28" E 2 M E N S O N S : 2 W 28" 26 3 4" H pproximate materials cost: $100 if you turn the legs. Or $150 if you purchase the legs. 45/8" H C igure-8 fastener 5/8" counterbore 1/8" deep B EN TBE EXPOE VEW 28 WOO magazine May 2017
Perfect pair Shaker tables Matching coffee and end tables have more in common than just great looks. T hese tables share much of the same construction, lending a lot of efficiency in making and assembling their similar legs, rails, and top. The end table adds a drawer and another type of mortise in the front legs. Here we ll describe the essential steps in building either table, making note of important differences between them. Then you ll learn how to build and install the end table s drawerrelated parts. 48" 5/8" counterbore 1/8" deep igure-8 fastener 5" N 14 42 O 5" M E N S O N S : 20" 48" W 20" 18¾" H P pproximate materials cost: $100 if you turn the legs. Or $140 if you purchase the legs COEE TBE EXPOE VEW M woodmagazine.com 29
1 61/8" E YOUT 1¾" ¼ x 4 mortises deep See rawing 2 for mortises on end-table front legs. earn tips for turning spindles, including the tricky transition area from the square-to-round portion of the leg known as a pommel. woodmazine.com/spindleturning 19/16" diam. 1/8" 1 diam. 2 EN TBE ET RONT-E MORTSE ET 57/8", M ront left face 43/8" Outside face Mirror image to the right leg ¼ x 4 mortise deep 26" M 18" 1 diam. ½ x mortises deep Make the mortise in the tops of the end-table front legs by boring out most of the material with a orstner bit. Then square it up with a chisel. diam. 3 irst, build the table 1 3 nother leg option: rom 8/4 stock turn the legs ( for COEE/EN the end Cut to size the rails (B for the end Taper the lower portion table, M for the coffee table) [Materials TBE ist, E table, N and O for the coffee RONT-E table). MORTSE orm ET using a tapering jig rawing 1]. Or, buy them [Sources, page 33]. tenons on their ends [rawing 3]. Note (eft that leg shown, for 2 and your tablesaw. Now, form the leg mortises. Note that all part the top rail has an offset right leg tenon is a mirror and image) woodmagazine.com/ 1 E ET of the legs share the same mortises except the bottom rail has a centered tenon. Sand ENME: 246ShakerTbl1_#100598817.ai taperjig the front legs on the end table [Exploded Views, the legs and rails smooth. ate: 10-16 rawings 1 and 2, Photo ]. 2 E MORTSE ET orna. TENON ETS TOP R ENME: 246ShakerTbl2_#100598818.ai ate: 10-16 orna. 1/8" 1/8" BOTTOM R 4 245 Shaker Tables 1 (9-23) emoine B, C N, O 30 WOO magazine May 2017
Clamping pads B Clamp up the glued base using pads to avoiding marring the legs. Work on a dead-flat surface to ensure a no-rock table. ry-assemble the table base, check for 4 square, and disassemble. pply glue to the tenons and clamp [Photo B]. n the top face of the upper front rail (), 5 and the outside faces of the legs, drill holes for reinforcing dowels [rawing 4, Exploded Views]. lue in dowels, let the glue dry, then saw and sand flush. With a orstner bit, drill recesses for figure-8 fasteners in the side rails (B, O). 6lue up a slightly oversize blank for the top (E or P). Trim to final size. Round over its ends and edges [rawing 5]. Sand to complete the thumbnail profile. inish-sand the top, apply finish to both sides, and set aside for now if you re building the end table. or the coffee table, apply finish to the base and attach its top using figure-8 fasteners that project s completed. 7dd to the end table the parts for supporting and guiding the drawer: irst, glue a pair of runners () to each side rail (B) flush with the top and bottom [Exploded View]. Next, glue a guide () on top of each bottom runner and against a side rail. dd a stop (H) to the inside corner of each leg () and back rail (C) flush at top. 8pply finish to the end-table base and attach its top using figure-8 fasteners. 4 OWE HOE ETS 5 TBETOP PROE RER E RONT N RER E M 3" 3" 3/16" dowel long 3/16" hole 7/8" deep E, P round-over bit raised 7/16" woodmagazine.com 31
