Arts and Crafts Entertainment Center / Sideboard #1: Side Panels

Here is the next project, an entertainment center that is reminiscent of a Stickley sideboard. The central slat detail gives a nod to Kevin Rodel. The backsplash features my “wedge and strap” detail, also found on my A&C dressers.

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Leg blanks are laminated from 3/4” stock. Next I add 1/4” thick veneers on two sides. Even though the finished veneers will only be 3/32” thick, I leave them 1/4” thick for now. I find that 1/4” strips plane up better, and are easier to glue to the leg blanks.

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The only tricky thing about this glueup is making sure the thin strips stay proud of the leg blanks.

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To establish the correct reveal, I insert a shim under the leg blank. This creates a 1/8” reveal top and bottom.

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Now the leg is assembled in its rough state.

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The next step is trimming the veneer flush at the router table.

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After trimming one edge with a flush trim bit…

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Now I have oversized leg blanks with 4 square corners. They will be planed down to 1-3/4” square. This requires some forethought to prevent plowing through your veneers. For this project I used 1-9/16” blank + 3/16” total veneer width = 1-3/4” leg.

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Here is my setup to cut stopped grooves in the legs. The grooves will accept corbels on all four legs. Notice the stop on the router fence, and the Emerson clamp guide. I use the clamp guide like a featherboard to hold the leg in position as I route the groove.

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The groove is cut to a depth of 1/4” in two passes.

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Next I decided on a shape for the corbel, and made a pattern out of MDF core plywood. After bandsawing to rough shape, the corbel was carpet-taped to the pattern.
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Pattern routing quickly produces 4 identical corbels. I used my dado gauge board to pick a stock thickness to match my router bit. I planed the corbel stock to thickness before I shaped them.

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Then I notched the bottom of the corbels to fit around the rounded groove. An alternate method would be to chisel the groove square. I like the notch method, as it hides any imperfections in the joint.

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Here you can see how the notches help with fitting the corbels. One corbel required a quick pass at the oscillating belt sander to lay flush with the leg.

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I cut 1/4” grooves in the legs to receive the panels and rails. The top rails have haunched tenons.

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Here we see the back of the panel, which is flush with the inside edges of the legs. The panel is 1/2” thick with a rabbeted edge.

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Side panel mock-up complete.

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-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush