“America’s leading woodworking authority”™

Arts & Crafts End Table

• Step by Step construction

instruction.
• A complete bill of materials.
• Exploded view and elevation
drawings.
• How-to photos with instructive
captions.

• Tips to help you complete the

project and become a better
woodworker.

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WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL
©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published in Woodworker’s Journal “Today’s Woodworker:

WJ004 Projects, Tips and Techniques for the Home Shop”
150 HOME PROJECTS
WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Arts & Crafts End Table
T
here are many signature features of Mission-style furniture, but one of the more
prominent details are mortise and tenon joints where the tenons show. You might
think they’re difficult to make, but a simple drill press technique and a few chisels are all it
really takes. This end table will give you ample opportunity to try these joints on for size.

Through mortise and tenon joints fit. The logic is that you can always trim complete, repeat to remove the crest-
are attractive hallmarks of Arts & Crafts a thick tenon thinner but you can’t shaped waste areas that remain.
furniture. They also form rock-solid make a too-wide mortise narrower. One jig setup on the drill press
connections for table legs and other On through mortises, this reasoning is allows you to tackle all of this table’s
high stress parts. If you’ve been avoid- especially sage. Since the mortises mortises except those for the drawer
ing them because you don’t own a show, you’ll want to make them as supports, which run perpendicular to
mortising machine, there’s a simple neatly and accurately as possible, the rest. You can align the bit by eye for
solution: all you need is a drill press then fiddle with the tenons to fit the hogging these out. Note that the mor-
with a sharp Forstner bit. The tech- joints together. tises for the upper drawer support are
nique is accurate, quick and wonderful- The sidebar on page 154 will guide open at the tops of the legs to house
ly low tech. If you can drill a series of you through the process of making the bare-faced upper support tenons.
holes, deep through mortises are a the leg mortises, but here are some
cinch to make. important tips. Whether you are cutting Turn to the Tenoned Parts
through or stopped mortises on the Start the tenoning process by
Start with the Legs legs, start at one end of the mortise cutting the aprons, drawer supports,
Begin by planing 8/4 stock down and bore a series of holes along its side rails and shelf supports (pieces 2,
to 11⁄2" for the legs (pieces 1). Cut them length. Space the holes so they touch 3, 4, 7, 8 and 11) to size. These pieces
to size and joint the faces smooth. but do not overlap, to keep the bit from all have 3/8"-thick tenons. A wide dado
As you can see from the Exploded wandering into the previous hole. Drill blade in the table saw will make quick
Drawing on the next page, each leg all the way through the legs for the work of trimming the tenons to the
has a number of mortises, and their through mortises, boring down into the correct thickness and length. Use the
arrangement can get a little confusing. show faces, hiding any tearout on the rip fence to index the first long shoulder
Take time now to lay out all the mortis- back beneath the tenon shoulders. cuts with parts held face-down against
es before you begin milling. Choose When you are about two bit widths the miter gauge. Make additional
the best face of each leg (with nice from the end of the mortise, skip to the passes over the blade to rough out
quartersawn rays) to face forward. end and drill it out, then back up and the broad tenon cheeks, and then trim
Conventional wisdom for making drill out the remaining waste. Slide the the tenons to width on the band saw.
mortise and tenon joinery is to cut the leg along the jig’s fence to drill each Refine the tenons with a shoulder plane
mortises first, then trim the tenons to hole. Once the first round of drilling is or sandpaper until they slide into their

ARTS & CRAFTS END TABLE 151

WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
 Table Exploded View

6 5

1 4
2

9
13
1 /16"

33/4"
13
7
1
/2" 1
/2" C
L 1
3
/8" 16
3
/8"
MATERIAL LIST –
Base
3
/8"
TxWxL
12
1 Legs (4) 1 ⁄ 2" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 251 ⁄ 4"
1

