Oops. Advice?

[Jeff Posten]

I'm an idiot. I assembled (with glue) my nightstand and forgot to cut the mortises for the stretchers that will support the bottom shelf. I was planning on just using a small mortise and tenon roughly 3/4" square by 1/2" deep. I don't think I have enough wiggle room to wedge it in.

While I'm not sure it helps, I've attached a pic with a mock up of where the shelf will go. The shelf will just sit on top of the stretchers. It will be attached with screws from the bottom through oversized holes in the stretcher to allow for some seasonal movement.

Any advice would be much appreciated,
Jeff

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[Robert G Brown]

Seasonal movement may not be an issue with something the size of a night stand. That might open up some other options for you.

[Todd Burch]

Do not fear - UNDERDOG is here!

Here's a great idea, and it's not mine. I was reading some timber framing books recently, and saw an idea for a mortise, and it can be used quite nicely with your dilemma.

Cut mortises where you wanted them in the first place. Then, on the top side of the mortise - aka, the side that will be hidden by the shelf, cut it out to create an angled pathway that will allow you to insert your stretcher. You should have enough flex in the legs to get the stretcher down in there. Then, once you install the shelf, it will cover the "wedge" you cut out. Here's a picture to illustrate. The leg on the left represents a 1"x1" mortise, 1" deep on a 2"x2" leg. The right leg shows the mortise modified to have an additional 5/8" pared away to create a "ramp" that will make wedging a stretcher into the hole easier.

There are other solutions as well.

[Jeff Posten]

Todd, that's terrific! Thank you so much for taking the time to help me with this. I'll give it a go after I get back from a quick getaway to the coast this weekend. I'll post an update with a picture.

Thanks again,
Jeff

[Derek Cohen]

Another idea is to create the mortices and use loose tenons. Since the rear of the stretcher will be hidden, slots for the loose tenon on the stretcher can be cut on the side as well as the end. First glue the loose tenon into the legs, and then you can slide the cross stretchers laterally into position. A filler piece should hide the side slot, although it will not be seen anyway.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

Through mortise oversize to allow slipping the stretcher through. This could be done from the back to hide the mistake. Then use a plug on any visible surfaces. The plug can even have wedges to make it more ornamental.

jtk

[Adam Neat]

How about cutting a mortise in the stretcher and the leg, then making a tenon shaped piece to slide in (Im assuming a thru tenon) Or just drill holes and use dowels

[Jeff Posten]

All good ideas. Thank you!

Derek's and Adam's got me thinking about another one. Since the stretcher is mostly to support the downward pressure from the shelf, I could extend one side of the mortise to the edge of the leg, sort of like a mortise with one long-side wall missing (I'm pretty sure this joint has an official name but can't remember it at the moment). Then I could just slip the stretcher in. I think about it over the next few days...

Thanks again everyone,

[Joe Cunningham]

How about something completely different? Think moveable bookshelves. Since the shelf will likely not hold a lot of weight, carefully measured shelf pins would be hidden, hold the shelf, and be quite easy to install. Wood movement might be a concern since the shelf orientation is opposite what most bookshelves are, but it is not that wide a shelf, so perhaps it won't be as much of a problem. You could also cut small recesses to catch on pins, then take a few passes with a hand plane to thin the shelf a smidge.

Good looking nightstand. I'm not sure I'd even add a shelf, I think it would look good w/o it.

[Roy Lindberry]

You might dovetail the stretchers into the legs flush with the outside (for a decorative look), or the inside (to keep it hidden).

[Jack Curtis]

Why not forget official stretchers and instead cut out mortises for the shelf mounting and let the shelf do the job for you?

[Tom Vanzant]

Jeff, I used an open mortise 3/4" w x 3/8" deep half the width of the leg for 3/4" square front and rear stretchers and chamfered the exposed corner of the stretchers. The shelf is sized to be 1/4" inside the outer face of the legs and notched at the corners to clear the legs. The legs will flex enough to deal with moisture fluxuations.

[Jeff Posten]

Long overdue update... I ended up using a stopped dado to hold the shelf stretchers. Once the shelf was in place, you had to get down pretty low to see the joint. While not as structurally sound as a mortise, I think it will be sufficient.

While not an ideal angle, here is a picture of the shelf:
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And another of the finished tables:
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This was my first major project(s), and I learned a ton along the way. Hopefully v2.0 for the wife will go smoother.

Thanks again to all that took the time for advice and encouragement.

Jeff

[Chris Griggs]

Really nice work Jeff!

[glenn bradley]

Those came out fine Jeff. Your secret is safe with us.

[Matthew N. Masail]

looks great

[Sean Hughto]

Next time - not that you'll ever make that mistake again (;-)) you might consider stretchers let into the legs like the ones in this stool I did long ago: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3107/2863765957_fd1bf17b35_o.jpg