auge line C E Make initial dovetail cuts with a tablesaw blade tilted 7. Set the blade height to just shy of the gauge line. fter making a cut, rotate the board by placing the opposite face against the auxiliary miter-gauge fence, and make the same cut. Mark another gauge line on the edges of the drawer sides to guide your handsaw in the next step. Saw off excess material using a scrap block to keep the saw blade perpendicular to the edge of the drawer side. Mark pins onto the front () clamped into a vise. Carefully position the side (), hold it firmly in place, and outline the tails using a marking knife (inset shows the final result). Tip! Whenever sawing or chopping away material for a dovetailed joint, cut just shy of your marks. t s much easier to fine-tune the fit later by removing material than to try putting it back. 32 S BUER Hand-cut half-blind dovetails or strength and appearance, the drawer front joins to its sides with half-blind dovetails. Even if you ve never cut a dovetail joint, the simple process shown here practically guarantees Saw the pin walls being careful to stay just inside all of the lines. Marking the waste areas reminds you which sides of the line to cut. H orm the drawer-front pins. Make your first chisel strikes about 1 16 from the gauge lines, remove the bulk of the material, and then pare away what remains. square extend lines from the pins to each gauge line. ollow those lines to make initial pin cuts [Photo ]. 6Chop out the waste material [Photo H], then fit one tail at a time, chiseling away small your success. amounts of wood as necessary. 1Cut the drawer front () to finished size and the drawer sides () 1 2" longer than listed 6 RWER [rawing 6]. dado 4" 2Set a marking gauge to match the deep thickness of your drawer sides and leave it groove deep there for all upcoming steps. Mark tails and a 3/8" from bottom edge gauge line on the drawer sides [rawing 6a]. 3Cut the tails as shown [Photos C,, and E]. Then clean up the bottoms and corners of the tails using a chisel, removing material up 17 to the gauge line. 4 1215/16" Use your marking gauge to scribe a gauge line on the ends of the front (). Transfer the tail locations onto the front [Photo ]. 5Mark the drawer-side thickness on the 137/16" inside face of the drawer front. With a 32mm cherry unfinished knob 6a OVET ET 5/16" 111/32" 17/32" 3/8" auge line groove deep 3/8" from bottom edge, in part 21¾" WOO magazine May 2017 37/16"
N RM Complete the drawer 1Slide the dry-fit drawer front and sides into the table and measure for the finished length of the drawer sides. Trim the drawer sides to finished length. Cut to size the drawer back () and bottom (). Cut the grooves 1¾ x 5½ to x hold 60" Cherry the bottom, and the dadoes B B C End Table Cutting iagram ¾ x 5½ x 96" Cherry E 1¾ ¾ x x 5½ x x 96" 60" Cherry E E BE B E C ¾ x 3½ x 72" Cherry 5½ 96" Cherry H E * E * E * ¾ x 5½ 5½ x 96" 96" Cherry Maple *Plane or resaw to the thicknesses listed in the Materials ist. E E Each end table requires 4.5 bd. ft. of ¾ x 3½ x 72" Cherry 8/4 cherry, 9.5 bd. ft. of 4/4 cherry, H and 4 bd. ft. of 4/4 maple. * * * ¾ x 5½ x 96" Maple *Plane or resaw to the thicknesses listed in the Materials ist. Each end table requires 4.5 bd. ft. of ¼ x 24 x 24" Birch plywood 8/4 cherry, 9.5 bd. ft. of 4/4 cherry, and 4 bd. ft. of 4/4 maple. ¼ x 24 x 24" Birch plywood Coffee Table Cutting iagram M 1¾ x 5½ x 48" Cherry N ¾ x 5½ x 96" Cherry (2 needed) O ¾ x 5½ x 72" Cherry (2 needed) P M P to accept the back [rawing 6]. lue and clamp the drawer. 2it the drawer to its opening; you may need to lightly plane material off the drawer s top edges. Then hand-plane an even reveal all around the drawer front by chamfering its front bottom edge. Each coffee table requires 3.5 bd. ft. of 8/4 cherry and 14 bd. ft. of 4/4 cherry. Materials ist NSHE SZE Part T W Matl. Qty. End Table legs 1 3 4" 1 3 4" 26" C 4 B side rails 3 4" 5" 22 1 2" C 2 C back rail 3 4" 5" 15 1 2" C 1 front rails 3 4" 1 1 2" 15 1 2" C 2 E* top 3 4" 2 28" C 1 drawer runners 3 4" 1 1 2" 20 1 2" M 4 drawer guides 3 4" 3 4" 20 1 2" M 2 H drawer stops 3 4" 3 4" 1 1 2" M 2 drawer front 3 4" 3 7 16" 13 7 16" C 1 * drawer sides 1 2" 3 7 16" 21 3 4" M 2 drawer back 1 2" 3 7 16" 12 15 16" M 1 drawer bottom 1 4" 12 15 16" 17 1 4" P 1 Coffee Table M legs 1 3 4" 1 3 4" 18" C 4 N front/back rails 3 4" 5" 42 1 2" C 2 O side rails 3 4" 5" 14 1 2" C 2 P* top 3 4" 20" 48" C 1 *Parts initially cut oversize. See the instructions. Materials key: C cherry, M hard maple, P-birch plywood. Supplies: igure-8 fasteners (8), 3 16" cherry dowel rod 36" long (provides enough for both tables). Bits: 5 8" and orstner bits; 1 2" round-over router bit. Sources: Shaker end-table legs (cherry, 25" long), $20.95 each; Shaker coffee-table legs (cherry), $14.96 each, tablelegs.com, 800-748-3480. 32mm cherry unfinished knob, item no. 159820, $3.99, woodcraft.com, 800-225-1153. woodmagazine.com 33 3To the drawer front add a centered knob [Sources]. Produced by Bill rier with Brian Bergstrom Project design: evin Boyle llustrations: Roxanne emoine, orna ohnson TN RM