question on making a small table

[Don Baer]

I am about to make 3 small table for my church. They will be used to hold bulletiens, and other light object. (Presently they set them on card table and I think it looks tackey.)
The table will be made of Oak and I am planning on splaying the legs out a few degrees. The legs will be fastened to the aprons with M&T and the top will be fastened to the aprons from the underside.

Do you think I will need to put streachers on the legs ?

I kind of like the simplicity of the design without them.

[Lee DeRaud]

Are you going to taper the inside surfaces of the legs and splay them? I've seen that combination and it always looks a bit unbalanced, at least to my eyes.

In that size, for lightweight objects, I don't think you need stretchers.

[Todd Burch]

No stretchers required. As Lee suggests, a taper and a splay is too much. I would simple taper the two inside edges of the legs, say, starting 6" from the top.

The table will be a little low at 27", but it will work. I use 27" for end tables. 3" aprons would work well, although with such a tall, skinny table, they could get bulky looking quick. Going from a card table to these tables is a dramatic conservation of space. The card table is probably 30" tall. I would fear these tables would get knocked over a lot, being so small and skinny, and subsequently light. Maybe a triple wide table... with the center section raised, perhaps for a flower arrangement, while the two outer tabletop surfaces could hold bulletins. Just a thought.

Todd

[Don Baer]

Thanks for the replys. The reason for splaying the legs was in my opinion to add stability to the tables. I originaly had the tables at 32" but felt that they would realy be unstable.
These pieces are the first ones I am doing for someone other then family and the first ones to be in a public place and even though I am donating them I still want them to be right.

[Lee DeRaud]

Thanks for the replys. The reason for splaying the legs was in my opinion to add stability to the tables. I originaly had the tables at 32" but felt that they would realy be unstable.

If they're using a card-table now, you can probably get away with making them a couple inches longer/wider, which will help with any stability issues. By the time you get that much splay in the legs, they're going to look, um, odd. (Not to mention that the splay will make the leg/apron joint more complicated.)

[Guy Germaine]

Are you talking about something like this? The legs are tapered on the inside, but not splayed. It's plenty sturdy.

[Don Baer]

Are you talking about something like this? The legs are tapered on the inside, but not splayed. It's plenty sturdy.

Yup that pretty close, what are the demensions for that one ?

[Guy Germaine]

I actually don't remember what the dimensions are. I made it out of an old church pew that was given to me. I'll measure it up when I get home this afternoon and post them.

[Jim Becker]

How about something like this...similar dimensions to what you want at 18" square and could be manipulated easily to rectangular. This is a Thos Moser design as features in his Measured Shop Drawings for American Furniture (ISBN 0-8069-6792-7) on page 270. I have built them with and without the drawers. The legs are tapered on the insides as in the other examples folks have been talking about, but not splayed. Not only would that add a lot more complexity to the project, it would also potenitally create a greater risk of a "tripping" situation in public places, IMHO.

[Don Baer]

Jim how tall is that table ?

Thanks

[Jim Becker]

Jim how tall is that table ?

Built to spec, 27".

[Don Baer]

Thanks to all of your for your help all of you. I'll post progress pics as I build them. I still haven't decided on weather or not to put drawers in them and prob. won't until I start on the apron. I am leaning that way right now.