by Daniel Diehl
Materials
The entire table is constructed of walnut, but even if you could afford this much walnut, it is highly unlikely that any walnut slabs the size of the top are available at any price. We suggest obtaining two or three pieces of pine or a readily available hardwood, such as oak or maple, in the proper length and thickness and 12½ inches wide. Join these boards together with glue and pegs in the manner described on page 2, or have a local mill build up planks of the desired size.
Top
The top is a single massive slab of walnut 2¼ inches thick, 25 inches wide, and 67¾ inches long. When you have obtained a top of the appropriate dimensions, by joining as suggested above or some other means, gently round the edges of the upper surface, as the rounded edges on the original are part of the original design and not just the result of centuries of wear. Also round the four corners of the top to a radius of ¾ inch. These rounded edges help give the table the sleek look that makes its overall design so appealing.
Leg Columns
The main columns of the legs are lathe-turned. When laying out the columns, leave 2 inches on the top end and 3 inches on the bottom for the tenons that will go into the top supports and feet; the dimensions given in the material list provide for these tenons. The actual design of the 185⁄8-inch-long turned section is shown in the leg detail drawing. Note that 1¼-inch-thick blocks at the top and bottom of the leg are left the full 5-inch square of the billet of wood from which the legs are turned. Also note that the upper corners of the base block have had their outermost corners gently rounded. The rounding of these corners can be seen in the leg detail and side and end drawings.
Next, cut tenons on both the top and bottom ends of the leg. The top tenon, shown in the leg detail drawing, is 2 inches square and 2 inches in height and should be located at the exact center of the 5-inch-square top of the leg. Drawing an X across the top of the leg with an adjustable carpenter’s square will help you locate the center. Measure outward 1 inch in all four directions from this point to make a 2-inch square centered on the top of the leg. Cut away the excess wood around this square to a depth of 2 inches; what remains is the tenon.
The tenon on the bottom of the leg is 3 inches in length and 4 by 2 inches in width. Details of this tenon are shown in the foot-leg assembly vertical and horizontal cross section drawings. Lay out and cut the tenon the same way you did on the top of the leg.
Top Supports
The top supports, which attach the legs to the top, are 3½ inches thick, 5 inches wide and 235⁄8 inches in length. The 3½ inch dimension, shown in the leg detail drawing, forms the sides of the supports, and the 5-inch dimension is their width. This makes the leg supports the same width as the 5-inch-square block on the top of each leg.
The shape of the top support is shown in the leg detail drawing. Lay out this shape on the leg support in pencil before cutting. If you want to copy our drawing exactly, enlarge the drawing on a copier to the correct size and transfer the image to the top support. A 1⁄8-inch-deep square shoulder is located ½ inch beyond the outer edge of the top of the leg. The flat area in the center of the top support, which rests on the top of the leg, should be 6 inches long and the 5-inch width of the board. We recommend using a large band saw to cut the shape of the leg support.
Now cut mortises to receive the tenons on the tops of the legs. Lay out the area to be mortised by locating the center of the 5-by-6-inch flat area on the bottom face of the top support. Draw a line 1 inch in both directions beyond this line; this should define a square 2 inches to the side. Drill out excess wood from the mortise area to a depth of 2 inches. Remove the remaining wood with a chisel, until the tenon on the top of the leg fits snugly into the mortise with the gentle tap of a mallet or a sharp rap with the palm of your hand.
Finally, cut a tenon on each end of both top supports. The tenons are illustrated in the top support–top molding construction detail horizontal and vertical cross sections. These tenons are the full 5-inch width of the top support but only ¼ inch thick and ¾ inch long.
To attach the top supports to the legs, position the supports so that they run in the same direction as the 4-inch dimension of the tenon on the bottom of the leg. Place a small amount of glue on all four sides of the tenon and the flat surface on top of the leg, then tap the top support into place and clamp it. When the glue is dry, drill a ¼-inch dowel hole in one side of the top support. Position the hole so that it falls at the center of the tenon on the leg. It should be located 1 inch above the point where the top support meets the top of the leg and equidistant from the ends of the top support. The hole should be drilled to a depth of 4 inches to allow the dowel to pass completely though the tenon, anchoring it securely to the top support. Place a drop of glue in the hole, then tap a dowel into the hole and cut it off, leaving about ¼ inch standing above the surface of the top support. Trim off the excess dowel when the glue is dry.
Stretcher
The stretcher provides stability to the bottom of the legs. On each end of the stretcher, cut a tenon 1½ inches in width and ¾ inch thick, as illustrated in the foot-leg assembly vertical and horizontal cross sections. When the tenons have been cut, round off the top edges of the stretcher. The edges of the stretcher on the original table were slightly rounded, but wear has made this rounding more pronounced except on the final 3 or 4 inches at either end, where the original slightly rounded shape remains intact.
Feet
Cutting the feet is basically the same procedure as cutting the top support. The shape of the feet is shown in the leg detail drawing, and the dimensions are given in the drawing of the end of the table. As with the top support, you may wish to enlarge the drawing of the foot and trace it onto your board. When cutting the feet to shape, leave a 5-inch flat area where the bottom of the leg will seat against the foot. You will need to use a commercial-size band saw to cut the 51⁄8-inch-thick foot boards to shape. Then sand the hard edges on the tops of the feet and the foot pads so that they are slightly rounded.
