Order of Work
- Mill, mortise, and taper legs
- Make rear apron and rails
- Make side aprons
- Configure the top compartment
- Attach the false aprons
- Make top and drawer
Typical table construction with a few twists
With its tapered legs
and mortise-and-
tenon joinery, the
construction of this
table is fairly typical.
The main difference
is the use of inner side
aprons to connect the front
and back assemblies, which
allows hinging false aprons
at the sides to create hidden
cavities behind them. A panel
set level with the top rail
creates a compartment that’s
accessible by lifting the table
top. The drawer’s false
back (p. 43) also hides
a section at the rear.
FRONT RAIL(^3) ⁄ 4 × 1 (^1) ⁄ 2 × 16 (^1) ⁄ 2 "
Tenon 3
⁄ 8 × 4^7 ⁄ 8 ×^3 ⁄ 4 "
Lock notch
(^7) ⁄ 16 " D × (^7) ⁄ 8 " T × 1" W
COMPARTMENT
PANEL
(^3) ⁄ 8 × 15 × 14"
Mortise 3
⁄ 8 × 5 ×^3 ⁄ 4 "
RFID lock
Child-proof lock
DRAWER RUNNER 7
⁄ 8 ×^7 ⁄ 8 × 15"
Soss hinge
PROP LEG Push latch
3 BACK APRON⁄ 4 × 7 × 16 (^1) ⁄ 2 " DOWEL PIVOT PIN (^1) ⁄ 4 "-dia.^1 ⁄ 2 ×^3 ⁄ 4 × 11"^5 PROP BRACKET⁄ 8 × 1 × 3^1 ⁄ 2 "
11 ⁄ 4 " washer-
head screw
Counterbore 5
⁄ 8 " D
Groove 3
⁄ 8 W ×^1 ⁄ 4 " D
TOP PANEL 7
DOWEL ⁄^8 × 18 × 19^5 ⁄^8 "
(^3) ⁄ 8 "-dia.
WEDGE 3
⁄ 8 × 1"
INNER SIDE APRON 3
⁄ 4 × 7 × 15"
FALSE APRON 7
⁄ 16 × 7^1 ⁄ 8 × CTF
Veneer
11 ⁄ 8 "
(^1) ⁄ 2 "
(^13) ⁄ 16 "
1"
(^3) ⁄ 8 "
onlineEXTRAS
Want a closer look at this table’s secrets?
Go online and watch our secret agent
video...before the tape self-destructs.
There, you’ll also find links to table-
making content, including plans for
the tapering jig used in this story.
Pivot hinge hole