Entry hall table for a niece: Part 7

[Derek Cohen]

As a reminder, we are building a version of this table ...


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/EntryHallTableForANiece2_html_m698578a5.jpg


The plan is to attach the legs, which were made near the start of this project.


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/EntryHallTableForANiece2_html_m34dbb245.jpg


The attachment method is by inserting the legs into compound angle mortices in a base, which will be fixed to the carcase with a tapered sliding and stopped dovetail. We don't mess about here! :)


It will be necessary to do this over two articles, the first being the base for the legs, which will be dovetailed (tails). The second will be the socket (pins) for the base.


Before we begin, I want to mention what I did at the end of the last session. I had replaced the central drawer dividers as the grain ran in the wrong direction. The spacers at the ends also did so, and my response was to cut out half the spacer ...


https://i.postimg.cc/vmWxWH0V/17a.jpg


Well, I fretted over the end spacers, and just could not leave them this way. Encouraged by the way the halves had come out cleanly, I removed the remainder and replaced the spacers with correctly grained versions ...


https://i.postimg.cc/QMwqVJyQ/2a.jpg


OK, onto the leg base ...


I spent a while playing with angles for the legs, and finally accepted this (mocked up base) ...


https://i.postimg.cc/L4zV6fBP/5a.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/vHhL5sKH/6a.jpg


I have drilled angled mortices with a brace on a number of occasions. This time I decided to used a drill press and some Japanese Star-M augers, which are specially designed for this type of work (no lead screws). I built a 10 degree ramp for the resultant angle. The auger is 30mm ...


https://i.postimg.cc/BbGcBQst/3a.jpg


[https://i.postimg.cc/tJtdSQCk/4a.jpg


The tenon is straight, but the mortice will receive a slight reaming, and the tenon will be glued and wedged. This is probably overkill since the weight of the case rests on the legs.


https://i.postimg.cc/VkN9Rhy9/7a.jpg


These are the bases for the legs. The final prototype is at the rear ...


https://i.postimg.cc/6Q2rsGpy/8a.jpg


Drilling the bases ...


https://i.postimg.cc/JzdNdQmf/9a.jpg


The design requires that the legs do not go over the boundary of the case (to avoid tripping over them) ...


https://i.postimg.cc/cHffCyYW/10a.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/KjFBgqrM/11a.jpg


This is how they should be ...


https://i.postimg.cc/44bzTGsb/12a.jpg

[Derek Cohen]

There was a small dilemma: The base at one side measures 3" from the end ...


https://i.postimg.cc/XvCC1Ss5/13a.jpg


... and the other side measures 1/4" further ...


https://i.postimg.cc/xCVbWxZ4/14a.jpg


I could not work out how this occurred. The angles are the same. In fact, I made another set of bases, and the same error showed up again - exactly the same!


So what to do? Actually, the decision was obvious after a little think - make the bases the same. What is more likely to be noticed is if the bases are different distances from the sides. No one will notice a 1/4" difference where the legs hit the ground. So be it.


This is one of the bases for dovetailing ...


https://i.postimg.cc/T3hmmWmC/15a.jpg


First step is to remove a 2mm taper from one side. The taper will be on the inside of the base, with the outside parallel to the side of the case.


Taper line drawn ...


https://i.postimg.cc/Hs6XVtJr/16a.jpg


Easiest way to do this is with a #604 smoother ..


https://i.postimg.cc/P5cDMrQh/17a.jpg


This is the one end of the base ...


https://i.postimg.cc/289Lz8Jv/18a.jpg


.. and this is the other end ...


https://i.postimg.cc/rwd0z2XH/19a.jpg


mmmm .... 0.39 mm oversize. What to do ...? I'm kidding :)


The dovetails will be 7mm deep. A shoulder was planed with a rebate plane ...


https://i.postimg.cc/85GjyFJ8/21a.jpg


The squareness of this rebate is important, so check ...


https://i.postimg.cc/MZdvDpz4/22a.jpg


The dovetail is now to be created, and the preparatory step is to colour the outer edge of the rebate with a sharpie. This will warn that the planing does not lower the external edge of the rebate.


https://i.postimg.cc/1zhttgKg/23a.jpg


The dovetail is created with a modified Stanley #79 edge plane ...


https://i.postimg.cc/NjrFB8Rq/24a.jpg


The fence has a 1:6 ratio wedge ...


https://i.postimg.cc/JhNhB1Tp/25a.jpg


Details of this dovetail plane here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/SlidingDovetailsWithTheStanley79.html


The result of planing. That is a 1:6 dovetail marker ...


https://i.postimg.cc/tTDC2BGP/26a.jpg


So what is the numbers for the taper? This will give an indication of the accuracy of the joint.

[Derek Cohen]

One end is 44.12mm ...


https://i.postimg.cc/HWZkMv21/28a.jpg


... and the other is 46.46mm, which is a difference of 2.34mm.


https://i.postimg.cc/WzHpPt31/27a.jpg


This will work - the pin socket is measured from this (in the same way as dovetails for a drawer.


The reason for the 7mm depth? The case is 20mm thick. the dovetail should be about 1/3 of this thickness. I decided to take it to the depth of the rebate for the rear panel ...


https://i.postimg.cc/QxFxJg49/29a.jpg


So, here is one of the completed bases ...


https://i.postimg.cc/dtgQH7pW/30a.jpg


And this is where it will be fitted ...


https://i.postimg.cc/jSNxGxrR/31a.jpg


Regards from Perth


Derek

[Jim Koepke]

Interesting build.

Did you try swapping the leg assemblies end for end to see if the 1/4" discrepancy moved with the legs?

jtk

[Stew Denton]

Derek,

Beautiful work!

Stew

[Derek Cohen]

Interesting build.

Did you try swapping the leg assemblies end for end to see if the 1/4" discrepancy moved with the legs?

jtk

Jim I tried a few configurations, including swapping legs around. The legs are pretty close to one another, and this made no difference.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[James Pallas]

Interesting and looking good. Try spinning the legs 180* in the sockets one side at a time. It would only take 1/64 or so on the tenons to give that offset at the bottom of the leg.

[Scott Winners]

Does your niece have the foggiest notion what level of skill you are bringing to this thing? I went to the Philadelphia museum of art, I think around 1990. It was loaded with mahogany low boys and high boys from +/- 1776. Do you realize your stuff is going to be in museums 220 years from now alongside stuff from Hans Wegner and the rest of the boys?