Next, attach the 4¼-by-55⁄8-by1-inch-thick foot pads to the feet. The proper foot position is shown in the front and end drawings and also on the foot-leg assembly horizontal cross section. Note that the pads are flush with the front edge of the feet and extend ¼ inch to either side of the feet. We recommend gluing the pads into place and attaching them with 2-inch finishing nails. Always drill pilot holes before nailing into hardwood.
When the feet are finished, mark out the positions of the two mortises on each foot that are necessary to attach the leg and stretcher. The mortise for the leg should be 2 inches wide and 4 inches long, with the long dimension running parallel to the long dimension of the foot. Drill out excess wood to a depth of 3 inches and finish the mortise with chisels, making sure the tenon on the bottom of the leg fits snugly into the mortise. You should be able to insert the tenons into the mortises with a gentle tap of a mallet or a sharp rap with the palm of your hand.
Follow the same procedure with the mortise for the stretcher. Mark the position of the stretcher mortise so that it falls in line with the center of the leg mortise, as shown in the foot-leg assembly horizontal cross section. The stretcher mortise will be ¾ inch high, 4 inches deep, and 1½ inches wide. The stretcher tenon will serve to lock the leg into place on the foot. It will be most effective if you cut the stretcher mortise with the leg tenon inserted into the mortise on the foot. Using a bar clamp, secure the leg into place on the foot, and cut the mortise for the stretcher tenon through both the foot and leg tenon at the same time. We recommend that you cut the stretcher mortises in both feet before gluing the stretcher into place.
When the stretcher fits snugly into the tenons on both feet, place a small amount of glue into the mortises and tap the stretcher into place. Secure the stretcher with a bar clamp or strap clamp. When the glue is dry, turn the leg-stretcher assembly so that it is standing on the top supports with the feet facing upward. Drill ¼-inch dowel holes through the bottom of the feet so that they fall in the
center of the stretcher tenon as shown in the footleg assembly vertical and horizontal cross sections. Drill the holes to a depth of 3½ inches so that the dowels will reach completely through the stretcher tenons. Place a drop of glue into each hole and tap the dowels into place, leaving about ¼ inch exposed above the surface of the foot. When the glue is dry, trim the dowels flush with the surface of the foot.
Finally, cut and attach the stretcher supports. These small blocks support the ends of the stretcher so that the pressure of human feet will not crack the tenons on the ends of the stretchers. The triangular stretcher supports, shown in the leg detail and foot-leg assembly vertical cross section drawings, are 2½ inches wide and 1½ inches thick. The exposed undersides of the supports are cut to a concave shape. As far as we know, these supports are simply glued into place on the original table, but you may wish to secure them with small headless brads. Drill pilot holes before nailing into hardwood.
Attaching the Top
The top molding pieces function as stretchers to stabilize the tops of the legs and also hold the tabletop to the legs. Overall views of these moldings can be seen in the side and end view drawings. In their function as stretchers, the moldings attach to the top supports with mortise and tenon joints as shown in the top support–molding construction detail top view and vertical cross section drawings. The mortises on the molding that will fit over the tenons on the top supports should begin 8¼ inches in from each end of the moldings. As shown in the top support–molding drawings, the mortises are 5 inches long, ¼ inch wide, and ¾ inch deep, and are located ¼ inch below the top edge of the molding. Mark the mortises on the molding, and then remove excess wood with a 3⁄16-inch drill bit and finish with a sharp chisel. Make sure the mortises fit snugly onto the tenons on the top supports. Finish the molding by slightly round the bottom exterior edge with sandpaper. Run a bead of glue into the mortises on the moldings, tap them into place on the top supports, and clamp them until the glue is dry.
The dowel pins shown in the top support–molding vertical cross section drawing extend to a depth of 1 inch into the molding and will be invisible when the table is assembled. Each mortise joint has two dowels, located on 3-inch centers and standing 1 inch above the top of the molding. It is our assumption that these dowels once held the top in place, but they apparently did not prevent the top from warping and were later replaced by the modern screws shown in the leg detail drawing. You may use dowels to fasten the top to the frame of the table, but be cautioned that it will be very difficult to locate the positions of eight dowels closely enough that the top will seat properly. We suggest that you lay the top upside down and invert the leg assembly on top of it, then mark the position of the dowels before drilling ¼-inch dowel holes into the top. Alternatively, you may simply cut the dowels flush with the top of the top molding and attach the top with wood screws. There are two wood screws in each end of each top support located on 3-inch centers. However you choose to attach the top, run a bead of glue across the top of the top supports and along the top edge of the top molding before setting the top into place. Clamp the top to the top supports and molding until the glue is dry.
Finish
The wood used in the original table is European walnut, which is distinctly different in color from American black walnut. While black walnut is naturally a deep, chocolate brown, its European cousin is a lighter, creamy color. Over the centuries, the original table has taken on a rosy, almost mahogany tone, and unless you are using European walnut or an alternative hardwood, you may want to stain your table a brownish mahogany color. With black walnut, we suggest leaving the wood its natural color. In either case, we recommend a simple oil finish as described on page 7.
