Looking for ideas to build end table

[djkert]

I'd like to build this table. So I am looking for ideas to attach the bottom table and the sides to the legs. I plan on glueing
two 3.4" pieces of maple together for the legs, and the only thing I can think to attach the sides and the bottom to the legs is dowels. But from what I've read they can be hard to line up. so I am looking for ideas on a simple technique.

Any ideas would be appreciated...

[SARGE..g-47]

I'm not sure what you "read".. and it probably is irrelavant in this case anyway!

If you have the ability to build that entire table underneath the top.. you have the ability to drill a dowel hole and then drill co-inciding holes under the top to line up. If you don't have the confidence to do it... it is time you developed the confidence by meeting the challenge head on.

I built a top two week-ends ago and used dowels as you mention with the exception that I did not glue the dowel into the top bottom and depend on gravity with my top built from SYP. It's kind of heavy and doesn't need the glue.

Just my opinion that you can if your attitude is "I CAN"!

Regards...

[steve-norrell]

I built a bedside table and library-type table for the bedroom using doweling almost exclusively. I used a jig similar to this one
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...doweling%20jig.

Here are a couple of pictures.

Regards, Steve

[djkert]

Guys, both of your projects look great. I gues I will go with dowels. Sarge, I guess my problem is that I can cut pretty accurate, but for some reason I can never seem to drill holes on the mark. But oh well, guess I gotta start sometime.

Steve, that is pretty much exactly what I was thinking of doing. Your jig seems much better than mine. My budget will only allow for this.

Think the jig will make a big difference???

[JR]

As usual, Sarge's advice is spot on. Dive in, man, the water's fine!

Why not mortise and tenon? My first tables were done with M&T construction using a table saw with dado blade and home made tenoning jig for the tenons, and a drill press plus chisels for the mortises.

Here's a night stand I made using those techniques:




And here's my most recent table, with a lower shelf similar to the one you're planning. I now have a mortising machine and I used a router-in-table for the tenons, but it's not rocket science. It is a totally "doable" project.

[SARGE..g-47]

Guys, both of your projects look great. I gues I will go with dowels. Sarge, I guess my problem is that I can cut pretty accurate, but for some reason I can never seem to drill holes on the mark. But oh well, guess I gotta start sometime.

Steve, that is pretty much exactly what I was thinking of doing. Your jig seems much better than mine. My budget will only allow for this.

Think the jig will make a big difference???

I was going to suggest M&T also, but the picture you posted looks as if the top kind free floats up top of the carcass which would just about dictate dowels? Maybe not.. if not M&T's for the legs and stretchers and pin the top from under-neath with table top fastners.

Now.. if you do have to go to dowels as I suspect with that top basically floating.. I will offer a tip or two. First.. after you mark the point of drill attack on the legs with a pencil.. I use an ice pick tip straight down to form a pilot hole. You could use any sharp, small pointed tip to penetrate. That pilot hole will give your bit tip an anchor and will resist it wandering.

Now.. if you can't hold vertical.. use your DP if you have one and drill the same size hole in a piece of scrap. Clamp that on top of the target pilot hole and you have a vertical drill guide. And start your vaiable off slow.. a pedal to the medal charge will seek wandering from true.

I don't use a dowel gage on the table tops as it is not adaptable to how far in I put those holes. I suppose you could use one on top of the legs to arrive at that hole. And if you can't use the jig under the top..

If you have the piece already assembled and the pilot hole in the leg top.. measure from center to center of the pilot hole and map it out. If you measure after you drill the main hole.. you are merely guessing at center hole and guesses usually are wrong.

Once you have the map.. turn your top over and transfer the correct points to where to drill those pilots to the bottom once finding the correct over-hangs for the top in relation to the table carcass.

Hope that helps.. whew..... that was long, it took me two days to build a new work-bench top from raw lumber... the typing here took about 3 it seems.

Back to the shop for a project started Friday morning.. has to be finished by tomorrow evening in order to start another Monday morning. The story of my life.. to much work.... not enough time.

Good luck and I am confident "you can" and "will"...

[SARGE..g-47]

Your "guilty" of nice work on both counts from the evidence posted JR.

Well done...

[Gator95]

I got the beadlock loose tennon system from Rockler with my $10 of a $30 purchase card. Used it on a piano bench for the legs and it was dead easy to line up once you thought about it for a second and worked fine.

Also used it as a doweling jig for some end tables. Worked fine there to. Zero problems getting the dowels to line up. Actually think I'll probably use it more as a multiple dowel jig than as a loose tennon jig.

Biscuits are yet another option.

That table top looks small enough that you can just attach directly to the base without having to get fancy with slots/screws/other system for allowing tabletop to float for wood movement.

[djkert]

Thanks for all the helpful advice on doweling Sarge. I'm gonna give it a shot. I was worried about doweling the sides, and front to the legs. I never even gave thought to doweling the top. Was just going to use corner brackets or something. Figured they would be hidden from the inside. I guess I'll dowel the top in to the legs though.

I know what you mean about not enough time. Got more than enough yardwork to fill my time. But I've been having the urge to do another project and had leftover wood in the house.

[steve-norrell]

Steve, that is pretty much exactly what I was thinking of doing. Your jig seems much better than mine. My budget will only allow for this.

Think the jig will make a big difference???

That should work. I do recommend you get a set of these http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=859&cs=1. These are from Rockler, but I have purchased them at Lowe's and the Borg. They are essential for marking where to drill for the dowel in "the other side" of the joint.

I would not try it without some kind of a jig.

Regards, Steve

[mdutch]

I'm not sure what you "read".. and it probably is irrelavant in this case anyway![snip...]
I built a top two week-ends ago and used dowels as you mention with the exception that I did not glue the dowel into the top bottom and depend on gravity with my top built from SYP. It's kind of heavy and doesn't need the glue.

See how easy it is? Just keep drilling holes up and down the table top till they line up.

/grin; /duck; & /run;

[JR]

If you choose to go with dowels then Steve's suggestion for doweling pins is the way to go. Those things are cheap, and with a jig as Steve suggested, you'll get the holes to line up perfectly.

JR