This Arts & Crafts-inspired design is distinguished by its angles and inlay.
Interesting little tabouret tables have fascinated me lately. Tapered sides, angled joinery, and curved shapes all tend to invite the eye for a closer look. This unique small side table has square legs and is an original design. Rather, it uses solid side panels for structural support, which actually simplifies construction. It would be difficult to construct this table if it had square legs attached directly to the panels.
1. This wedged double tusk tenon I used on a dining table build looked a little bit like a dragonfly to me, which started me down the path to designing the dragonfly side table.
After building a table in 2012, I was first inspired to create the dragonfly wedges. Instead of the usual single wedged tenons, I made two opposing wedges, driven toward each other. It reminded me of a dragonfly and needed some tweaks. The idea was not realized until I made the dragonfly sidetable.
Start With The Panels
2. Turn a combination blade to 7 degrees and bevel the end of the side panel. Now set the rip fence to 201/10 cm, and flip the panel end-for-end to bevel the other end.
You will need three panels to make the tabletop. There are two sides panels and one top panel. One-inch thick side panels measure 20 inches long by 16 inches wide. If you leave the side panels a little extra-long, its helpful when it comes time to bevel the top and bottom edges. The thickness and squareness of the tabletop panel are / thick and / square. The panels should be glued together.
Make The Rails
3. You can still use the combination blade on the tablesaw. Angle it to 7 and then bevel a scrapboard to assist you in the next step.
Once the panels are accounted for, there are only four more large components to make. There are three rails that will support the top and one lower-arched rail. All three rails are the same length (17/ long x 2 wide x / thick). The rails can be ripped and crosscut to the final size. However, the corbel shapes on the ends must wait. We need to take care of the half-lap joinery before we cut those curves.
4. Square the arbor to the table and then switch to a dado stack that is 3/10 cm in width. Attach the beveled scrap board to the auxiliary fence of a miter gauge, and securely clamp the side panel in place. You will need to cut the layout lines in one slow pass. The blade height for this operation is 21/10 cm.
You can also make the single lower arch rail at this point. The lower rail, which is 18 inches long by 4/ wide, is made of 1 thick stock. Take a moment to align the ends of this lower rail to 7. You will need to wait until the joinery has been completed before you cut any curves.
Side Panel Joinery
5. A router with an integrated router camera
Now is a good time to re-visit the panels and sand them smooth, at least to level out the joints between boards and remove any dried glue. To clean the panels I used a drum-sander, but you can also use a random orbit or orbit sander.
6. Form tenons on the lower arched rail with a dado blade and miter gauge with auxiliary fence. The end grain should be kept tightly against the rip fence.
Cut the side panels to finished dimensions to prepare for the next step. Turn the table saw blade to 7 degrees and bevel each panel’s top. With the same setup, repeat this process to bevel the bottom of these panels as well.
7. Plane the tenon cheeks to fine-tune the joint fit, and to remove scoring lines from the dado blade.
Layout the angled locations for the bridal notch atop each panel. These notches will receive the two stretcher rails. To setup the table saw for these interesting angled cuts, youll need a / wide dado stack, and a scrap board angled to 7.
8. You can set up a rip cutting to trim the tenon shoulders by heading over to the bandsaw. The fence should be set at a distance of 1/10 cm from the blade.
The scrap board should be about 20 long and 3 wide. Attach the scrapboard to the miter gauge’s auxiliary fence once it is beveled. This will help tilt the side panels forward as you complete the angled notches with a dado blade.
9. Now reset the bandsaw fence for a crosscut to remove the waste. To complete the cuts, hold the tenon end against the fence.
For this operation, the dado blade should be set at a height of 2 and the notches placed at 8 intervals. To control the panel’s movement over the dado blade, make sure you attach the panels to the auxiliary fencing. This is also the step that determines the show side of the panel. Make sure you enter the cut from outside.
10. Two of the upper rails receive a single, centered half-lap cut.
Next, make a single mortise for each panel. These are through mortises and are best made with a router and edge guide. To ensure that the mortise is centered on the panel, lay out the location. I used a / spiral downcut bit to make the mortise in multiple passes.
11. Two notches are required for the third upper rail. They should be spaced 20cm apart.
I started with a shallow pass from the front of the panel and finished with successively deeper cuts from the back of the panel. At this point the mortises are nearly complete, and only a little handwork remains. Angle the mortises’ end walls to 7.
12. To ensure that the gridwork fits together correctly, test fit the rails.
With the dado blade still setup on the table saw, take a moment to cut the tenons of the lower arched rail. Use a miter gauge with standard auxiliary fence for this step. The miter gauge should be angled to 7 degrees.
13. To see how the pieces fit together, dry assemble them. This is also a great way to mark the projection for the through tenon.
You can raise the blade slowly and make several passes until the mortise is filled with the tenon. You can complete all cheek cuts in this manner; however the shoulder cuts need to be made with a bandsaw or handsaw. Cut close to the line and make any adjustments as needed until the tenon seats fully into the mortise.
Half-Laps In Upper Rails
14-15. To remove the majority of the waste, you can use a 3/20 cm chisel. The line closest to your shoulder should be taken, but the distal line should be kept about 1/20cm away. As the chisel work is complete, a bevel gauge set to 7 can be used as a reference.
Retrieve two of the three upper rails you made earlier and set out to make the half-lap joints. Youll need a / dado stack, set to a height of 1 / and a miter gauge with auxiliary fence. Make a dado notch at the top of each rail. Grab the third rail and make two dado notches along the bottom edge. This completes the gridwork that will support and anchor the top panel.
Tenon Keys Form Dragonfly Wings
16.
Its fairly common to see keyed tenons on Arts & Crafts style furniture. I wanted to take the design a step further and use four keys per tenon to suggest a stylized dragonfly. Chop angled mortises in each tenon and cut wedges to fit.
17. Rout two squares, then flip the pattern to rout two more.
The finished keys measure 1/ long x/ wide and taper from/ down to/ thick.
Just make sure the keys dont intersect as you drive them home.
18. Finally, flip the template lengthwise and rout the slender stem shaped recess.
Despite their somewhat decorative feature, theyre also functional tenon keys, and hold the table tightly together. This small end table can be assembled permanently, despite the fact that keyed Tenons were originally designed for large knock-down furniture.
19. Use the same template to cut the inlay pieces. You can remove the spacer ring in your inlay bushing kits and rout several pieces of each shape. To match the recesses that you made earlier, number the squares of the template.
Mark the locations of the four mortises that will receive the wedges or wings. I began at the mortiser to make the opening rough, but left the outer edge intact.
20. As you resaw your board, painters tape will hold the pieces in place while you remove them.
Then, I returned to the computer and finished the angled end by hand. To fit the wedges, the mortises’ outer edges must be angled at 7. You should aim for a V-shaped shape that reaches the peak of the tenon.
21. Ease the corners slightly with a sanding block, and glue them in place. Do not force them into place. They should be easy to tap into place with a finishhammer.
Start with a / chisel to remove most of the waste. Take the line closest to the shoulder but stay about / away from the distal line. A bevel gauge set to 7 is a good reference as the chisel work is completed.
Panel Inlay
22. Here an MDF template is adhered to the side panel with double-sided carpet tape. A bearing-guided bit follows the template to complete this light trimming cut.
For the inlay process, I find it easiest to use a router and inlay bushing kit. To guide the router when cutting the floral inlay, make a 2/3rds-sized reversible template. This template functions exactly like a full-size one, but it was trimmed to 11/ wide so that my mortiser could reach the square holes.
23. Angle the side panels at 7 with a tapering sled. The panel is secured to the sled with toggle clamps, and the sled is guided by a wooden runner underneath.
After the template has been completed, attach the template to a side panel. Next, install the spacer rings on your inlay bushing kits. Follow the template squares in a clockwise direction to carve out the first two recesses. Flip the template over to complete the remaining squares.
24. Refine the lower rail with a spokeshave. Work downhill from one end, then reverse the rail in your vise, and repeat from the opposite end.
The cutouts will not fit onto one board because the floral template is too large. To get around this limitation (and to save template material) I laid out the stem shape upside down on the template. This means that you must flip the template widthwise to obtain the four squares pattern. You also need to flip it lengthwise before routing your stem portion.
