It is a good plan to brad the shelf in from the under side before the glue hardens. After standing a few hours the table will be ready for the 1⁄2-inch strip which forms the back of the shelf. This is to be fitted and bradded in. Then the slats may be cut to length. They project slightly below the shelf, and are fastened in position by screws. The top may be cut to length and its ends smoothed, after which it may be fastened on the frame by means of screws and buttons, as already described in the early part of this chapter.
A HEAVY LIBRARY TABLE
The Design.—This table, as the illustration shows, is designed to be of simple style, without a drawer or side shelves, and with the bottom shelf keyed into the base rail. Heavy, square legs, and mortise and tenon joints are called for.
A heavy library table
Materials and Tools.—The mission type of furniture, to which this design belongs, suggests oak as the fitting wood. The stock for the top, the dimensions of which are to be 7⁄8 × 28 × 44 inches, may be cut in three pieces from a 10-inch board, 12 feet long. For the shelf a board 7⁄8 × 12 × 43 inches is required. There are needed also four legs 23⁄4 × 23⁄4 × 30 inches; two side rails 7⁄8 × 4 × 36 inches; two end top-rails 7⁄8 × 4 × 22 inches; two end bottom rails 11⁄2 × 4 × 22 inches; and for keys a strip 1 × 2 × 28 inches.
Construction details and dimensions (front)
The same tools are required as were needed in the foregoing problem.
Construction.—Since this table has a larger top than the light library table, even greater pains must be taken than in the case of the smaller table to join the boards for gluing up. All like parts should be laid off together and the necessary mortises and tenons cut and fitted, as in the previous case. The two end rails may be glued into the legs first and clamped, leaving the side rails to be put in place last, when the bottom shelf may also be fastened in without gluing by means of the tenons and keys. The latter should be cut somewhat longer than is really needed so that they may appear to be as effective as they really are; and they should be tapered at least 1⁄2 of an inch in order to drive up well. A small brad may be driven in to keep them from getting loose when the work shrinks.