My sister-in-law wants a cherry entrance hall table 36W x 16D x 31H with square tapered legs (1 5/8 inches square tapering to about 3/4 to 1 inch) and a shelf about 5 inches off the floor with the shelf fitting flush with and around two sides of each leg. The tapers would be only on the two outside faces of the legs, not the inside faces which would meet flush with the edges of the shelf.
I compute the movement of a 16-inch wide black cherry shelf to be about 3/8 inch seasonally. Can the shelf be fixed between the front and back legs allowing the legs to flex to accomodate the movement? If not, how is the movement handled? What joinery is the better way to attach the shelf to the legs?
Or is the better answer to have stretchers between the front and back legs with a proportionately narrower shelf resting on the stretchers and attached to the stretchers with screws through elongated holes?
Thanks for your help.
Replies
Larry,
I think this topic came up last week. It was suggested the stretchers form an 'X' to support the shelf the full length and connect to the legs(tennon). I guess you could run 3/16" deep dados on the inside of the legs which would allow fo he expansion...maybe there's a better way.
Edited 5/18/2006 8:36 pm ET by BG
Larry,
I'd prefer the stretchers by far. BTW, you can cut out the corners of the shelf to fit around the legs just as in the original idea. Just leave a bit of free play space for expansion.
DR
Edited 5/19/2006 4:58 am ET by ring
Larry,
Stretchers will give more support to the shelf, and better allowance for seasonal movement. However, one shop I worked in years ago, regularly built bedside tables with tapered legs and a shelf hung between the legs. They would cut a dado diagonally across the inside corner of each leg (held in a cradle on the Xcut fence). The shelf's corners were bobbed off at 45* to mate to the dadoes. Popped into place after assy of the tables, they were held in place with a pocket screw into each leg.
By the way, most tapered legs are tapered on the inside faces. To most eyes, a leg tapered on the outside looks "pigeon-toed".
Regards,
Ray Pine
Thanks for the tip--the process sounds very workable.And thanks very much for the "pigeon-toed" caution -- I've always wondered why it usually was the inside faces that were tapered.
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