Small Shaker Table

My daughter's new karaoke machine needed a table, I have a new table saw, and I really like shaker style furniture. This being my first table of this type (I built a trestle style dining room table about fifteen years ago which was my last furniture project) I wanted simplicity. I based the dimensions on the size of the karaoke machine, and a height that put the screen at my daughter's eye level. I bounded off to Lowe's where I picked up some beautifully figured poplar. The plan was to glue up the top from 1x4 stock, have 2x2 legs, and make the aprons from 1x4's. After returning home I could not convince my 9 year old that the beautiful wood with a nice cherry stain would/could become a family heirloom and could be handed down and blah blah blah..... She wanted it painted and that was that! So, not wanting to disappoint, and not wanting to paint the poplar, I put the hardwood aside and grabbed an old pine 2x4 and a piece of 1x4 whitewood. Below are the steps I used to turn some scrap wood into a nice looking, functional (and paintable!) piece. Click on the photos for a larger view, use your browsers back button to return. Got any comments? You can let me know here
A scrap 2x4 was ripped 1 1/2" square for the legs
The legs were cut into 25-1/4" pieces. This would give a finished height of 26"
Here are the 4 legs before the taper cuts
I wanted to start the taper about 5 1/2 inches down from the top (I should have started a little higher, as after looking at the finished product, I think the taper should start immediately after the apron) and I wanted the bottom of the legs to be 1" square. With the taper jig, you have only to mark where the taper starts, and where you want it to end. then you put the stock in the jig, line up your marks and clamp it down. Once the stops are tightened up, you can make as many duplicates as you need.
The jig does a good job, and keeps your hands clear of the blade.
With the legs finished it was time for the sides, I grabbed a used board from the corner "pile" and...
...cut 4 8" pieces for the 4 sides. I wanted the outside dimensions (without the top) to be 11", cause that is how wide the karaoke machine is.
I was going to use beech "biscuits" for the joinery (one of these days I'll chisel a real mortise and tenon). All one has to do is align the pieces and make a pencil mark.
The first cut is made into the end grain of all of the side pieces. The blade on the "biscuit" tool is 3/8" from the base, so, for 3/4" stock, just rest the workpiece and the tool on the same surface to get a nice cut right in the middle
It is important to lay out the cuts carefully or you might end up with a taper on the wrong side!
I wanted the side pieces set back from the legs 1/8". So I stacked two pieces of 1/6" plywood that I had laying around....
...and when I placed the workpiece face down and set the tool on the plywood, I got a nice 1/8 offset for the sides
Dry assemble to make sure everything is groovy...
Lay out and mark the remaining two legs so the tapers will end up in the right place after assembly
Dry assemble the whole thing, it is starting to resemble a table!
Glue the first three pieces together using the "biscuits" and clamp. I use Elmers woodworking glue.
A little weight helps keep everything flat. Sand and plastic shoeboxes make excellent (and very inexpensive!) weight clamps.
Check for square as you glue up the next side.
The last two sides have to be glued assembled, and clamped at the same time...you gotta work fast!
I had some square molding laying around and thought these would make good cleats to hold the screws that would hold the top down.
The cleats were cut to 8" and glued to the left and right sides, about a 1/16" down from the top
I used the drill to wallow out the holes for the screws so the table top can "move" as the humidity changes.
Another trip to Lowes and bought a ready made glued up pine board. I wanted 1 1/2" overhang on all sides so I cut out a 14" square for the top
Here is how the top is attached, 4 #10 screws into the underside of the top
Looks like a table. I'm happy with the results.
Doing what it was built to do, only thing left is a few coats of paint...
A few "glamour shots"

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