The tabouret in its final resting place, patiently awaiting the first of many Dr Peppers that will rest upon its surface.
Finishing the tabouret was straightforward. I applied three coats of a wiping varnish to the piece, sanding lightly between coats. After the final coat dried, I took a piece of 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper and dragged it lightly across the surface once in each direction. I didn’t apply any pressure to the sandpaper when I did this, I just let the paper do the work. This process gave me a smooth final finish by gently knocking down any dust nibs that may have formed in the topcoat.
Two screws aligned with the grain are enough to hold the top in place.
I attached the top to the base with two countersunk #8 screws in the top stretcher that runs with the grain. My original plan was to include two additional screws countersunk in slots in the stretcher running across the grain; the slots would allow for wood movement. In the end, however, I decided that it wasn’t worth the effort. In a table this small, the only reason to include the two additional screws would be an attempt hold the top flat. But, since the base of the table is so lightweight, if the top wanted to cup it would most likely wrack the base out of square, causing the whole table to wobble like a drunken sailor. Therefore, I stuck with just the two screws. This method allows the top to expand and contract freely and if it were to cup (which I don’t believe it will), the base would remain square.