Mission style coffee tables are beautiful and functional. Their sturdy and clean design makes it possible for you to do almost everything and still manage to not break your coffee table.
Since coffee tables are often used to prop up your feet while watching TV, they should not look or feel delicate- they should not be moving when you prop your feet up. Furthermore, the design is perfect for simple but elegant themes in living rooms, despite being constructed to be as sturdy as a rock. If it looks too imposing then you could just add decorative touches that make it even more chic and elegant, perfect for your home.
Materials Needed:
* Top – 1¼” x 24” x 40” (T x W x L)
* Legs (4) – 1¾” x 2” x 14¼”
* Leg Veeners (8) ?” – x 2″ x 14 ¼”
* Beams (2) – 1½” x 2″ x 23″
* Upper rails (2) – 1″ x 1¼” x 14½”
* Lower rails (2) – 1″ x 3″ x 9″
* Outer slats (4) – ½” x 2″ x 9?”
* Inner slats (6) – ½” x 2″ x 9?”
* Outer slat spacers (8) – ¼” x ½” x 1¾”
* Inner slat spacers (8) – ¼” x ½” x 1¼”
* Stretchers (2) – ¾” x 2″ x 35″
* Shelf (1) – ¾” x 8?” x 30?”
* Shelf blocks (2) – 1″ x 2″ x 2 ½”
* Wedges (4) – ?” x ¾” x 1”
Tools:
* Band saw
* Table saw
* Clamps
* Wood glue
* Mortising machine
* Pocket hole screws
Instructions:
* Coffee table leg
– Glue veener to plainsawn and flatsawn faces, then clamp them up. Cut these to the same size as the legs and then attach them to the legs, clamp to make sure seams are tight.
– Cut mortises for the table legs and bottom rails.
– Plow the rails on the table in order to be able to put the slats and spacers together, then plow the grooves that hold the slats in the inner faces of the legs and rails.
* The rails and slats
– Make a stopped cut on the slats so there’s room to finish the curved part of the slat.
– For the slats in the trestles that will be inset in the groove, choose an outer slat that complements the curve and cut the stiles to 2” wide. Then measure the space between the top and bottom rails and add ½” to the grooves. Finish making the curved slats on a band saw, and use the first one that was finished as a pattern for the rest.
– After cutting two spacer pieces, put the middle slat in the center and fit filler pieces on both side. Make marks from the center of the spacer for the stretchers’ mortises later.
* Making the beam
– To ensure angled cuts on the table beams, use C-clamp to secure the rip fence while on the table saw. Cut the beams 2” wide and with the length of 23” to match it to the legs.
– Clamp long scrap pieces to the drill press so the table holds the beams securely, but leave room for the screws to bear on the wood. Drill five pocket holes inside the face of the beam, then drill oversize holes for the screws in the pockets.
* Final assembly
– Add the decorative edges through the stretcher tenons if you wish.
– Sand everything and then remove the sand debris by vacuum or wipe it down.
– Glue the lower rails to the legs, then glue the outer edges of the outer slats to the grooves on the legs. Then, glue the spacer pieces to the grooves of either side (make sure that they’re centered over the mortises).
– Glue the top support beams to the top rails and the stretchers to the mortises on the bottom rails. Clamp, and leave the assembly overnight.
– For the shelf, make sure to cut it to the desired final length and place it on top of the stretchers. Cut two shelf blocks to the width of the space between the stretchers and spread glue on the center then put them into the space. Wait for the glue to set and drill countersunk holes to screw the blocking to the shelf.
– For the top, cut to the desired length and then attach it with screws. Use 36” bar clamps to keep it aligned while driving the screw.
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