I’m stuck. Building a pair of Stickley sideboards (#818) and I’m unsure about the joinery for the lower shelf. Lang shows the #802 and Stickley illustrates a similar design in the Craftsman. On both plans, it appears that the lower shelf of the unit sits in grooves cut into the lower stretchers. Are these simply glued into place?
With opposing grain directions, won’t the joint fail in time? Is it strong enough to withstand the added weight when things are put on the shelf? Any ideas? (I’ve got to get these things done. Christmas is coming and the shop is getting crowded.)
Thanks,
Jeff
Replies
I don't have plans in front of me for that particular design but believe you are referring to a shelf held captive between stretchers, and the tenon on the end of the shelf is not thru the stretcher. In the past, I did a dining table and several end tables like this and the stretchers I routed the mortise in just shy of the opposing side by 1/8-3/16. Fit the tenon in, clamped, and bored two 1/8 holes vertically through the top of the stretcher and through the tenon. Of course, the number of holes depends on how wide a shelf you're joining. This is much like you would attach a breadboard end. Elongate the holes in the tenon, then I put glue in the base of the hole in the stretcher, assembled the shelf to the stretchers, inserted dowels and dabbed just a bit of glue at the top before sinking it. End result is the dowel is glued top and bottom, the mortise and tenon is merely snug fit, no glue, with room for expansion in the tenon. If your stretchers have any vertical members going up from the stretcher, do them after you've flush cut the dowels.
Even though there is a chance for that glue joint to fail, there isn't anywhere for the shelf to go if it does. Every other joint in the piece would also have to fail for the shelf to fall out, and you would have to load it with several hundred pounds to bend it enough to get it out.
If it makes you nervous however, there are some options. Some of the earlier Stickley pieces had a pegged through tenon at this location. You could also use multiple mortises and tenons on the ends of the shelves.
Sometimes we get hung up on "rules" and worry too much about breaking them. In building furniture you have to turn corners and join wood with the grain going in different directions. Do it carefully and use well-seasoned stock, and it should be OK
Bob Lang
http://www.craftsmanplans.com
Thanks for the suggestions. I do like the idea of adding a couple pegs through the tenons, especially since this piece isn't all quarter sawn. (I found some fantastic curly oak that I'm using on the top and the shelf.)
Guess I'll have to stop worrying about the 101 things that sould go wrong and jsut get it done!
Jeff
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