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Design a mission coffee table
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This coffee table combines contemporary design with the classic materials and dimensions of Mission furniture
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By Dave Boulton, photos by Donna Griffith, illustration by Len Churchill
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A web-frame system acts as a cage that both supports and stops the two levels of drawers.
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As you drill out the mortises, the bit will get hot. Drill one or two, then let the bit cool. While that's happening, do your cleanup work with a mallet and chisels. By the time the mortises are squared, the Forstner bit will be cool again. As you drill and fit the various mortises, mark each leg and its companion mortise to spare you the guesswork of what goes where during glue-up.
Before the first stage of assembly, you need to saw grooves in the two top side rails to accept the tabletop clamps. Using your tablesaw, cut the groove according to the clamps you will be using.
Start to Finish
Once you're satisfied that everything fits, sand all the parts you've worked on so far. It's easier now because you don't have troublesome corners and cross-grain connections to contend with yet. Sand all components up through 120- to 220-grit. Any exposed corners should be very slightly rounded with handheld sandpaper. File and sand small chamfers onto the bottoms of the legs to prevent splintering if the table is ever dragged across the floor.
Begin assembly with the sides. Insert the rail tenons in one leg, slide the panel in place and cap it with the other leg. While the tenons and mortise surfaces must be coated with glue, the panels must be kept dry so they float. Clamp up this assembly, then check it carefully for square. With both sides complete, join them together with the back lower rail and front kickplate. The back is essentially the same as the sides; it just has more panels and intermediate stiles. Bring the parts together in the same way.
As you work, you'll find it helpful to attach a temporary support rail at the front top. Clamp a piece of scrap to the front legs so they're 36 1/2" apart. Check for square across the entire piece to ensure the drawer frame can drop into place easily.
Web Frames
Web frames are horizontal assemblies that support the drawers. You need to make three: one to support the lower drawers, one to support the upper drawers and one to stop the upper drawers from tipping when pulled out. The web frames are separated by uprights, which are the same height as the drawers.
Start by drilling and counterboring holes for #8 x 2" screws for attaching the web frames to the legs. Also, before web frame assembly, cut saw grooves in the perimeter of all upper frame components to accept metal tabletop clamps you'll install later.
I assembled my web frames using #20 biscuits for all joints, except the top frame, which is attached to the short uprights using screws for strength; this is because when you lift the coffee table, you would normally lift it by holding the top. The tips of the biscuits extend beyond the frame edges, but you can remove them using a stationary disc sander. Assemble each frame, taking the time to ensure everything is square. Smooth the joints with a belt sander, then join the completed frames with the uprights using one or two #8 x 2" screws driven into each upright.
Cut, glue and clamp the 7/8" x 1/2" drawer guides onto the top surfaces of the bottom and middle web frames, right behind the front uprights.
With all three web frames together, drop the assembly into place between the legs. To make this easier, I glued six blocks to the lower part of the carcass: three on the inside of the kickplate, 7/8" down from its top edge, and three on the lower back rail at the same height.
Now is the time to use glue to fasten the upper rear rail of the web frame cage to the inside face of the top rail of your cabinet. Drill pilot holes and install eight #8 x 2" screws, attaching the web frame to the legs through the uprights. This reinforces the kickplate.
Attach your quartersawn drawer frames to the front face of the web framing. You won't need this on the bottom frame, since the kickplate serves the same purpose.
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