Corner supports for coffee table?

[Mike Ontko]

Looking for advice on a coffee table that I'd like to build for myself, that will be based on the piece pictured below by Selva, an Italian producer. An ambitious first project, my design would feature two drawers (his and hers) on each opposing end, but otherwise I intend to pretty much duplicate what I'm seeing in this picture.

coffeeTable_Selva-Sophia.jpg

The selected wood for the legs and apron rails is steamed European beech. The top and shelf will be either beech or birch ply, wrapped with a solid band of beech. Runners and kickers for drawers will likely be maple.

What I'm wondering is:

1. Would having drawers at both ends compromise the overall strength of the table?
2. Would there be a need for corner bracing given that the undermounted shelf combined with M&Ts at the top of the legs "seems" like it would offer sufficient resistance to racking stresses. Would there even be room for corner bracing if the runners/kickers are mounted directly to the apron rails?

Thanks in advance.

[Prashun Patel]

There's no need for corner braces. Even without the lower shelf, the legs on a coffee table are sufficiently short that with a 2.5"-4" apron, you won't experience any racking.

The drawers at the end won't compromise the strength. The upper/lower rails for those drawers will help, but those long aprons on the sides are what'll really keep your top flat and your legs true.

If I were doing this, I'd add full-depth center supports between the two long aprons behind the drawers.

Also, beware of ply for the top. It's totally doable, you may conclude (as have I) that a glue up of a nice, stable wood like beech is easier than edgebanding and flushing banding to plywood. Further, the color of veneered plywood can look different from the solid components. (unsolicited aesthetic opinion): If it were me, I'd make the WHOLE thing out of beech, top, aprons, legs, and drawer components. If anything, i'd use maple for the drawer sides just for contrast if you're dovetailing.

[Mike Ontko]

If I were doing this, I'd add full-depth center supports between the two long aprons behind the drawers.

Also, beware of ply for the top. It's totally doable, you may conclude (as have I) that a glue up of a nice, stable wood like beech is easier than edgebanding and flushing banding to plywood. Further, the color of veneered plywood can look different from the solid components. (unsolicited aesthetic opinion): If it were me, I'd make the WHOLE thing out of beech, top, aprons, legs, and drawer components. If anything, i'd use maple for the drawer sides just for contrast if you're dovetailing.

Just the kind of feedback I was in need of, thanks. I was going to include a third question regarding the center supports, but you beat me to it. I agree totally about the aesthetics of the veneered/ply material, and have been concerned about how to control the color match during finishing. But I was thinking more of wood movement/stability as the main reason to go with a plywood surface. I think that's what they've done in the original production piece.

[Prashun Patel]

The production piece was probably done like that for cost and speed and consistency, not necessarily stability. Make sure your boards are dried and acclimated properly. Mill them properly and to the same dimensions, and then use cauls to glue them up. Panel glue ups are a great skill to learn and master (I'll tell you when I've mastered it ).

The apron will hold the top flat. For your first foray, you can pocket screw the apron to the top. You'll have to elongate the apron pocket holes. You can drill right through the drawer top rails into the top.

[Mike Ontko]

The apron will hold the top flat. For your first foray, you can pocket screw the apron to the top. You'll have to elongate the apron pocket holes. You can drill right through the drawer top rails into the top.

I've got a Kreg kit, but was planning on attaching the top with s-clips.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I've got a Kreg kit, but was planning on attaching the top with s-clips.

That works, too.

I agree with Prashun's evaluation of the stability/joinery. I would have no concerns building it as shown [plus the center brace between the drawers] out of any wood, except..................

The big "wood movement" issue will come with the lower shelf, not the S-clip top. You'll need to plan for expansion/contraction there, if you use solid wood. Ply would make life a lot easier for that part, which I have no doubt they used in a production piece.

[Mike Ontko]

Thanks for the feedback, Kent. And hopefully the wood you're alluding to is the veneer ply that I'd been considering. I hadn't considered a push-pull kind of situation due to differences in change between the top surface and the lower shelf. The dado slots in each of the legs that will hold the shelf should probably include a small amount of space (1/8" at each end) at the back of each dado slot to allow for seasonal movement. That space would be hidden by edge banding just like the image shows.

Here's another question:

There's a small reveal of about 1/4" at the bottom of the beveled molding, where it attaches to the top material (which is plywood on the production model). Is this part of the molding (i.e., the molding would require a special set of shaper knives and is something I couldn't simply cut on a tablesaw), or do you think that's a part of the top surface that allowed to show beneath the molding?

[Mike Ontko]

Thought I'd post a reply to show my progress to date on this coffee table. Over the last two weeks, I've put together a rough prototype to test out what I'd worked out on paper as the likely dimensions for this build. The proto table was done in stud grade fir and birch plywood. Because I was only interested in the overall dimensions, and didn't want this to take too much time away from the real project, I opted to leave out the bottom tray and the drawers.

1-protoCoffeeTable_03.jpg 2-protoCoffeeTable_04.jpg

Overall dimensions of the legs and apron are: l=42", w=21". Floor to surface height is 16.5". The beveled trim, cut at 35 degrees, adds 3/4 inch all around (adds 1-1/2" to the overall length & width). Apron height is 3 inches with a 3/4" trim. Legs are tapered from 1-7/8" down to 1-3/8".

Lessons learned: Think I'll go with 40 or 45 degrees for the beveled trim--to give it a beefier appearance and so that it appears proportional to the legs. I'll also increase the leg taper down to 1-1/8" at the bottom and start it closer to bottom of the apron. And, I'll increase the apron's height to 3-1/2".

[Gene Davis]

Thinner legs will look better for a table of that scale. Take your top dimension which looks like 1-7/8 square down to about 1-5/8, and bring down your taper to 1-1/8 at the bottom.

[Mike Ontko]

Thinner legs will look better for a table of that scale.

I agree entirely. Before being able to actually see the prototype in place, I thought that a thicker leg would've looked better.

[Prashun Patel]

I would have made the apron thinner unless you are planning to put a drawer in there. I agree the legs could taper more aggressively or start thinner at the top.

My eye doesn't want the design to move heftier, but lighter.

[Mike Ontko]

There will be drawers--one on each end (his and hers...guess which one will hold the remotes )

[Gene Davis]

Quick Sketchup model. Your overall size, legs 1.375 sq at top, 1.125 at bottom, stretchers 3.5, I show lines to indicate .75 surround for very shallow drawer, good for remotes, not much else. Lower shelf .75 thick.

[Mike Ontko]

Nice model, Gene. I'd started one in SketchUp 14, but got hung up on the dovetails and double tusk tenons for each of the drawer ends. The dovetailed support rails (I forget what they're called) will be offset to the inside so that the drawer front appears solid, looking solid just like the apron sides. Also, I think the original that I'm working off of has a steeper taper on the legs than the .25 inch shown in your model.