Mission Possible: Coffee & End Tables

By Robert J. Settich April 17, 2024

Projects designed and built by Jim Probst

This timeless collection of mission furniture promises to add style to your living or family room while showcasing your craftsmanship. As you build the pieces, you’ll discover techniques for making mortise-and-tenon and drawer-lock joints, marking curves, and attaching tabletops to allow for wood movement.

Companion articles provide trade secrets for edge-gluing perfectly flat tabletops, working with white oak, applying a two-step mission finish, and still more on mortise-and-tenon joinery. So whether you build just one table or the entire ensemble, expect a dramatic bump in your woodworking skills set.

Click here to jump ahead to the end table plans

Two-Drawer Coffee Table

By itself, this handsome coffee table showcases quartersawn oak while providing a pair of drawers for storing TV and DVD remotes, cards, magazines, and more.

Start with the legs

1 Rip blanks for the legs (A), and thickness plane them so the width and thickness both equal 13/8". (Jim machines these parts about 1/32" larger than the final size, achieving the needed dimension after sanding away the planer marks.) After sanding, crosscut the legs to the finished length found in the Cut List page 29.

2 BUNDLE THE FOUR LEGS (A) TOGETHER, arranging the best faces to face the front and rear of the table. Mark the top ends of the legs as shown in the Top View drawing accompanying Fig. 1. This system identifies the position of each leg: RF is right front, for example. And it also prevents errors by numbering each face of the leg that receives a mortise.

3 LAY OUT THE MORTISE LOCATIONS on each leg (A) where shown on Fig. 1 with a pencil and combination square. Fig. 2 shows the difference between a regular layout and a mirror image layout, when you gauge the location of the mortise from the opposite edge of the leg. Note that you need to lay out only the ends and one edge of each mortise. The marked edge will be nearest the fence when you cut the mortises.

4 SET UP YOUR MORTISER WITH A 3/8" BIT. If you don’t have a benchtop mortiser, consider a mortising attachment for your drill press (see the Convenience Plus Buying Guide on page 28). Cut all of the coffee table leg mortises 11/8" deep. In several locations, the mortises will intersect each other inside the leg. To prevent tear-out inside the leg, stuff a filler block into the first mortise while you cut the second, as shown in Photo A.

Cut the rails and tenons

1 RIP AND CROSSCUT THE RAILS, which includes the lower end rails (B), the upper end rails (C), the front rail (D), and the back rail (E). Fig. 3 and the Cut List provide the finished dimensions of these pieces. Note that miter cuts at one end of the upper end rails and both ends of the back rails produce tenons 7/8" long. However, you’ll simplify your tenoning procedure by cutting all of the tenons 1" long and later mitering those that need it. So cut the blanks for the upper end rails 191/4" long, and the back rail 431/4" long. Identify the inner face of each rail with a pencil mark.

2 MARK THE SHELF GROOVE on the inner face of the lower end rails (B) where shown on Fig. 3. Using a plunge router with a fence, cut a 91/4" long groove. Make the cut in several passes, lowering the bit 1/8" after each cut.

3 MARK THE SPINDLE MORTISES IN THE TOP EDGES of the lower end rails (B) and the bottom edges of the upper end rails (C) where shown on Fig. 3. To ensure accurate layouts, clamp the top edge of a lower end rail (B) next to the bottom edge of an upper end rail (C) with their edges and ends flush. Also make sure that the outer face of each rail is facing outward when clamped. Mark each pair of rails with an R or L (right or left side of the table). Use your square and a marking knife to transfer the mortise layout lines from one rail to the other. Unclamp the pair, and cut the mortises with the outside face of each rail against the fence of your mortising setup.

4 BEGIN to cut THE TENONS ON THE RAILS WITH A TENONING JIG on your table saw. To help prevent tear-out, check the Tip Alert. Referring to Fig. 4, set the blade 1" high, and clamp the outside face of the rail against the vertical work support of your tenoning jig. (See the Buying Guide for information about a tenoning jig.) Adjust the position of your jig as shown in the Cut 1 of Fig. 4, with the edge of the blade that’s closest to the jig ½" from the face of the rail that’s opposite the jig. Prove the setup with cuts in scrap stock identical to the thickness of your rails, and then make all of these cuts. Thickness plane a spacer that equals the width of your blade’s kerf plus 3/8". Referring to Cut 2 of Fig. 4, place this spacer between the rail and the tenoning jig. Again, do test cuts in scrap stock until the tenon measures 3/8", and then make all of these cuts as shown in Photo B. Save this spacer because you’ll need it again.

