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Mission end table
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Build end tables that would make Stickley proud
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By Dave Boulton, photos by Roger Yip, illustration by Len Churchill
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The internal web frames form structures to support and guide the two drawers.
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Tip Top
You'll be extremely lucky if you can find a single board wide enough for the 18 1/4" x 18 1/4" top, and even if you did, you might want to consider resawing and laminating the board to boost seasonal stability.
Glue and trim the top to size, sand it completely, including the edges and at least the first inch of the perimeter of the underside. Set the top upside down on your bench, centre the table upside down on it, then position your tabletop clips. I used 10 of them, spaced evenly around. Mark the screw hole locations and predrill, but be careful not to bore right through the top. I used #10 x 5/8"-long screws.
Double Drawers
As with any handmade project, your actual drawer opening dimensions will vary from mine. That's why you need to custom-cut the drawer parts. I used hand-cut, half-blind dovetails to attach the sides to the fronts, with the backs and bottoms held in dado slots.
Begin by trimming the drawer front to fit. Trim your sides to a height that matches your opening, and cut them to length. Join the drawer fronts and sides. Cut 1/4"-deep x 1/2"-wide dados in the sides for the backs on your tablesaw.
Next, without changing the blade height, set your fence for the bottom slot. This should be about 1/4" from the bottom edge, but, more important, it must also be centred on the lower dovetail pin. This way, when the drawer is assembled, the bottom won't peek out at the corner-the tail will cover it. Cut this dado in both sides and the front. The drawer back rests on the bottom panel, so it doesn't need a groove.
Test both drawers for fit, then assemble with glue. Glue isn't required for the bottom panel-it simply slides into position. You can pin the bottom to the back with a small finishing nail later. Clamp your assembly and confirm that it's square. Take some time with this, as an out-of-square drawer won't slide well and it will look crooked on the face of the cabinet. I usually clamp a shopmade wooden square into each corner before finally tightening the clamps to make sure the drawers are true.
Once the drawers are dry, test-fit them in their openings and adjust them as necessary. When the drawers slide to your satisfaction, rub paste wax on the runners, guides and drawer bottoms for even smoother travel. Be sure not to get wax on any surfaces that will be finished, though-it will affect the finish.
When it comes time to mount your drawer hardware, you may have to cut the mounting bolts. Many knobs and drawer pulls come with 1"-long bolts for use on drawers with separate faces. Traditional drawers such as the ones for this project require shorter bolts.
You'll find the drawers about 1 1/2" shorter than their openings, so they'll sit recessed into the frame. To keep the drawers from sliding too far into the cabinet, glue small stop blocks to the back rails. These stops are drilled and fitted with 1 1/4"-long wood screws for adjustment purposes. Turn them in or out until the drawer faces sit perfectly flush with the surrounding face frame.
Finishing Up
Remove the drawer hardware, then sand down the drawer fronts through the various grits to 220. Before you put the sandpaper away for good, check all surfaces for clamp marks or other blemishes caused during handling and assembly. Repair or resand these areas. I always do a final hand-sanding with 220-grit paper, just to be sure everything looks its best.
I finished the table with two coats of Minwax Early American stain, followed by five light coats of wipe-on satin poly. I rubbed down the project lightly between coats with #0000 steel wool, wiping afterward with a tack cloth.
When your end table is ready, carry it into place. If you haven't built the matching coffee table yet, you'd better dig out that September 2006 issue. It won't be long before that project makes it onto your to-build list.
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