Writing
Table
Construction Notes
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1.
Start at the top. Since this table is intended
to provide a work surface, the top will receive the lion’s share of
attention. Let’s make this the centerpiece, setting the tone for the
whole project.
The natural showcase created by the top surface makes it a great place
to use some special wood you’ve been saving. Anything with an interesting
figure would work, and I chose tiger maple to contrast with the cherry
rails and legs. By building the top first, you can adjust the dimensions
slightly to make the project work with the dimensions and figure in
your specific stock.
The curved ends echo the curved sides of the rails and soften the
lines, giving this table a feminine aspect. And the beveled edge profile
is another nice way to highlight the top, even when viewed from an
angle.
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The top is the focal point, so make it count.
The beveled edge adds interest without spoiling the simple lines.
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2.
Build the foundation. With the top completed,
move on to the legs and rails. Rough cut the legs and decide on their
orientation based on having the best grain on the outside. Cut the
mortises before tapering the legs, to make working with them easier.
When rough cutting the front rail, make sure to leave it long. The
drawer front will be cut from the center of this board, so the grain
will match perfectly, and you’ll lose the width of two saw kerfs in
the process.
Cut the tenons first, then the curves on the two side pieces and the
ogee detail on the front. Now is the time to cut slots for the buttons
that will attach the top to the rails. I use a table saw for this,
but you could also use a router.
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I built a simple jig for cutting the mortises with
a plunge router.
Remember: cut the tenons before you cut this ogee detail, the stock
is much easier to handle this way.
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Housing the drawer.
One design objective in this project is to have the top surface
as low as possible without interfering with someone’s knees
when sitting at the table. Usually, the solution is to omit
the drawer and reduce the size of the rails. However, my customer
for this project required the drawer, which led me to an unusual
design for the drawer housing. To incorporate a drawer without
raising the top, I needed the drawer front to extend the entire
height of the rail. This required adding a brace to restore
the structural integrity of the front rail. As you can see,
the resulting exterior appearance of the drawer is deceptively
simple. |
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The drawer glides on side-mounted runners, which
are attached to internal braces dovetailed into the front and
back rails. |
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4.
Glue up the base.
With all the pieces for the base cut and test fitted, it’s time to
glue it up. Make sure you have enough clamps before you start!
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Decide on a clamping plan before you apply any glue!
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5.
Fit the drawer.
Finally, make and fit the drawer. The construction of the drawer is
pretty standard, just make sure you remember that the grain in the
bottom should run side-to-side, even though the drawer is a lot longer
than it is wide. To finish it off with a special touch, I carved a
small handle from walnut, but you could also use a peg-style pull.
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Hand-cut dovetails and a carved pull are always a nice
touch.
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Attach the top.
Use shop-made buttons that fit into the slots you milled during step
2 to attach the top. |
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Wooden buttons secure the top to the inside of the
rails. |
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