pays tribute to Nakashima while still reflecting Caleb’s own style. It’s solid, timeless, and built with care—not only to look good, but to last through decades of shared meals, conversations, and life.
Please support Caleb by visiting his website: https://www.ycmt2.com/.