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Thread: A&C Sofa table lower shelf question

  1. #1
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    A&C Sofa table lower shelf question

    Hello all,

    I'm currently ~2/3 through a build of a Arts and Crafts sofa table for a friend. The design is from FWW, which had custom metal stretchers between the legs (left in photo below). I'm planning to either leave them out and have the section below the table open (right) or add a narrow shelf, as found on many A&C pieces (middle). I do not plan to add mission style thin vertical pieces to the sides of the table, but would leave the sides open.

    sofa table legless.jpg
    Any thoughts on: Shelf/ no shelf?

    If yes, on the shelf, does anyone have suggestions for the construction details. I'm thinking the shelf would be narrower than the opening between front and back legs and would float in mortices in two stretchers between the front and back legs, but don't have any good examples of the details. Does not have to be strictly traditional, but should fit with the style.

    Thanks!
    C

  2. #2
    The typical Stickley detail would be like this:

    GST616.jpg

    Joints could be through or blind.

    Bob Lang

  3. #3
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    Excellent, thanks Bob. That's more or less what I was thinking for the shelf-to-leg detail.

    C

  4. Chris -- your question prompted me to dust off an idea I've had ruminating for a small end table with a similar shelf. For what its worth, I think you need to have some sort of shelf or stretchers or for a table the size you are planning. I think you'd risk having it be unstable unless you had large legs (which I don't think you want). So, using my newly acquired (and still acquiring...) skills with SketchUp, I looked a two possibilities for the table I'll eventually build and, again, for what its worth, I've shown them here (the proportions are closer to your sofa table than what I'd build). The first could be done in several ways, even without an actual shelf. I've seen A&C tables with that kind of lower stretcher design. The second 'floats' the shelf more - and needs some thinking about the engineering to give it strength - maybe doweling or screwing the short pieces to the shelf and then a dado in the leg(?). Or, maybe better yet, run a dado at a 45 deg angle on the bottom of the shelf at each corner for a few inches, which would make the shelf stand 'proud' of the pins (say 0.25"). this would give a good amount of gluing and screwing surface that would be out of sight...

    - Rich Sextro

    table v3.jpgtable v4.jpg

  5. #5
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    Hello Rich,

    Thanks for the reply and for taking the time to sketchup a couple possibilities. I'm definitely leaning toward adding the shelf, most likely similar to your example on the left, though possibly with a single solid panel rather than a captured one, though that risks sagging if too thin..

    C

  6. #6
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    Bob Lang's design is the classic A&C-Stickley. That's always my solution.

    However - your design can certainly veer off the beaten path.
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  7. #7
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    Hello all,

    Thanks for the feedback. I looked in the sketchup warehouse and found a model of the table from the FWW article that I modified. Here's what I'll probably go with (with thanks to the original modeler!). The lower shelf is ~ 1/2 as wide as the top and a bit thinner (5/8" instead of 3/4"). Any suggestions.

    Cheers,
    C


    Sofa Table 2.jpg

  8. #8
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    Looks fine, C -

    My stuff - I have a wide mortise and through-tenon where the lower shelf intersects the rail. But - that's just me.
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

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