33/4" 10
2 Side Aprons (2) 3/4" x 6" x 195 ⁄ 8"
1 8
8 /2" 11 3 Back Apron (1) 3/4" x 6" x 171 ⁄ 4"
4 Drawer
113/16" C
L Supports (2) 3/4" x 13 ⁄ 8" x 17"
5 Drawer Guides (2) 3/4" x 3/4" x 151 ⁄ 2"
Back Apron 6 Top Cleats (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 161 ⁄ 2"
(Top and Front View)
7 Upper Side
3
/8" Rails (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 17"
8 Lower Side
Rails (2) 3/4" x 2" x 195 ⁄ 8"
3 9 Side Slats (6) 3/8" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 111 ⁄ 2"
1
4 /2" 10 Slat Spacers* (8) 3/8" x 1/2" x 11 ⁄ 2"
11 Shelf Supports (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 4" x 17"
12 Shelf Cleats (2) 3/4" x 3/4" x 4"
13 Shelf (1) 3/4" x 17" x 19"
1
/2" *Cut to fit

152 HOME PROJECTS

3
/4" 4
WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

3
/8"
 21/4" 21/4" 21/4" 21/4" 113/16" C
L
1
3
/2" 3
/8"
/8" 3
/4" 3
/4"
1
/2" 3
/4"
3
/4"
5
/16"

