Michael Perkovich adds bold curves and subtle tapers to this elegant design
This entry table is a great example of how dovetails and mortise and tenons work well together both structurally and visually. It’s also a good exercise in shaping with its defining arched stretchers, bold chamfers and subtly tapered legs.
An earlier version of this table made it into my first book, but I stopped short of offering plans or telling you how to build it. The truth of the matter is that I wasn’t entirely happy with the table. It was a design that I liked but never felt that I had fully resolved. I’d built it five or six times, and each time I’d made small changes to the design. When I finally got to the point where I could say ‘OK, there it is,’ I realised that I’d needed to get this far in my journey before I could begin to get to the heart of what wasn’t quite right.
In short, it felt just a little top-heavy to me. A narrower drawer box and top helped to a certain extent, but it was easy to go too far and have it look undersize for the base. The ultimate solution to the problem, though subtle, had a big impact on the finished look. Adding a 1⁄8in taper to the outside faces of each leg created a base with a slightly bigger cross-section than at the top. Perspective distortion, where things appear smaller from farther away, made the perfectly straight legs appear to be tapered towards the bottom, giving the table a top-heavy, unsteady look. Tapering the legs gradually towards the top makes them appear to be straight. The taper is not enough to be noticeable at first glance, but it seems to give the base a more solid stance.
Having introduced curves and tapers into a number of projects since the time the first table was built, I had a better understanding of the effect they can have, which is what prompted this solution. While the arched stretchers are probably the first thing you notice about the table, the more subtle details play just as big a role in realising the final design. This table’s evolution shows that when starting out, the major elements in a design are the easiest to get a handle on. It’s the small details, which take a little time to work out, that can mean the difference between a design you like and one you’re really satisfied with.
Two arches from one board
One downside of sawing curves is that it can lead to a lot of waste. On its own, each arched rail requires a 2in-thick by 51⁄2in- wide board, with a good portion of it ending up in the scrap bin. However, a second arch can be had from the first board by gluing the waste below the arch on to the top edge of the blank. This will result in a glueline across one of the arches, and while it’s typically not noticeable since the wood on each half comes from the same board, I tend to orient this arch at the back of the base.
Start by cutting the joinery while the blank is square and at full thickness. Cut the tenon cheeks with a dado blade and trace the arches on the face of the board to locate the tenons. Then cut the sides of the tenons at the bandsaw (photo 1).
Cut away the waste below the bottom arch, staying safely outside the pencil line (photo 2). Glue the offcut to the top edge of the blank (photo 3). After the glue dries, flatten the blank again and plane it to final thickness. Trace the final arch profiles on the blank using the bandsaw kerfs to centre the profile on the tenons (photo 4). Saw out and smooth the arches and finish with a heavy chamfer on the corners. I really like the way white oak takes a hard shine with a sharp hand tool (photo 5).
Two pass taper on the jointer
Set the jointer to cut half the depth of the final taper, in this case 1⁄16in. With the top of the leg facing forward, take a single pass stopping halfway (photo 6). A piece of tape on the fence marks the mid-point. Hold the leg in place as you turn off the jointer before lifting it. Then, keeping the same face down, rotate the leg so that the bottom of the leg is now facing forward. Press down on the rear end, pivoting the leading end off the table, and take a full pass to complete the taper (photo 7).
Chamfer the tenons and shape the feet
Because the outsides of the legs are tapered, it’s nice to have the ends of the tenons parallel to the taper as well. The easiest way I’ve found to do that is to start by leaving the tenons long. I can then dry-fit the joint and, using a shim equal in thickness to the distance I’d like the tenon to protrude, trace the end of the tenon (photo 8). While I’m at it, I also pencil a line on the tenon where it meets the face of the leg. I can use this line later as a guide when chamfering the end (photo 9). To finish off the tenon, disassemble the parts and cut the tenon to length with a handsaw. Then chamfer the end, keeping just above the shoulder line (photo 10). Taper the ends of the feet, then plane an arris curve on to the tapered end (photo 11). The curve echoes the arch of the stretcher, and though it’s only a small detail, it helps to tie the different elements of the table together.
A dovetailed drawer box
Sandwiched between the base and the top is a dovetailed drawer box. The length of the top and bottom and the shortness of the sides made it difficult to dovetail in my usual way. Instead, I cut a shallow rabbet on the inside face of the tails board (photo 12). This rabbet let me snug up the tails board to the case top and bottom when scribing, keeping it in perfect alignment (photo 13). The vertical drawer dividers are attached with Domino slip tenons. To locate them, I cut a piece of MDF the width of the centre drawer and added a fence to it, which I registered against the edge of the case piece (photo 14). A centre line on the template and case pieces allowed me to align the parts for consistent spacing. To mortise the case, butt the base of the mortiser against the template (photo 15).
The mortising sequence for fast case joinery
One of the advantages of using floating tenons is that you can cut pieces to exact size without worrying about accounting for the joinery (photo 16). On case joints, you typically need to cut slots in the face of one part and in the end grain of the mating piece. When slotting the face of a board, clamp an edge guide with marks at the mortise locations to the workpiece. I’ll often add a cleat on the end to register the guide for consistent insets (photo 17). Align the centre mark on the base of the joiner to your layout mark and slowly cut the mortise (photos 18 & 19). Ramming the bit into the workpiece too quickly will cause it to chatter. For the mating part, transfer the tenon marks from the edge guide to the workpiece (photo 20). Clamp it down and make the cut (photo 21).
Fir the box to the base
Because variations in the finished dimensions can sneak into the build by this point, I find it easiest to glue up the drawer box and then centre it on the dry-fitted base to mark for the notches that allow it to seat against the upper stretchers. On just about any occasion where I’m scribing, I start by laying down some tape on the end grain first. Then I set the case in place and centre it with a combination square before scribing the tops of the legs (photo 22). It can be challenging to seat the case if the fit is snug. I find that tapping out the drawbore pins at the top of one set of legs allows enough clearance to seat the case. Once it’s in place, the pins can be driven back in, tightening the assembly (photo 23).
This is an edited extract from Foundations of Woodworking by Michael Pekovich, published by Taunton Press
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL PEKOVICH AND RACHEL BARCLAY. © THE TAUNTON PRESS, INC