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This is a two drawer mission coffee table I modeled after a Stickley three drawer with a narrow lower shelf. I matched the slat size and spacing to my TV console door (1/2" square slats with 3/4" spacing).

I wanted the drawers to open both ways, but didn't like the mechanical slides that are available (what I normally use). I got the idea for the exposed drawer runners (in black) from an article on the work of Mark Love in the December/January 2010 issue of American Woodworker.

The legs are 4/4, mitered and glued to give quarter sawn grain on all sides.

Note - I picked up a lock miter router bit for the legs and followed the Fine Woodworking process using a sled to cut the joints. I cut perfect full length test joints using red oak and went on to cut the first leg. After wrapping it tight in bungee cord and beating it with a dead blow (their instructions), I added clamps, and still could not pull the corners tight. I changed to the mitered legs, using tape on the outside, adding glue, and folding the leg closed (just like a box). I added clamps where needed, and I had tight corners.

4/4 quarter sawn white oak for the drawer faces
5/4 quarter sawn white oak for everything else
Lowes Cabot Early American stain
General Finishes ebony dye on the drawer runners
General Finishes Arm-R-Seal satin top coat

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Comments

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349 Posts
This is very nice work.

I love the exposed drawer slides. I never would have thought to do the legs like that.

I can't think of anything I don't like about it.

How long did it take to build?

Oh and where did you get the ebony dye?

Jerry
 

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Awesome table. I like the exposed runners. Cool looking. What are your tolerances on the drawer fronts? Looks like little more than 1/16 all around.
 

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Thanks for the comments.

Jerry - I got the dye from Woodcraft. I can't really tell you how many hours it took to build because I would work on it a little here and a little there. Calendar time was 4 months. I just started the two end tables. Since I worked out a lot of the issues with the coffee table, these should go a lot faster.

Matt - I started with 1/32" on all sides. But as I built the drawers, I increased that to just <1 />. But the side runner clearance is a litte more. Vertical clearance is the runner plus three playing cards.
 

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Hi rcs47,

Very nice job. Like the exposed draw sliders, it's something a person usually wants to hid and goes the great pains to do it, out in the open they have that unexpected look. I'm sure you will get questions.
Love Mission furniture, great example.

Thanks for posting jb
 

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Love the Drawers, Love the grain, Love the design! Very nice! It looks very heavy, which I like too. I have a real piece of junk coffee table that I can't wait to replace with something hand crafted like this. Something that doesn't wobble back and forth under the weight of my feet resting on it…
 

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Nice design, beautiful wood, great job! Exposed drawer slides in ebony are a very nice touch too!
 

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Very nice, all the way around.
 

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Very nice table, and I love the grain in the top. I've done a couple of these myself minus the drawers and I have to say I think I definitely prefer the look of the drawer version.
 

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super work very nice table
 

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The ebonized slides are a great solution to a design wanting the drawers to open both ways.
I feel your frustration with the lock miter bit, I've just about given up using the joint to build legs with matching grain on all sides. When done right it can be an incredibly strong joint, but it is darn tough to get consistently tight corners.
Nice deign and it looks like great execution. Thanks for sharing it,
 

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Really nice, especially the exposed drawer runners. That's something different and I really like it!
 

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Great.
I really love the whole thing. Its amazing how hard it is to pull off "simple" designs well, your work is so cleanly executed, and the way you did the legs is a method i might try myself.
 

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I'm a huge sucker for quartersawn white oak. This looks great, especially the grain on the table top. It looks like you had some nice stock to work with for this project!
 

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Wonderful look. Excellent quarter saw fleck.
 

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Great looking coffee table. I've thought of making one styled very similar to this but with glass panels on top. Nice job on this table. I like the through sliding drawers.
 
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