How should I make a wooden frame like this metal one?
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12 March 2016 at 10:22 pm #135567
I have been derailed from working on my toolbox by a request from my wife to make an end table similar to the one in the picture. I am trying to figure out how to build the wooden frame like the metal one.
My stock is 1-1/4 x 1-1/4. Tenons are the only way I can think of that will join this together strong enough. I know I am going to have to offset them so they don’t interfere with each other, but I just don’t see how I can make it strong enough.
By my rough measurements I am going to be able to use a 1/4 inch tenon 1 inch long – and that is cutting it close. Would it be better to use a shorter tenon? Or see if I can squeeze 3/8 in there?
I guess I am just worried the joint isn’t going to be strong enough, and I was hoping someone here has done this before.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.hello Joe, you could mitre the tenons inside the mortice. You also may want to consider small dowel pins, and create pegged tenons using small dowels, or bamboo skewers (like Greg Merritt has done some his drawer work.) hope that helps your thought process.
BrianJ13 March 2016 at 3:22 am #135573You might want to look at something like the joints on the assembly table project.
13 March 2016 at 5:45 am #135575Oh! Yes! I forgot about that. I wlhave enough wood for a test. I am going to do that tomorrow. Thanks
13 March 2016 at 11:42 am #135576I think the normal method of mortise-and-tenoning legs and rails is your best bet, 1 1/4 stock should comfortably yield a 3/8 tenon
The dimensions of the stock will compromise strength no matter how you join it, so unless it’s a glass top I would be inclined to glue and screw reinforcement blocks to the internal corners at the top.
Matt
13 March 2016 at 5:36 pm #135594This is the age-old question in woodworking. Especially when joining three equal-sized pieces. The Chinese solved it with a three-way miter joint, sometimes referred to as a parsons joint.
You could assemble a top frame and bottom frame with mitered and tenonned corners. Then join the uprights into those frames with either stubbed or through and wedged tenons.
If you do no require the corners to be flush there are several other options. Such as the one I use on my tansu builds…
6-Hillbilly Tansu Joinery13 March 2016 at 9:43 pm #135599One other thing to consider if you go with standard tenons (either 1/4″ or 3/8″ thick) is to offset them from center so that you can maximize their length. A quick sketch shows that either width tenon can be 1′ long (with fully mitered end) and adjacent tenons will not interfere with each other as long as you have a 1/4″ shoulder on the outside.
If you go with a design like in the picture, it would be wise to leave the legs a few inches long when cutting the mortises. Without those extra “horns”, the mortises are very close to the end of the legs and you could blow out the end while chopping.
Hope that makes sense.
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