41/2" 41/2" 41/2" 2

3
1
/8"
3
/2" 3
/8" 1
/8" 3
/4" 3
/4"
1
/2" 3
/4" 4 /2"
3
3
/4" /8" 3 3 3
3
5
/16" /8" /8" /8"
/4" Front and Back Table Legs
5 5 5
5
/16" /16" / " 16 / " 16 3
1
4 /2" Mortise
4/" Location Details
1
2 4/" 1
2
2
41/2"
1
1
/2" /2" 1
/23" 13 3
/8"
3
/8" 3
/4" /4"
1
/2" 41/2" 3/41" /16"
3
/8" 3
/4" 1" 1"
3
3
/85"/16" 3
/8" 3
/8" Side Apron
/4" 33/View)
4"
5
5
3 /16"
5
/163" 5
/16" (Top and Front
/16" /8" /8" 1 1 1 2
1
/2"5 4 /2" 4 /2" 4 /2"
5
3 /16" /16" 1" 3
/8" 7 1
/2"
1
/8" 3
/4" 3
/4"
1
/2" 3
/4"13
/2" 1
/2" 11 /16"
3
/4" /2" 41/2" 1
/2" C
1"/ / ""
5 3
168 1" L
3 3 3
3 /8" /8" /38/"8"
3
/4" 14 /4" 33/4" 2
3 5 3
41/25"/16" 1
5 4 /2"
/16" 415//216" "
/ "/ "
8 16 /8" 3
/4" 3/8" 4
1"
41/2"7
5 5
1 /16" /16" 1 3
1
/32" 1
/2" 1 1313/8/"161" /8"
/8" /2" /2" C
3
5
/16" 5
/16" 3
/8"
1" /8"
1"
3
3
/8" /8"
3
L
/4" 5
5
/16" 35 3 5
/16" 5
/16" /16" 35
""
/8/16
1
/2"
/ /" "143/4"
8 16 /8"
3
33/4" 33/4"
3
/8" 3 3 /8"
/8" /8" 3
/8"
1 1" 113/16"1 7
11//22""
1
5
/16" 5
/16" /2"
3
/4"
1 11/2" 1 3
/4" 11/2" 81 /2" 3
/8"
1
1" 1
1" /2" 1
/2"
/2" 5
/16" 5
/16"1 /2" 3
3
/4" 4 C
L
215//416" " 23 1/4" 23 /4" 215//416" " /8" C
113/16" L 33/4"
/8" /8" 3
/8" 14 /4" /8" 3 3 3
/8"
3
/8" 3
/8" 1" 33/4"
5
/16" 5
/16"
3
/8" 7 3
/8"
1 1
1 /2" 1 8 /2"1/2"/2"
/4" 1
1
3
/4"
1 /2" 3 11/2"
1 1
/2" 3/8" C
1 1 Shelf Support L
/2" 5 /2" 5
/16" 3 /16" 3
/8"
3
/8" 3 (Top and Front C
View)
21/4" 21/54/"16" 21/4" 14 /4" 21/4" 1/1613"/16" /8"
3 3 3
5
L
/8" /8" /8" 3
3
/4" 3 /8" 33/4"
3
/8" /8" 3
/8"
1 1 3
/8"
3 115/2" 11/2" 11/2" 3 8
1
/2"
/4" /16" 5
/16"
3
/4"
431//42""
3
/8" 1
/2" 2 1
/2" 5
3
/8" /4" 11
3
5
/16" 3 3 /16"
2 1
/4" 2/18/"4" 21//84"" 23 1/4" 1313/184 1
2"/"2"
/"16 33/4"
C
L
3
/8" /8"
41/2"
3 1 2
4/ "/ "
8
3
/4"Front Legs
2 11/2" 11/2" Back Legs 3
/4" 11/2" 8
1
/2"
1 1
5
/16" /2" /2"
41/2" 21/4" 21/4" 21/4" 21/4" 113/16" 3 C
L
1 1
3
4/2"/2" 3
/8"
/8" 113/16"
Drawer Support
5
/16" Upper Side Rail (Top and Front View) (Top and Front View)
33/4"
113/16" 3
1"
3
/4" 4 upper
3
/8"
7 1
/2" 41/2"
1
/2" 1
/2" 33/4" C 3
L /8"
3
1" /8" 7 1
/2" 3
3
/2" /8" 4
3
1
/2" 1 /4" 41/2"
C
L 1
3
/2"
3
/8" /8"
3
/8"3
3
/8" 3 /4" 4
5
/16" Lower Side Rail (Top/8"and Front View) 1
3
/2"
/8" 3 /4"
3
/8" 3
3
/8"
Drawer Support
/ "/ " 1 3
2 4 4
3 (Top and Front View)
1/ "/2"
1
3 5 81
8 /2"
/ "/ "
4 16 1
/2"
3
3
/8" 33/4" /8"
21/4" 13
1 /16" C
3
/4" 4 lower
L 1
1 /32"
3 11/2" 8 /2" /4" 4
/4" 33 8
8 // ""
21/4" 113/16" C
L 1
3
/8"
/2"
3
/4" 11
3
/8"
1 3 4
/ "/ "
2 4
1
/2"
3
/8" 3
/8"
3
/8"
3 ARTS
/" 3& CRAFTS
11
4
/ /" " END TABLE
4
13
24 153
1
4 /2" WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
/2"
3
/8"
3
 DRILLING THROUGH MORTISE
AND TENON JOINTS
Drill press mortising sure beats
mortises with just a bit of resistance.
hand chiseling, and it works well for
cutting deep through mortises that
would otherwise require a long router
Preparing the Rails and Slats
bit or dedicated mortising machine. Rather than drill separate mortises
The technique doesn’t demand a for each side slat, we’ll mill a stopped
burly floor-model drill press or compli- groove into the side rails for all three
cated tooling to complete. Armed with slats, then fill the gaps with spacers. Cut
a only benchtop drill press and sharp these grooves on the router table, and
Forstner bit, you’ll have great success. square the ends. Now plane enough
It also helps to have a combination 3/8" stock to make the slats and spac-
alignment fence and hold-down jig to ers (pieces 9 and 10). Cut the slats to
assist the drilling operation. It’s easy to Lay out all the leg mortises with a combi- size, but wait on the spacers for now.
make: just screw a straight piece of nation square before you begin milling
stock, 1/16" thicker than the legs, to them. This will help keep their order and
orientation clear on each leg. Assembling the Table Frame
a piece of scrap plywood. Then fasten
After all this mortise and tenon
a couple of hold-downs to the top of
the jig fence (about 5" apart). The fence will align the multiple borings required to work, it’s time for some assembly. Start
create the mortises, and the hold-downs will keep the bit from lifting the legs off by preparing two side frames consisting
the drill press table when clearing the chips from the openings. of two legs, a side apron, the upper
and lower side rails and three slats.
Dry-fit the parts first, then disassemble
and do your finish sanding. Glue and
clamp the side frames, but fit the slats
into their grooves dry. When gluing the
through tenons, spread glue on the
tenons only, not their mortises. Keep
the first 1/2" or so of the tenons free of
glue and you’ll have no glue to clean off
the exposed ends after sliding the parts
together. With the side frames clamped,
Clamp the hold-down jig to the drill press Square up the mortise ends with a chisel drill and insert six dowel pins to lock the
table so the drill bit spur is centered inside and mallet. For deep through mortises, a
the mortise. Drill a series of adjacent holes mortising chisel works best. Keep the chisel joints. Now, cut the spacers to fit and
along the mortise to remove the waste. held square to the leg as you tap it home. glue them between the slats.
Join the two side frames together
by gluing and installing the drawer sup-
ports, back apron and shelf supports in
place. Spread clamps across the frame
to close the joints.

