Making a Reading Table – Part Seven

After the drawers were glued and assembled, the drawer fronts were veneered and cockbeaded with walnut.

Cockbeading and drawer front.

The front of the bottom boards are supported in grooves in the inside bottom of the drawer fronts while the edges are glued into shallow rebates in the drawer sides along with the drawer runners. A few 5/8″ cut brads secure the rear of the thin bottom boards to the backs of the drawers.

Drawer bottom and runner.

I cut the mortise and tenon joints in the three 3/8″ thick components that make up the horse. The hinges (when they’re finished) will be let into the top ends of the legs where they attach to the underside of the reading slope and then let into the slope itself.

The 1/8 in. wide mortise and tenon joints in the horse components.

Two 1-1/2″ hinges will be let into the top front edge of the carcase and also into the front of the slope thus enabling it to tilt.

I had almost forgotten about the moulded book stop which I stuck on the side of a board a week or so ago. I sawed the moulding off the board, cut it to length and carved the returns on the ends.

The moulded book stop.

I’m still not entirely sure whether the book stop will be fully- or semi-detachable (screwed on from the underside of the slope). Now that the table has a pair of short drawers as opposed to a single long one, it may appear the outcome is a foregone conclusion. However, last weekend, I came across a rather splendid solution to the dilemma. All will be revealed in due course.

It was fashionable to cut decorative scallops into the bottom of the pillar between the legs and also into the under side of the legs where they adjoin the pillar.

As can be seen, there were various popular arrangements of scallops, but inordinate zeal with a gouge could weaken the dovetailed joints. When one of these leg joints fails, it invariably begins with a split at the bottom of the pillar beside the leg, so removing too much ‘meat’ from these areas would be tempting fate. A few thoughtful cuts with an in-cannel gouge completed the decoration.

Decorative scallops cut into the pillar and claws.

There will be an indeterminate interlude while the handles and hinges are being cast.

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