drive the nails through the support (with one or two sharp hits)
and into the side. After the nails begin to penetrate the side,
remove the square and drive them down so the heads are flush
with the surface.
Use a plane to lightly chamfer the edges of the legs and the
shelf. To plane the ends, hold the plane skewed at a 45° angle,
not across. Planing straight across the end grain will cause tearout.
Then plane the long edges, again holding the plane at the same
angle.
Carefully measure and mark the locations for the pole-barn
nails to attach the sides to the shelf. The nails should be locatedsliding T-bevel and pencil or pen. Use a small handsaw like the
one shown on the previous page to make the necessary cuts
quickly and accurately. This is easier and more accurate with a
handsaw than with a power saw.Begin assembly with the base
Using pole-barn nails to hold all of the parts together, start as-
sembling the table by attaching the shelf supports to the sides. I
use a carpenter’s square to help hold the supports in alignment
as the nails are driven into place. Also, drive the nails partway
into the support before carefully placing it in position, and thenPosition the shelf
supports. Use a
carpenter’s square
to align them. The
nails are driven part-
way into the sup-
ports beforehand so
that a single ham-
mer blow will seat
them.Drive the nails
home. After seating
both so that they
are started into the
sides, use quick,
strong hits to finish
the job.Chamfer the
edges of the
sides. For the best
results, skew the
plane at a 45°
angle. Because this
is a rustic table,
absolute accuracy
is not required.
If you don’t have
a plane, coarse
sandpaper and a
block will also work.Assemble the base
The major parts are held together by 6-in. pole-barn nails, which have tremendous
holding strength because their shanks have sharp rings cut into them. The shelf
supports are attached with common nails.96 FINE woodworkINg
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