Organized Reader's End Table

[Darrin Davis]

Anyone ever made a side table like this? I've been wanting to make one to put a couple of laptops and an iPad in the slots to be more organized by my recliner. If so, give me some details on the joinery or how you would go about making it. Finishing looks like it would be challenging also in the tight slots.
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[Jamie Buxton]

Likely plywood for the shelves, dadoed into the sides, held just by glue. Prefinish the parts before glue-up.

[Al Launier]

I would be fearful of sagging at the outer corners of the shelving if supported only by dado/glue as there will always be a tendency to add more items (weight) to the shelves. If you could laminate the shelves & sides & groove/add some "discrete" 90° metal brackets within the thickness of the shelves/sides at the outer corners, that would provide adequate support. A wild thought, but perhaps something along these lines ......................

[Malcolm McLeod]

Maybe use tempered glass for the cantilevered shelves? They could be trapped in a stopped dado in each of the 2 sides. Same number of nooks and crannies, but fewer that need finish.