How would you join this

[Brian Runau]

Making a couple end tables. Picture shows the front and side skirts. Side is still in rough dimensions, but this is the joint I am mulling over. Front needs to overlap the side and end grain will be hidden by a curved leg. I have a biscuit cutter, domino, and kreg jig. I think the biscuit cutter makes too wide a swath for this and the screw on the Kreg might split the gran on the 3/4" wide front piece. Smallest domino cutter I have on hand is the 5 x 30 which would not be too wide or deep. I think the domino would cut it without tearing it up.

Think I can get away with this? Thanks.

Brian

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[Jim Becker]

I'm thinking small Domino or dowel here for the reasoning you state. I'm having trouble picturing the leg interface...can you show a sketch or something to clarify?

[Brian Runau]

I'm thinking small Domino or dowel here for the reasoning you state. I'm having trouble picturing the leg interface...can you show a sketch or something to clarify?

Jim:

Thanks. I am building a version of this, but out of walnut with a drawer. 2nd pick shows drawer front before prep. Plan is to assemble the box first then attach the legs to it. Thanks Brian

https://www.hootjudkins.com/amish-crafted-solid-premium-cherry-wood-grace-end-table-in-bourbon-finish


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[mike stenson]

I'd go with mortise and tenon. Probably double loose, so the domino would be my choice here. Even if I had to cut the dominos shorter.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, those photos, particularly the second, confirm my previous thoughts. Small loose tenons like the Domino or dowels will work well to add that extra strength to the joint.

[Brian Runau]

Yes, those photos, particularly the second, confirm my previous thoughts. Small loose tenons like the Domino or dowels will work well to add that extra strength to the joint.
Jim, domino will go into the end of the side skirt and the back of the 3/4" vertical of drawer skirt. No need to be concerned about splitting the wood on the front with the mortise? Thanks brian

Had some 3/4" curt off scrap and tried it. No problems. Thanks again for your help. brian

[Michael Burnside]

I'd use a 4mm domino with glue and trim as needed if the depth is too much. If you must use 5mm, probably ok but hard to tell exact dimensions. You could use through dowels if you wanted that look, but otherwise since you have a domino, that's what I'd do.

[Jim Becker]

Jim, domino will go into the end of the side skirt and the back of the 3/4" vertical of drawer skirt. No need to be concerned about splitting the wood on the front with the mortise? Thanks brian

Had some 3/4" curt off scrap and tried it. No problems. Thanks again for your help. brian

It's kinda a math problem. :) Like any M&T, regardless of type, you have to leave a certain amount of structure. As to splitting, if you feel a Domino is too tight for a particular application, a few swipes with sandpaper will fix that for you. In fact, I've suggested a number of times that folks make sets of dedicated Dominos for dry fit purposes that have been lightly sanded so they slide in and out without a lot of force but are not sloppy...and dye them a bright color to differentiate them from OEM sized Dominos that are used for the actual glue-up.

[John Kananis]

That's a great idea, Jim. The channel locks may be going back to the plumbing drawer.

[andy bessette]

... Picture shows the front and side skirts. Side is still in rough dimensions, but this is the joint I am mulling over...

First, this is a helluva time to be thinking about how to join these pieces. Normally the joint design is something that is worked out far in advance of cutting out the pieces to be joined. Nevertheless, now that you are stuck with the design, I would utilize the top and bottom to join the front and side, perhaps relying on epoxy glue. And I would definitely avoid cutting into the extremely weak edges of the face, except to add a slip feather or spline to reinforce the weak grain.

[Brian Runau]

First, this is a helluva time to be thinking about how to join these pieces. Normally the joint design is something that is worked out far in advance of cutting out the pieces to be joined. Nevertheless, now that you are stuck with the design, I would utilize the top and bottom to join the front and side, perhaps relying on epoxy glue. And I would definitely avoid cutting into the extremely weak edges of the face, except to add a slip feather or spline to reinforce the weak grain.

Andy, good morning. I am sure there are as many ways to go about woodworking as there are people, as well as any number of ways to accomplish a given task as there are people. For myself, I like to "steal ideas" that I see and modify them and do a rough design, then design and build as I go. For me, this is part of the fun of woodworking. I learn new things and acquire new skills in this way. I am sure others work differently. I did think about the joinery and the strength of the finished piece before I started. Since the legs are attached to the side skirt of this box and I am using under mount guides on the drawer which are mounted to the inside of the side skirt, there is virtually no stress on the front skirt. I preferred to minimize the wood surrounding the drawer front, giving me the largest drawer face I could accomplish while having as much grain match as I could. I did initially plan on using my 5mm Domino tenon mortiser, but once I got into it, I questioned myself and thought I would ask others what their thoughts were. Kind of how I see the group here at Sawmill Creek, help each other with ideas and think through processes etc... I did do a test yesterday and it did not damage the 3/4" pieces I milled so I feel fine doing it this way, just double checking my thoughts in the process.

This is the design feature I was going for and stretching to accomplish that is a good approach for me, probably not how others work and that's OK, but works for me. Thankfully as I got older I learned I am very human, and fallible and over the years I have learned to accept myself for what I am where I am and I am OK with what is.

Brian

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Mini biscuits. I think they are still out there...

Craftsman and Ryobi seem to have given up on the idea : ( . Wolfcraft still sells the mini biscuits. If you do not have the tool the slot can be cut with a router.
I can imagine a continuous spline made from 1/8 inch plywood inserted in slots cut on the table saw

[Brian Runau]

This worked out without tearing out the small vertical side pieces in any way.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Brian

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