| Glass-Top Table -- Joinery and Base-Assembly |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-305 |
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With the biscuit joinery cut and the back panel and stiles glued up, work can begin on the front panel. The front of the table is constructed with mortise and loose-tenon joinery and is made from solid mahogany. The top mortise is positioned and cut so that the rail sits flush with the top of the stile (figure A).
Materials: Table saw
Multi-router
Biscuit joiner; wood biscuits
Table router; chamfering bit
Yellow wood-glue
Slow-setting glue
Clamps
Straight-edge
220-grit sandpaper
Dead-blow hammer
Carpenter's pencil
Carpenter's tape
Safety glasses or goggles
Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his Web site -- information below under Resources. Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.
Front Frame
- To create the layout for the front of the table, the pieces are dry-clamped into position and pencil marks are made to indicate the locations of the joinery. Allowance is also included for the 1/8-inch shadow line in the positioning of the joinery ( figure B).
- Cut the mortises in the top rail using the multi-router (figure C). Use a 1/4-inch bit, and make the cuts 1-3/4 inches long and 3/8-inch down from the top.
- Make identical mortises on the inside edges of the front stiles (figure D). The multi-router is ideal for the kind of batch-cutting used in this project since it ensures uniformity.
- Re-set the multi-router and cut two more mortises in the stiles for the wide, lower rail. Continue using a 1/4-inch bit, but cut these mortises to 3 inches in length (figure E).
- Using the same settings, cut the matching mortises in the wide rail that will join the stiles.
- To assemble the front frame, use tenons cut from solid mahogany. Round the edges of the tenons to match the mortises.
- Apply yellow woodworker's glue to the tenons (figure F) and to the mortises.
- After applying glue, insert the tenons into their corresponding mortises (figure G).
- Assemble the pieces, and clamp the assembly (figure H) to allow the glue to dry for a few hours.
Shelf Stock and Joinery
- With joinery complete for the back panel and front frame, dry fit the pieces to ensure a good fit.
- With the pieces all dry-fit together, take measurements for the exact dimensions for the shelf (figure I).
- Cut the shelf from mahogany plywood on the table saw. Cut the shelf long, then trim-cut the stock at the table saw to achieve a snug fit (figure J).
- After checking the fit, use a new marking stick (identical in width to that of the shelf) as a template to lay out the locations biscuits that will join the ends shelf to the side panels.
- Use another marking stick to lay out the positions of the biscuits that will be used to join the length of the shelf to the front and back panels (figure K ).
- Place the show-side of the shelf face-down on the work surface, and cut the biscuit slots following your layout marks (figure L). Cut five slots on each long edge, and two slots on each end of the shelf.
- The next step is to lay out and cut matching slots for the biscuits on the inside faces of the table. Measure the distance from the bottom of the case to the top of the front panel (figure M). This will be the height of the top of the shelf. Transfer this measurement around the inside perimeter of the case.
- With the table disassembled, the side pieces clamped to the work surface and a marking stick clamped to each piece, cut the biscuit slots on the side panels.
- Repeat the process for the front panel and the back panel. In each case, the marking stick acts a cutting guide and a reference for the fence of the biscuit cutter (figure N).
- Reassemble the pieces to check the fit. With the case dry-fit together, use chalk to mark the exposed edges for chamfering (figure O). The three edges of each stile will be chamfered -- as well as the front and back edges on the top rail and the front edge of the bottom rail. The other sides will remain square and flush with the shelf. With the case disassembled, the edges of the elements can be softened at the table router.
- Chamfer all of the chalk-marked edges at the router table using a 45-degree chamfering bit raised to 1/16-inch (figure P). This process leaves a subtle bevel on all of the edges.
- With all the edges chamfered, soften the surfaces of all of the elements using 220-grit sandpaper.
- With all of the pieces sanded, final glue-up of the whole assembly can begin. Since the sides and shelf are all assembled at once, and there are many biscuits involved, slow-setting glue is recommended to allow ample assembly time. Apply glue to the biscuits and mortises using a paintbrush applicator (figure Q).
< - A dead-blow hammer may be used to encourage the biscuits into the slots, and tap all of the elements into position.
- Apply blue carpenter's tape to the edges (figure R) to help catch any excess glue that squeezes out during assembly.
- Clamp the assembly together using cork blocks to protect the wood surfaces. Since we lacked clamps deep enough to apply adequate pressure to the front and back expanse, cambered cawls were used to assist with clamping, adding extra pressure along the front and back of the table (figure S).
In the segment that follows, the table-top frame is created, and some decorative accents are added.
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RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456
Mastering Woodworking Machines (Fine Woodworking Book)
Author: Mark Duginske
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 0942391985
David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com
The Complete Book of Wood Joinery
Author: Robert J. Decristoforo
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.
ISBN: 0806999500
Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com
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