5 SHAPE THE TENONS WITH TWO MORE CUTS. The first cut, as shown in Photo C, utilizes a table saw sled and stop block. If you don’t have a sled, merely screw a wood face onto your miter gauge, and then clamp a stop block to it. Refer to Fig. 3 to see where to make these cuts on each rail. The next set of cuts, shown in Photo D, releases the waste to reveal the tenons. Use the eraser end of a pencil—instead of risking your fingers—to move the small offcuts away from the blade. Better still, turn off the saw and then remove the offcuts.

6 TEST-FIT THE TENONS INTO THEIR MORTISES,

and make any adjustments needed for a smooth sliding fit. To complete the tenons, refer to Fig. 3 to mark and cut miters or notches at the ends of the tenons. These are needed in some locations so that the tenon will fully seat into its mortise. Mitered tenons that are 7/8" long will meet each other inside the mortises as shown in the top section view accompanying Fig. 1 on page 23, so they require test-fitting to ensure that the end doesn’t bottom out before the shoulders meet the legs.

(C) Define the ends of the tenon with a vertical cut, using a stop block. (D) Use a series of cuts to release the waste around the tenon. Sneak up on the height settings to avoid going too far with the blade.

Shape the curves on the rails

1 USE A FAIRING STICK TO MARK THE CURVED EDGES in the lower end rails (B), the front rail (D), and the back rail (E). For this purpose, a fairing stick is nothing more than a ¼"-thick strip of plywood or solid wood that will bend smoothly so you can draw a smooth (fair) curve. Begin by marking the ends of the curve as well as its high point, centered end-to-end on the rail. If you spring the curve by hand pressure, you’ll need a helper to draw the curve with a pencil. An easier system uses a band clamp to hold the curve steady, as shown in Photo E.

2 BANDSAW JUST TO THE WASTE SIDE OF THE CURVE, and smooth to the marked line. Do the initial shaping with a drum sander, and then finish by hand-sanding. Save the curved offcut because you’ll use it later as a clamping caul.

Make and test-fit the spindles

1 DRY-ASSEMBLE (NO GLUE) BOTH SIDE ASSEMBLIES, consisting of a pair of legs (A) plus a lower end rail (B) and an upper end rail (C). Ensure that the tenons seat fully, that the rails are parallel to each other, and that the assembly is flat. The distance between the rails should be 10" so that the spindle (F) dimensioned in Fig. 3 will fit between your rails. If not, adjust the size of the leg mortises or rail tenons to correct the rail-to-rail distance.

2 RIP THE SPINDLES (F) SLIGHTLY OVERSIZED, and mark the end of each one as you cut it free so that you can place the spindles next to each other in the table in the same sequence that they were in the board. Thickness-plane the spindles to a perfectly square section, and then crosscut them to finished length. As you make the crosscuts, immediately restore any sequencing marks that you need to trim away.

3 CUT THE TENONS ON THE SPINDLES (F) using a procedure similar to the one you used for the rails. Referring to Cut 1 of Fig. 5, clamp a spindle on end into your tenoning jig, and add a backing board to prevent tear-out where the blade exits the wood. After this first cut, unclamp the spindle and rotate it 90º (in either direction) to make another pass in the Cut 1 position. When you make the cuts into the opposite end of the spindle, make certain that they are along the same two adjacent faces. Set up for the Cut 2 position using the same spacer you saved from the rail tenoning procedure, and make all of these cuts.

4 REMOVE THE TENON WASTE from the edges of the spindles (F) using a setup similar to the one shown for the rails in Photo D. In this case, though, you’ll make all the cuts with a single stop block position and at one blade height setting.

Make more parts, add the chamfers, and apply the finish

1 Cut the drawer stile (G) and the drawer divider (H) to the sizes shown in the Cut List. For economy, you can make the drawer divider from a secondary wood such as poplar.

2 MAKE THE TOP (I) AND SHELF (J) from edge-glued solid stock. For procedures and helpful tips on creating flat panels, see the companion article “Perfect Flat-Panel Glue-ups” that begins on page 38. Cut the pieces to finished size and rout an 1/8" chamfer on the top and bottom edges of the top. Next, cut the rabbet on the ends of the shelf as dimensioned in Fig. 3. One easy way to do this is with a straight bit and fence setup at your router table. Chamfer a 1/16" edge only on the front and back edges of the shelf.

3 CHAMFER AND/OR FINISH-SAND THE PARTS. Refer to Fig. 6 to see which part corners and edges are chamfered or broken. Note that the legs are chamfered at the bottom edges of the feet and three outside corners. Also, do not chamfer the top edges of top rails C, D, and E. (Jim applied 1/8" chamfers to legs (A), top (I), and drawer fronts (K); all remaining edges are broken.) Chamfers can be routed (see the chamfering bit in the Buying Guide), or made with a block plane.

4 IT’S MUCH EASIER TO APPLY THE FINISH BEFORE ASSEMBLY instead of dealing with all the corners after glue-up. Thoroughly dust the parts, and apply your choice of finish, heeding the caution in the Tip Alert. For the secrets of using dyes to achieve a great look for this table, see the companion article “Mission Finish Two-Step” on page 36.