PROJECT 13
Worktable
Worktable, French, fifteenth century. Oak and walnut, 27¼ x 54½ x 26½ inches. The Cloisters Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Daniel Diehl.
This sturdy-looking table of oak and walnut, probably made in France, skillfully blends utilitarian efficiency and attractive detail work. Tongue-and-groove joints, turned legs, and several styles of ornamented panels remove any hint of the ordinary. Still, it was intended to be a functional worktable. It originally had a large drawer in one end and another small drawer in one of the long sides, but both have been lost. Although the table probably dates from the fifteenth century, little more is known about it, and looking at the piece raises more questions than it answers.
It is unlikely that it began life as a table, or even as a single article of furniture. The top and decorative panels appear to have been taken from doors; the linenfold carvings in the main panel should run vertically, not horizontally. The bottom rails on the long sides may once have been shallow drawer fronts. A carpenter in the distant past may have recycled existing materials from a pile of discarded furniture to cobble together a practical piece of furniture for the kitchen or pantry of some great estate. What is certain is that all the structural elements of the table date from the fifteenth century. It is also possible that the medieval odds and ends were reassembled in the nineteenth century from a pile of medieval remnants to cater to American nouveaux riches who were trying to buy up European culture by the shipload. This piece now resides in the Campin Room of the Cloisters Museum, where it has been kept since it was purchased at a private sale in 1949 for the astounding price of $125.
Construction Notes
Since this piece is a bit of a mongrel, we have taken a few liberties in planning its reproduction. Some of the internal structure in the existing table, which serves no functional purpose, has been eliminated from the plans. The resultant table will not differ appreciably in appearance from the original. The rear view of the table, not shown in the photograph, is divided into a horizontal panel and a compartment once occupied by a drawer. The horizontal panel on this side of the table is decorated with linenfold carving, but the carving runs horizontally, whereas accurate linenfold panels always run vertically. The panel on the opposite side of the table, shown in the photograph, is peculiarly devoid of ornamentation. If you wish, you can adapt the table to a more cohesive design. All the panels can be left uncarved or all can be carved with linenfold decoration, which should run vertically.
Legs
The partly turned legs are made from 2¾-by-2¾-inch oak stock. The turning work was probably executed on a pole lathe that was not technologically sophisticated enough to provide a consistent cut along the length of a turning. As a result, these legs vary slightly in diameter, all of them being slightly larger toward the bottom. After turning the legs, groove and mortise them to receive the side panels and bottom rails. The panels are held in position by rabbets cut into the bottom and top rails. The panels and bottom rails are then mortised into the legs. Mark the position of each leg prior to cutting the panel and rail mortises; note that the bottom rail on the drawer end of the table is different from those on the other three sides. No mortise is required for the narrow top rails because they simply rest on top of the legs (see the detail F drawing).
Bottom Rails
Cut to length the three large bottom rails, which can be milled from 2-by-4-inch oak, and work the tenons into the ends. Also cut and tenon the bottom rail on the drawer end of the table, shown in detail E. Work the rounded corner onto the bottom edge of the three rails, which will hold paneling, with a molding plane or a router fitted with a ½-inch quarter-round bit. Do not yet work the chamfer into the edge of the rails that will face the inset panel. Cut the decorative double bead into the drawer end rail with a router or carving knives, as described on page 4.
Work the tenons on the rails so that they fit into the mortises in the legs with a firm push or a light tap from a mallet. After the mortise and tenon joints fit together snugly, temporarily reassemble the table and mark out the locations of the rabbets into which the panels will be mounted. Also mark the locations of the mortises that hold the vertical stiles separating the decorative panels on the table’s short end, and the drawer opening
on one of the table’s long sides. Disassemble the legs and rails, then cut the rabbets and mortises. The rabbets may need to be widened slightly with a sharp chisel to accommodate the slightly wedgeshaped face of the panels.
Top Rails
Temporarily assemble the bottom rails and legs, then stand the table upright on a level surface. After making sure that the table is level and all the joints are fitted squarely, cut the narrow walnut top rails to length and cut lap joints into the ends as shown in the detail F drawing. Set the top rails into place to ensure a proper fit. Now cut rabbets into the underside of the top rails to accommodate the panels, and cut corresponding mortises in the bottom rails.
Interior Frame
While the legs and bottom rails are temporarily assembled, measure and cut both the rail support and drawer runner as indicated in the drawing of the top view with tabletop removed. The divider rail is mortised into the front and rear bottom rails, and the drawer runner is mortised into the drawer-end bottom rail and divider rail. The exact locations and directions of the mortise and tenon joints vary from piece to piece; proceed carefully with these steps. Note that the rail support, obviously a later addition, is simply nailed to the bottom of the front and rear bottom rails. It is clearly visible beneath the edge of the table in the front and rear view drawings. After the mortises and tenons are worked to a snug fit, cut a 3⁄8-inch-wide panel groove into the divider rail’s top face.