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Build a mission side table
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Enjoy the satisfaction of building your own replica of a classic Mission-style table
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By Michel Roy, photos by Roger Yip, illustration by Len Churchill
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Form and function keep this classic Mission table true to Stickley's original vision
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This project is patterned after a table designed by the legendary early 1900s Arts and Crafts designer, Gustav Stickley. I've wanted one just like it ever since seeing a black-and-white photograph of an original table, but the price was out of my range. So, I did what woodworkers do when they want something nice: I made one myself.
Striking quartersawn wood grain is a big part of Mission's appeal. But this isn't the only traditional Mission material in this project: so are the tiles. Genuine 5/8"-thick, handmade Arts and Crafts tiles would be perfect for tables like mine, but I opted for some similar 4" x 4" tiles I found at a local clearance store. The 1/4"-thick, mottled green pattern suited my design. It would be rare to find genuine Arts and Crafts tiles at a local hardware store, but a quick search on the Internet will yield many sources to try. Get your tiles before you build your table. This way you can size the table precisely to fit them. You really don't want to have to cut 1/8" off the tiles to fit into the cavity in the tabletop, nor do you want to discover that the tiles stand proud of the surface after you set them.
Be Prepared
The most challenging part of this project is the tabletop and its through-mortise-and-tenon corners. I recommend you use full-scale plans, as I find they help to avoid errors. You can either scale up the included plans or print a downloaded template from this page.
Take a further preparatory step to accommodate your tiles. Lay out the tabletop template on a piece of 1/4" medium-density fibreboard (MDF) to see if your tiles fit within it. Since the top overhangs the base, you have some leeway to make the top larger or smaller to allow the tiles to fit just right.
Ready Your Stock
Begin by cutting and milling all your stock straight and square to the correct widths and thicknesses listed. For now, leave your parts a couple of inches longer than the final lengths specified, just in case you run into cracks or other defects.
The tabletop frame is made up of four boards, each one secured with mortise-and-tenon joints at the corners. As you lay out the long and short top boards, note the grain patterns and select the most pleasing effect.
Prepare your joinery starting with the through mortises, which go right through the short top pieces. It's easiest to fit tenons to existing mortises rather than the other way around.
I used a hollow-chisel mortising machine to cut out the 1/2"-wide mortises. This stationary machine combines an auger bit inside a square chisel to bore square holes. Another option is to drill overlapping holes with a Forstner bit in a drillpress, then use a hand chisel to square up the mortises. But even with the luxury of my hollow-chisel mortiser, I always turn to my chisels to complete each mortise. That's because, in this case, the outside of each mortise remains visible where the tenon passes through it. These areas are significant ornamental details, so strive to get those outside edges clean.
When you're satisfied with your mortises, use a fine file to put a very slight chamfer on the mortise edges. This prevents the tenons from splintering the edges as you test-fit.
| YOU WILL NEED | | Parts | Material | SIZE (TxWxL*) | Qty | | Long top | quartersawn white oak | 1" x 4" x 24 1/2" | 2 | | Short top | quartersawn white oak | 1" x 4" x 20 1/2" | 2 | | Legs | quartersawn white oak | 1 5/8" x 1 5/8" x 25" | 4 | | Long aprons | quartersawn white oak | 3/4" x 3" x 20 1/4" | 2 | | Short aprons | quartersawn white oak | 3/4" x 3" x 16 3/4" | 2 | | Shelf | quartersawn white oak | 3/4" x 13 1/2" x 23" | 1 | | Shelf rails | quartersawn white oak | 3/4" x 3" x 16 3/4" | 2 | | Wedges | quartersawn white oak | 3/4" x 3/4" x 2 1/2" | 4 | | Tile substrate | plywood | 3/4" x 13" x 17" | 1 | | Tiles | ceramic | 4" x 4" | 12 | | Table irons | LV #13K01.50 | 8 | | *Length indicates grain direction. |
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