# Coffee Table Joinery



## JasonZahn (Dec 16, 2014)

I've been going back and forth with this in my head for a little while now and figured I'd throw it out there and get some opinions on it:

I am about to start building a coffee table for a relative, 32" square by around 19" tall, made from walnut and curly maple. The table will have drawers that can be opened from both sides, with a glass top inset into a frame, so that you can see down into the drawers. With that design, the table has only 2 aprons on the sides, rather than the 3 that it would have if the drawers opened only from one side, Basically, I am looking to make sure that I employ plenty of strength through the 2 wide side aprons that I have. The top rails above the drawers on the 'front' and 'back' sides of the table will be a lapped dovetail, and the stretcher below the drawer will be MT.

If I make the side aprons from 3/4" or 1" thick stock, will the 1/4" thick to 3/8" thick tenon (depending on stock thickness) be plenty strong enough? The legs are going to be 2.5 square where they'll be mortised, so I was intending on the tenon being an inch to 1.25" long going into the leg mortise.

My other thought was to use 1" thick stock and go ahead and make the tenon and corresponding mortises 1/2", but I thought that this might be overkill.

Any thoughts are, as always, appreciated.

Jason


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

1/4" thick tenon should be adequate, but I would go 3/8.
I think somewhere I read tenon should be at least 1/3 thickness.


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

What is the width of your aprons?


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## JasonZahn (Dec 16, 2014)

Should've specified that…they're side aprons, around 6" maybe a hair more


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

1/4" would be plenty.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

if you're using a fairly hard wood I agree that 1/4" will work, anything softer than say poplur I'd be concerned about that small of tenon.


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

If you have 6"' of width I would do a double tenon, it is stronger then just one large one, and not any more work, make one large tenon, cut out part of the center of it and then make the 2 mortises on each leg. I aint happy with a 1/4", do you have a 5/16 or 3/8 chisel for the mortiser? You have more then enough wall thickness in those legs. I would go with a 1 1/4 tenon, better safe then sorry.


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## JasonZahn (Dec 16, 2014)

I'll be using walnut, so as far as the wood goes I'm not concerned, however I may just go ahead and do the 3/8" tenon to be safe rather than the 1/4" even though it might be overkill.

I never even thought about doing a double tenon, but might give it a thought now that you bring it up, conifur…

Thanks guys.


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