Stickley Console Table

[Mike Burke]

My next project is going to be a current Stickley design... Console Table. This will be my first Stickley design piece ( I have been bitten) by the Stickley bug. The design and Quarter Sawn oak is addicting.
Anyway I haven't found any plans and probably won't so, I plan on looking at other similar stickley designed tables and come up with a plan. There is a couple things I am wondering about.

What is the joinery for the square spindles on the side ? I assume they are square mortise and tenons .

And from what I have read and seen here the legs "should" be built around a core so the quarter sawn grain shows on all sides ?

I'm sure there will be other questions that come up during this project but this is a start.

Thanks

Here the Console Table

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[Phil Mueller]

Mike, the side pieces are M&T as you indicated. Take a close look at the legs in your picture. The front side of the legs is quarter sawn, but the inside is not. This would indicate they are cut to thickness from a single piece and the quarter sawn side is faced out.

[Mike Burke]

Thanks Phil
I see that grain pattern on the photo of this table.
Are some Original Stickley pieces mitered corner legs so the quarter sawn grain is on all four sides ?
Thanks

[Bill Carey]

Welcome to the Stickley club Mike. Even tho I get sidetracked by Limbert or Mackintosh or G&G I always seem to come back to Stickley.

Regarding the legs: the easiest way I've found to get fleck on all 4 sides is by gluing resawn pieces to a core. In this pic I used a core of poplar: not the best pic but you get the idea. !/2" and 3/16" pieces glues up.
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This gave legs that looked like this:
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Spindles: I've always done something like this: plow a dado for the spindles and space them with QSWO spacers.
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2 books that I've found very valuable are Wood Magazine's Arts and Crafts Furniture, and Robert Lang's Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture. I look forward to following your progress.

[Mike Burke]

Bill, thanks for the tips. Interesting technique for the spindles, kind of like a stair banister. I have been eyeballing your Stickley pieces you have built , Very Nice !! And inspiring. In fact I was going to pm you and ask you about your building tips but posted it for all to read.

I have been wood working off and on for many years and I don't know why, but I never paid attention or knew about the Stickley furniture. I have built some craftsman pieces out of the wood magazine or woodsmith but for some reason it never really hit me like it has now. I think its pretty cool furniture.

I just started reading Robert Lang's book, so I have a lot to learn. Thanks for the suggestions.

The challenge now is to find a load of Good Quarter Sawn oak in southeast Iowa.

Thanks

[Jay Aubuchon]

Regarding the legs: the easiest way I've found to get fleck on all 4 sides is by gluing resawn pieces to a core. In this pic I used a core of poplar: not the best pic but you get the idea. !/2" and 3/16" pieces glues up.
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When I have made legs this way, I have arranged things so that the 2 most visible sides of each front leg were, in effect, book matched.

[Bill Carey]

When I have made legs this way, I have arranged things so that the 2 most visible sides of each front leg were, in effect, book matched.
Good point Jay. Even if they legs are not book matched, I always make sure the full width face is to the front. It's important to take some time to make sure you use the wood to its best advantage.

Mike - happy to help in any way. Here, pm, whatever.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Some venerable craft here.

[Rob Luter]

I did a similar table a few years ago. I didn't have the guts to add drawers :o. I looked at doing the spindles using the process Bill illustrates above, but had some lumber with exceptionally nice figure and did solid panels instead. They're set in a blind mortise. I have a set of drawings somewhere if you'd like to use them as a jumping off point.


https://live.staticflickr.com/2538/4080656293_840f041965_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/2557/4081431072_70549c4dd3_b.jpg

[lowell holmes]

Show off!:)

[Mike Burke]

Rob, Very Nice !! Looks like it's 100 yrs old....and that's a good thing isn't it ? :)
I would appreciate your drawings for a starting point. I will pm you my email
Thanks

[Dave Mills]

Mike, I happen to have that Stickley Console Table - current not old, bought not built. If you need any specific photos or measurements, I'm happy to oblige. It's sitting 10 feet from me, so easy to do :)

Good luck with your build, it's a beautiful piece.

[lowell holmes]

https://www.google.com/search?q=dowell+pins&oq=dowell+pins&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i10i433j0i10l6.8051j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

These are to use.

[Mike Burke]

Dave
No kidding, Thanks for the offer. That would be most helpful also. I will get going on some drawings and get my list together. Thanks

I was reading some of Bob Lang's book and the intro about Gustav Stickley history and comments on his design's is very interesting.
Seems like a lot of the same pieces were a little different in dimensions due to several factors.

[Bill Carey]

Mike - Woodmizer has a site where you can search for local saywers. Might find a good one with a supply of QSWO.

https://woodmizer.com/us/Find-a-Local-Sawyer

[Rob Luter]

Rob, Very Nice !! Looks like it's 100 yrs old....and that's a good thing isn't it ? :)
I would appreciate your drawings for a starting point. I will pm you my email
Thanks

Done. Here's the original SMC thread from when I built it. There's a set of drawings attached there too. (edit: actually two sets. the last one posted has more detail)

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?124154-Hall-Table-Finished&highlight=Table

[Mike Burke]

Well its been taking forever to get this table built but working on it. Doing some building technique's I haven't done before so I'm learning new stuff. It's been fun.
I have come to the drawer building part. So I have a few questions and looking for suggestions also.

My plan is:
Half blind DT on the front, but not sure on the back. Thru DT or other other methods ?
Its worked out with the top side stretchers, that I'm thinking about side mount wood runners that are rabbeted in the side of drawer. Any other suggestions ?
Any good drawer making how to's that I should look at first, to get educate me on drawer construction ?

Here are a couple photos of my table and drawer slides I'm thinking about doing.
On my table the Top of the front stretcher is even with the Bottom of the side stretcher. Drawers opening is 14 7/16 wide x 10 1/8 deep.
I don't want to drop down lower on the side because you would see the drawer runner from the side through the spindles .
I have added a filler strip to make the side flush with the legs.

Hope this makes sense.

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[Mike Burke]

I'm going to answer my own questions :)
Looking at an old desk here at work.
I could do this....and keep the runners even with the bottom of the side stretchers and make the drawer shallower than the front.
These photos are of the middle drawer on this desk. The front is 4" and the drawer is 3" deep.
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[Gary Focht]

I used the side-mount wood runners on a bathroom vanity I built. They work awesome. I was worried at first because drawers felt tight with about 1/32” clearance each side - then I waxed runners and drawer sides with furniture wax and they run as smooth as can be.

[Dave Mills]

For what it's worth, the actual Stickley console has wood runners along the center bottom of the drawer. There's a thin (hardboard?) piece below the drawer that has the other half of the runner. And there's a tab attached to the underside of the top, that keeps the drawer from coming all the way out. Let me know if you want pics of this.

[Mike Burke]

Silly question Dave :)
pictures would be Great !
I have seen drawers like that with a dovetail guide on the bottom in the middle.

Thank you

[Dave Mills]

Here you go! The slide isn't a dovetail, it's just square shoulders. Not the strip along above the drawer, that holds it down so the drawer doesn't drop as you slide it out.

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[Mike Burke]

Excellent Dave !
Thank you

[Bill Carey]

Table's looking real good Mike. Nice work! I've used the first method: built out the sides to flush with the legs, then added a runner. On the last set I did I added UHMW low friction tape to the runner and it made a nice difference in the drawer operation. But the center runner looks interesting too. Looking forward to see what you do.

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