«Amber» Coffee Table
Two woods, exposed joinery and toughened glass floating on top. It looks like it came from a design shop — but you made it.
The «Amber»: joinery on show, glass floating above.
A solid wood coffee table with an exposed-joinery structure: rails in light wood (maple or beech), legs and supports in dark wood (danta or walnut) and a 10 mm toughened glass top resting on non-slip spacers. Here the joinery doesn't hide: it IS the design.
How you'll make it.
Six stages, from rough board to the glass resting in place. The joints are cut with a margin and refined by hand until they fit just right.
You mark out the cutting list in chalk leaving 20 mm of margin, cut oversize and run everything through the jointer and thicknesser until the battens are flat and square.
The four legs carry crossed housings where the rails slot in: on the sliding table saw with the tenoning jig, or the classic way with marking gauge, chisel and mallet.
A guide batten cut to exact size, cuts on the sliding table saw and bandsaw with half a millimetre of margin, and fine fitting with the No. 93 plane. Every cut is repeated on the twin piece.
The ten supports are cut on the mitre saw with a stop, so they all come out at exactly 40 mm, and with a sacrificial board underneath so they don't splinter.
White glue in the housings, supports onto the rails and clamps while it dries. Then the structure: legs with the long rails, then the short ones, with a helping hand from the rubber mallet.
A full sanding, Rubio Monocoat oil with the grain, non-slip spacers and the toughened glass resting on top. Ready for the living room.
What you'll learn.
Made-to-measure joints
Precision housings and joints on the sliding table saw, with tenoning jig and guide batten — the joinery that stays on show.
Fine fitting by hand
Marking gauge, chisel and No. 93 plane so every joint fits just right: no slack, no forcing.
From board to furniture
Cutting oversize, jointing and thicknessing square, gluing up with clamps and finishing with oil.
The result.
Before you even ask.
Do I need any previous experience?
The «Amber» is intermediate difficulty (3 out of 5). It helps to have used a machine or two before, but every step is explained with measurements and images, and the technician is there to answer questions. Each machine comes with its prior safety training.
Is it safe to work with these machines?
Yes, following the workshop's rules. The guide marks the mandatory PPE for each process, and no machine is used without first being taught its safe cutting technique.
Do I have to cut the glass too?
No. The 10 mm toughened glass comes already processed and cut to size. You focus on the wood, and at the end you rest the glass on the assembled structure.
How long will it take me?
The spec sheet estimates around 30 hours of work, spread over as many sessions as you need, at your own pace.
Which woods will I use?
Two contrasting solid woods: light (maple or beech) for the rails and dark (danta or walnut) for the legs and supports. You'll also learn to choose and prepare the wood.
What does the price include?
The materials (woods, toughened glass, spacers, glue and finish), the workshop machines, the PPE and as much workshop time as you need.
If you need any adjustments to take part comfortably, let us know when you sign up and we'll have it ready.
Llévate solo la guía, en PDF.
La misma guía paso a paso que seguimos en el taller para construir ««Amber» Coffee Table»: planos acotados, despiece, orden de montaje y los trucos de ebanista. Por 15 €, tuya para siempre — bueno, el enlace de descarga dura 30 días, así que no lo dejes criar polvo.
Start whenever you like. The clock doesn't tick until your first day.
Buy "«Amber» Coffee Table" today and come to the workshop when you genuinely can: your access time starts the day of your first QR check-in, not the day you pay. You build with our machines, our wood, and the team close by to lend a hand.
- The wood and all the project materials
- The complete guide in PDF, yours from minute one
- Workshop access: 1 full month or 2 months of half-days — you choose, same price
- The workshop team close by whenever you need them
Interested in this project?
Leave us your details and we'll tell you how to get started: pace, places and everything included.
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