25. Each end of the upper rails should be cut to a radius of 21/10 cm. Work through progressively finer gits to sand the shape smooth.
Next, move the template onto a walnut board and cut the inlay pieces. Clamp the template in place, and remove the ring from your inlay bushing kit. Make a single clockwise pass in each opening, being careful to maintain contact with the template. When the routing is complete, cut the walnut pieces free at the bandsaw by resawing the board. You may need to lightly sand the corners of each piece to help them drop into place. Since the inlay fits so snugly, you cant really do a test fitting. Once you feel the inlay piece start to find its way into the recess, go ahead and commit to a permanent assembly. Glue the pieces in place and tap them into position with a finish hammer. Once the glue sets, plane or sand the inlay flush.
Lifted Form
26. Begin by attaching the side panels to the lower rail. Allow the glue to cure before installing the wedges. For the second phase, build the gridwork assembly with glue and a pair of screws. Bring the gridwork assembly into place, and secure it with glue and pegs.
Create a raised shape at each panel’s bottom. This subtle curve helps the panels look more like proper legs, and I think it lightens the look too. This shape could be cut out and sanded smooth. I instead made a routing template. Cut the lifted shape on the template and use it to pattern rout both side panels.
Angle The Panels
27. A self-centering doweling jig helps guide a 1/10 cm brad point bit. You can drill through the joints, and glue the oak dowels in place.
Now that all the joinery for the side panels is complete, they can be angled to final size. Mark a line beginning at the bottom corner and going inwards at 7. The panel’s top should measure approximately 11 inches in width. Complete the angled cuts with a tapering sled at the table saw, or a circular saw with straightedge guide. Be sure to save the angled cutoffs, as they make perfect wedges for the dragonfly wings.
Arch Lower Rail
You can finish some tasks on the lower rail at this time, including forming the arched shape that graces the edge. Use a bowstring or flexible ruler to strike a fair curve on the lower rail. The curve should leave the rail 2/ wide at the apex. Use a bandsaw to cut the curve and trim it with a spokeshave.
Take the time to chamfer all through tenons, and smoothen any edges on the lower rail.
Round Corbel Cuts
The curves can also be drawn on the three upper rails. Draw the curve on the ends for all three of the upper rails. The curve is a quarter-circle with a radius of 2/. Rough cut the shapes with a bandsaw or jigsaw, and sand them smooth. Just make sure you mark the curve on the correct edge – with half laps cut on top and bottom of the rails, this would be an easy mistake to make.
Octagon Top
Find the tabletop panel you created in an earlier step, and cut it to 18/square. Then mark points 4 back from each corner and connect the dots with a pencil. To form an octagonal shape, trim your lines. Ease the edges and sand the top smooth.
Final Assembly
28. To trim corners, position the top panel on a crosscut saw sled. Scraps of MDF with opposing 45 agrees are attached to the sled, to hold the top panel in position as you make the cut. Now simply rotate the panel 90 for the next cut.
To create a gridwork, press the upper rails together. Then drop the gridwork into the bridal notches and position it symmetrically. Once everything is arranged correctly, finish sanding the pieces and inspect for any dents or dings. Set aside to dry the parts of the table base. You will get better results with glue applied only to the base of the Tenon, as you would with any through-tenon joint. This table will last for many years. I did drill for / dowels through its bridal joints. This is made easy by mounting a self-centering dowel tool on the angled panels.
Finish
29. Position the top so the grain is running the same direction as the side panels, and secure it with eight figure 20 cm fasteners. A single #8 x is also recommended.
Theres already a lot going on with this little table-from the inlay to the exposed joinery-so I chose to keep the finishing schedule short and sweet. I used a medium-toned oil-based stain to the table and let it dry overnight. For a topcoat, I sprayed two coats of pre-catalyzed lacquer in a satin sheen. I like to wet-sand the final coat for an extra-smooth finish.
Once the final coat is dry to the touch, spray on some soapy water, and sand with the grain using a 1200-1500 grit soft sanding sponge. Use a soft cloth to buff the table and place it in your favorite room.
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