Making and Hanging the Drawer

There are no surprises in the
construction of the flush-fit drawer.
Cut the face, sides and back (pieces
17 through 19) to size, then mill all the
Cut the tenons to thickness and length with Take shavings off the tenon until it fits its
a dado blade on the table saw, then make mortise, then chamfer the ends and edges. corner joinery. Use a dovetailing jig and
the end cheek and shoulder cuts on the The chamfers help smooth the assembly router to form the half-blind dovetails
band saw. Guide your work against a fence. and become distinctive visual details.
and a dado blade to cut the back rab-
bet and dado joints. After milling the

154 HOME PROJECTS

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 Drawer Exploded View

7
/16"
18 7
/8"
23/16"
7 7 8
/ / ""
16 Front
1"
18 7
/"
7 8
Corner 19
3
2 /16" /"
8 Dovetail
7
/8"
Layout 18
17/8" (Side View)
1"
7
/16" 7/8" 20
1
/4" 3
1
/2" 17/8" /8"
3
/8" 7
/316"
1
/4" /8"
19
1 3
/8" 18
/2"
3
/8"
20 3
19
/8" 18
Back
18 Corner
20 Joinery 20 17
Detail 21
18 (Top View) (Section View)

MATERIAL LIST – Drawer

TxWxL TxWxL
17 Drawer Face (1) 3/4" x 43 ⁄ 8" x 157 ⁄ 8" 20 Drawer Bottom (1) 1/2" x 147 ⁄ 8" x 161 ⁄ 2"
18 Drawer Sides (2) 3/4" x 43 ⁄ 8" x 161 ⁄ 2" 21 Pull Hammered copper
19 Drawer Back (1) 3/4" x 35 ⁄ 8" x 151 ⁄ 8"

corner joints, rout grooves along the how we did it: First, fit the entire drawer
appropriate inside faces to accept the assembly into place with the guides in Adding the Tabletop and Shelf
bottom panel. Be sure to stop this the drawer grooves. Hold it in place Breadboard tops aren’t typical fea-
groove on the face or it will show after with a scrap block clamped to the back tures of Arts & Crafts tables, but our
assembly. Sand the parts and glue up apron. Adjust the drawer face for author chose this style because the
the drawer box. Cut the bottom panel a flush fit. Mark the top and bottom breadboard ends help keep the top flat
(piece 20) to size, slide it into place and edges of the guides on both aprons and hide its end grain. To make the top,
pin it to the drawer back with brads. near the back. Pull the drawer out, glue up a wood panel for the center
The drawer hangs on a pair of position the guides on the aprons and section (piece 14), and cut the bread-
guides (pieces 5) that fit into stopped fasten them through their rear pilot board ends (pieces 15) to size. Next,
dadoes in the sides and attach to the holes with screws. Replace the drawer chuck a 1/4" straight bit in the router
side aprons. Plow the guide grooves and insert thin shims of cardboard table and plow a long stopped groove
into the sides with a 3/4" straight bit in around the face to center it evenly in into one edge of each breadboard end.
the router table. Now rip and crosscut its opening. Then, mark the drawer With the grooves cut, mill the center
the drawer guides, round their front guide positions on the aprons near panel tongues just as you made the
ends and sand them until they slide the front. Finally, adjust the guides to tenons (see Elevation Drawings). Notice
easily in the drawer grooves. your front reference marks with the that the tongues are 1/4" narrower
The trick to hanging the drawer is drawer removed, and drive in the and 1/8" shallower than the grooves to
locating the precise positions of the remaining screws. allow for wood movement.
drawer guides on the aprons. Here’s Attach the breadboard ends to the

