Hello, all.
I am making an end table with an elliptical top. It has an apron and 4 legs tapered on 3 sides (all except the inside face). I need to fit an elliptical shelf to the lower portion of the table. The shelf will be sized in such a way as to not quite extend beyond the outer dimension of the legs. My question is; how do I fit the shelf? I am assuming I will notch the shelf to accommodate the legs, as opposed to notching the legs to accept the shelf, but I am wondering whether there is a tried and true method for notching the shelf so that it fits tight to all 4 legs at the proper height.
Thanks in advance for any insight.
Drew
Replies
I just completed a side table very similar to yours. The difference is that the legs are at 45 degrees to the apron. I dicided, after trial and error, to notch the legs rather that trying to fit the shelf around the legs. I made a template out of MDF and worked it until it fit in the notches perfectly then used it a s a pattern for the final shelf. Of coarse with this method the shelf will have to be installed during glue up. Make sure that the notches and the thickness of the shelf are exactly the same dimension. After glue up, I installed pocket screws at the bottom of the shelf into the legs for strength. Good luck.
See the link below for a story on a technique for fitting an odd-shaped piece. I've used this for years and it works great.
http://www.newwoodworker.com/notefitng.html
Tom Hintz
Because there is always more to learn!
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