Barbara's Table
A small amount of fabulous wood can go a long way.
By Tom Caspar
Purchase the complete version of this woodworking project story from AWBookstore.com.
Surprise! My wife loved this table because I designed it just for her. It’s beautiful, versatile and with time-saving biscuits and dowels, it only took me a few weekends to build. It’s a great project.
|
1. Cut out the
legs first. The
best looking
legs come from
the side of a board
where the grain runs
straight. Your cut
doesn’t have to be
parallel to the edge of
the board, however.
Following the grain is
more important.
|
|
Click any image to view a larger version.
|
|
3. Cut two biscuit
slots side-by-side
into the rails
and legs. Biscuit joinery
is incredibly fast and
plenty strong for a table
this size.
|
|
|
|
5. Drill dowel
holes in the
ends of the
stretchers. Use two
clamps to firmly
hold the stretchers
in place—one
across the fence and
another down to
the jig’s base.
|
|
|
|
7. Glue the base
together upside
down on a
dead-flat surface (such
as your tablesaw), so
the base doesn’t end
up crooked. Biscuit
joints can shift side to
side. Level the rails
with 4-1/2-in.- wide
support blocks.
|
|
|
|
9. Cut rabbets on
the undersides
of the shelves
with the same jig as
shown in Photo 8. It’s
much faster than setting
up a dado set. First make
relief cuts with the shelf
lying flat on the tablesaw.
Then stand the shelf on
end and rip off the waste.
|
|
|