ARTS & CRAFTS END TABLE 155

WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Rout evenly spaced pins across the sides with a dovetailing jig and 1/2" Mill tails into the drawer face to complete these half-blind joints. On
dovetail bit. Test the setup on scrap before cutting the actual parts. this jig, a stopblock clamped to the fence limits the depth of the cuts.

panel with six dowels (pieces 16) driven through the tabletop. there’s room in your budget, choose quartersawn stock for
Be sure to first form slotted holes in the tongues for the the top—it will move significantly less than plainsawn lumber.
outermost dowels so the center panel can expand and To install the tabletop, cut the top cleats (pieces 6) to
contract. Spread glue along just the center 4" or so of the size and shape, outfitting them with round and slotted screw
tongues when installing the ends. Use a light film of glue on holes. Align the cleats flush with the tops of the aprons, then
the dowels to keep excess glue off the tongues. attach them with glue and screws. Position the tabletop and
The center panel will expand and contract across the adjust it for an even overhang. Use a scratch awl to mark the
grain far more than the breadboard ends will move along the screw locations, drill stopped pilot holes and drive the four
grain, so the parts won’t always line up. To help minimize this screws into the slotted holes. Use washers under the screw-
mismatch, be sure to use lumber kiln-dried to at least 8%. If heads to ensure that these joints will slip when necessary.

QuickTip

Strengthening Spline Joints for the Long Haul

Spline joints are a great way to join two long edges. But while most woodworkers have no problem routing
the grooves for the spline, they often let the ball drop when it comes to making the actual spline. A ripped
piece of hardwood won’t work, as it will tend to split along the grain—right where you need the most
strength. Plywood is the perfect answer: its alternating grain prevents splitting, and it comes in thicknesses
that are perfectly suited to the router bits you use to make the grooves. The only time plywood won’t be
desirable is if your splines show, but a little re-designing may easily solve this problem.

156 HOME PROJECTS

WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
 Tabletop Exploded View
Since the tabletop’s ends and panel form crossgrain
joints, they need to be able to to move independ-
ently of one another. This is accomplished
by hidden tongue-and-groove joints.
Slotted holes on the tongues
allow a slip fit around the
outer dowels.

14

11/8" 14
15
1"

21/2" 91/2"
16
11/8"
15
1"

MATERIAL LIST – Top

TxWxL TxWxL
15
1151/(1)
14 Tabletop Center Panel 16"/16"
3/4" x 21" x 24" 16 Dowel Pins (18) 1/4" Dia. x 11 ⁄ 4"
15 Breadboard Ends (2) 33/4" x 2 ⁄ 2" x 24"
/4"
1

Now for the shelf (piece 13). to complete the table.

Glue up a solid panel and cut it to size, We hope this drill press
notching the four corners so they fit mortising technique draws
around the legs with 1/8" of extra you into building more
clearance for seasonal expansion. Cut Mission-style furniture. Now
and screw two shelf cleats (pieces 12) that through mortise and
to the lower side rails, and attach the tenons are within your reach,
shelf to the cleats with screws. you’ll probably get hooked!

Finishing Up
Give the tabletop and shelf a
final sanding. Tint the end table with
a medium-dark stain, followed by a
topcoat of varnish and paste wax.
While you’re at it, wax the drawer Half-blind dovetails are a nice
guides and their grooves for slippery touch when assembling the flush
fitting drawers.
smooth drawer action. Attach a repro-
duction Stickley drawer pull (piece 21)

ARTS & CRAFTS END TABLE 157

WOODWORKER'S JOURNAL ©2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED