Replies

1. 
   BG | Jul 06, 2004 01:51pm | #1

   sorry....the pics...

   
2. 
   UncleDunc | Jul 06, 2004 04:24pm | #2

   >> I'll probably put a groove in the aprons and then use spacers between the spindles that

   >> fit flush with the top of the apron.

   I saw the slats and spacers approach in an Arts and Crafts table in FWW. (Or maybe it was a Morris chair.) The author recommended that the spacers stand proud of the stretchers. If they're flush, any slight misalignment is obvious, but if they stand up 1/16" or 3/32" above the stretcher, no one will see differences of a few thousandths.

   >> The applied moldings?...are they attached with a small T&G?...or dowels?...or just glue?

   You mean the brackets on the legs? Shallow dado for alignment, and glue. There's plenty of surface area for a strong glue joint, and they're not subject to any real load.

1. 
   BG | Jul 06, 2004 08:41pm | #4

   Uncle,

   Last time I fitted them proud by about a 1/16" and then pared them flush...looked seamless...but I also only glued the spacers and let the slats float more or less....it was just such a pain trying to put everything together, including the M&T in the legs and square before the glue dried.  I ended up pulling the spacers after leg glue up and then gluing them one at a time.

   Thanks for the tip on the brackets (someday I'll learn the correct terms) 

3. 
   JohnK101 | Jul 06, 2004 08:05pm | #3

   I made a bed with slats in it a couple of years ago and the plans called for putting dadoes where the slats go. It was done with two 1/2 thickness boards for each end, then when the boards were glued up, you had the right size and spaced square mortises in the ends to accept the slats. Worked great.  But, you may not have the thickness that I was using. I think I had two 3/4" boards. But, this might lead to a idea you can use.

    John

1. 
   BG | Jul 06, 2004 08:45pm | #5

   John,

   I will have 3/4" thick aprons....let me think about what your saying.  I have made individual M&T for the slats and the aprons in the past... but trying to align the slats at glue up was less than a good time.... 

1. 
   JohnK101 | Jul 06, 2004 09:47pm | #6

   Waxing a few slat scraps and putting them in the slots during glue up helps. The wax will (hopefully) keep them from being glued in, plus you only need to put them in during alignment, then pull out while glue cures.

   Hope it helps, John

2. 
   JohnK101 | Jul 06, 2004 10:38pm | #7

   Don't know if you are interested or not, but the June/July issue of Woodsmith has plans for a bookcase with slats in it and they show a way of doing it.

    It should be on newsstands now, if you wanted to take a look at it.

   John

1. 
   BG | Jul 07, 2004 12:50pm | #9

   John,

   I'll run over to Woodcraft and grab the Woodsmith issue and have a look, thanks for the heads up.

1. 
   JohnK101 | Jul 07, 2004 01:36pm | #10

   If by chance they have the previous issue, it also had a different way of doing some slats in an end table. Lucky you to have a woodcraft close by.

    john

2. 
   BG | Jul 07, 2004 02:10pm | #12

   John,

   Yes, it is nice to have Woodcraft near by and this particular one is one of their oldest (Woburn)with very knowledgeable personnel.  I'll wander up to the Portsmouth, NH Woodcraft too..the owner there is terriffic....and now we have 3 Rocklers too, my favorite being Cambridge,MA....many of the kids there are enrolled at the NBSS and they are very enthusiastic....(almost too much energy...lol) 

   My wife kinda wishes I'd take up drinking and wild woman as a hobby so we could save money....lol

   Edited 7/7/2004 7:12 am ET by BG

4. 
   CharlieP | Jul 07, 2004 06:02am | #8

   I don't know the proper way, especially for a specific style, but I do know the way that works for me.

   I cut the mortises in the bottom the desired depth - say 1 inch.  I cut the mortises at the top at slightly more than twice the desired depth, say 2+ inches.  That way the spindles can be inserted after the glue up.  I only glue the spindes at the bottom, to prevent loss and rattling, and the unlikely expansion issues (the grain is the "other" way, so expansion isn't generally an issue).  If they are ever broken, individual spindles can be replaced without disassembling the whole piece. 

   The spindles can be rectangular and cut like a normal mortise, but my favorite (not the style in the picture) is 1/2  by 3/4 with round ends.  Use a router to edge the spindles.  Use a forstner bit to drill the mortises. 

   Although mahogany will be pretty, that design screams for white oak, fumed to the tan color with ammonia gas. 

   ________________________
   Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texas
   http://www.plesums.com/wood

1. 
   BG | Jul 07, 2004 01:58pm | #11

   Charlie,

   I like the idea of putting the spindles in after glue-up.....and providing a method for replacing broken pieces. Maybe a combination of ideas...let's say I want 1/2x3/4" spindles(rectangular), tennoned into the apron and rail (stretcher) a half inch.  I run a grove/dado an inch deep in the apron and either mortice or fostner the bottom rail a half inch deep.  Then I glue up the apron and rail into one of the legs(M&T)...making sure they are square ( I could do both legs at once but why take the chance).  The top of the spindles I slide into the underside of the apron and can push up into the grove enough to clear the bottom rail....the botom rail receives a tennon from the spindle.  I can then put in spacers between the spindles in the top apron to keep them secure.

   Yup, oak would be nice....but with the time limits, mahogany is what I have ready to go.  I'm a bit concerned that my 3/4" thick mahogany will look thick enough for the top...I'd love to have 7/8" finished thickness.  One of the things I have done in the past is to make the top oversized and remove stock from all four sides...and glue 2" wide strips on the underside of the top...the end grains line up nicely and all around it appears seamless.  I this case I'd need to run the cuttoffs thru the band saw to thin...but it kinda creates a little frame to sit nicely on top the legs and apron.  Anyhow, as you can see...the pictures are only a guideline...lol  

5. 
   IanC | Jul 07, 2004 03:10pm | #13

   BG, One method to keep the corbels (brackets) from moving around during glue up is to drive two small finish nails, one top and one bottom, into the back of the bracket, just deep enough to hold firmly.  Then nip the nails off close with some side cutters and file the nibs to  a point or knife edge.  Position the brackets and press firmly to make registration marks in the legs.  Apply glue and clamps.  I've done this several times and it works great. 

   Ian

1. 
   BG | Jul 07, 2004 04:27pm | #14

   Iancummins,

   thanks for the tip, I'll try it..