Another Retro Table

Now that we've got the retro coffee table in place, we developed a need for an end table which didn't clash. I started looking around for mid-century designs and liked the two-level design of this table:

I did not, however, feel that I needed to duplicate the $999 price tag. I also wanted to do something different with the legs, and was struck by the in-and-back-out curves of that mid-century icon, the Space Needle.

This was almost absurdly easy once I had the idea down. I got a basic boomerang shape in Inkscape, added 3/8" circles at intervals around the edges, and made a horizontally flipped copy. I used the Shapeoko to cut the table pieces out of half-inch birch, with pocket operations to drill the 3/8" holes down a quarter inch. Again, the fit I can get is very pleasing; the dowels connecting the two levels fit into the holes snugly, barely needing glue. The legs were just a question of a few sweeping curves cut into some planks, with notches matching similar grooves cut out of a few circles holding them together. Stain, glue, a few layers of poly, and it's the Jetsons' house:

And I think the total I spent on making the table, including buying the CNC machine, is less than what they're selling the original table for.