WHY
This started back in 2022 when I enrolled in the Woodwork - Design & Make Wooden Furniture class at Richmond adult learning college (pretty good value for a beginner course but the instructor was sour as hell and the chisels they get you to use were in awful nick).
We needed a coffee table and coffee tables fit in cars. Also, our living room is quite narrow, so we had struggled to find something that fit the space.
Buying the wood
I bought the wood (ash) from SL Hardwoods in Croydon. I wanted to focus on the joints and finish, so got the pieces squared/planed from SL. It was pricey but I’m glad i didnt overburden my first project even more! Think picking your battles in the first few projects is really important. I had all these grand ideas about rounded, angled legs but i’m very glad I simplified. Done is better than perfect 
Making
The top was two pieces, joined with biscuits and then I used a bandsaw and router (with a template) to shape the top.
The legs and aprons were joined with dominoes and then the top of the legs were shaped into tenons using a saw to remove the bulk of the waste and then a router to give clean and consistent tenons across the 4 legs.
I then cut the mortices in the top by hand, not sure why, if i was doing it again i’d try out the mortiser or at least use a pillar drill to remove the bulk of the wood before tidying with a chisel. I also should have used a guide or jig (or something! anything!) to make it easier to get the mortices square and even.
Fixing and finishing
Unsurprisingly, I had gaps in my joints, most were filled with glue and sawdust but one was too big and i ended up having to cut little sliver of wood which i glued to the side of the offending tenon.
It was then time for glue, sanding and i finished with a coat of osmo polyx oil, not the one i bought but one borrowed from @mbg as it had some white pigment in it to maintain the pale ash look I wanted.
Thanks!
Thanks to everyone at makerspace really. This project would have remained half built in my shed forever if it wasnt for the makerspace and all it’s wonderful, helpful, and eternally curious members. If I ever felt stuck, I knew I could just go down to the space and get some advice and motivation to continue.
Extra Special Thanks to…
@Giles for helping me make a new leg after the course instructor had totally mangeld one of the legs trying to show me how to use a lathe 
@joeatkin2 and @lewisss for various bits of advise and recommendations
@mbg for finishing advice and donating some of his lovely osmo
Ill take more photos next time!