Do the glue-up in stages

1 DO A DRY FITTING (NO GLUE) OF BOTH END ASSEMBLIES, each consisting of two legs (A), a lower end rail (B), an upper end rail (C), and ONE spindle (F, use of more than one spindle may create a friction fit that will resist disassembly!). Apply enough clamping pressure to check that all of the tenons seat fully into their mortises. Ensure that each assembly is flat and square. Check each assembly against Fig. 6, making sure that the legs are oriented correctly and that the grooves in the lower end rails face each other.

2 RECRUIT A HELPER, if possible, to assist in the glue-up. Ensure that all of the spindle sequencing marks you made earlier are laid out properly. Select a glue with a long open time to give yourself the time needed to adjust the parts before the adhesive grabs. Titebond’s Liquid Hide Glue and Extend Wood Glue (see the Buying Guide) offer longer, more manageable, open time.

3 APPLY A DAB OF GLUE TO THE TENONS ON THE SPINDLES (F), and insert them into the lower end rail (B), and upper end rail (C). Grab the curved offcut you saved from the lower end rail, and use it as a caul to apply clamping pressure between the rails as shown in Photo F.

4 WIPE GLUE ONTO THE RAIL TENONS AND INTO THE MORTISES in the legs (A). Add a pair of clamps to the end assembly to snug these joints. Measure for equal diagonals to check for square, and also ensure that the assembly is flat. Check inside intersecting mortises and remove any glue squeeze-out that could affect the fit of the other rails. Repeat the process with the other end assembly, let the glue dry, preferably overnight, and unclamp.

5 TEST-FIT THE RAILS AND SHELF (J) BETWEEN THE END ASSEMBLIES to ensure that the tenons seat fully and that the assembly is flat and square. Apply glue to the tenons on the front rail (D), the back rail (E), and the mortises in the legs (A). Also spread glue only on the center 3" of the rabbets in the shelf (J) and the grooves in the lower end rails (B) to allow for movement. Clamp the assembly on a flat surface as shown in Photo G, and carefully check it for square.

6 CUT THE DRAWER DIVIDER (H) AND ATTACH IT TO THE DRAWER STILE (G) with a plate joiner biscuit. Also use a biscuit to attach the back end of the drawer divider, centered between the ends of back rail (E). (You could substitute pocket-hole screws for biscuits in these hidden locations.) Drill a screw shank hole through the midpoint of the front rail (D), countersinking it on the bottom, to attach the drawer stile/divider assembly. Clamp that assembly in place while you use the shank hole as a guide to drill a pilot hole, then drive the screw.

Make the drawers

1 THICKNESS PLANE THE DRAWER STOCK, making the drawer fronts (K) 7/8" thick, the drawer back (L) 5/8" thick, and the drawer sides (M) ½" thick. You can make the backs and sides from a secondary wood such as poplar, if you want. Check the size of the drawer openings, which should be identical. Rip and crosscut the drawer fronts, making them 1/8" smaller (or less) in width and length than the opening.

2 RIP THE DRAWER BACKS (L) AND SIDES (M) to the same width as the drawer front. You’ll later cut the back narrower, but don’t worry about that now. Sand the inner faces of all these parts.

3 PUT A ¼" DADO HEAD IN YOUR TABLE SAW, and set it for a ¼"-deep cut. See the Tip Alert for additional set-up and cutting advice. Also attach a plywood sacrificial face to your table saw’s rip fence. (The easiest way to do this is with cloth double-faced carpet tape.) Refer to the joint detail in Fig. 7 for the drawer joints. Now look over Fig. 8, which shows the five-step sequence of cuts for the drawer joints. (In the following sequence, we’ll describe the procedure for a single drawer, but of course you’ll make all identical cuts at each setup before moving to the next cut.)

4 Set the rip fence 3" from the inner edge of the dado head as shown in the Cut 1 of Fig. 8, and lay a drawer side (M) with its outer face up and its back end against the rip fence. Use your miter gauge to push the side over the dado head for this cut. Next, slide the rip fence, and lock it ¼" from the inner edge of the blade as indicated in the Cut 2. Rotate the drawer side, with the outer face still upward, and make this cut at the front end.

5 RAISE THE DADO HEAD to the thickness of the drawer sides (M). You could even cheat it 1/32" higher to set up for Cut 3 in the end of the drawer front (K). See the Tip Alert for safety advice about this cut. Position the inner face of the drawer front next to the fence.

6 LOWER THE DADO HEAD to 3/8" in preparation for the Cut 4 setup. The drawing shows the edge of the dado blade against the sacrificial plywood fence, but actually doing that would be very noisy and also generate a lot of blade-damaging heat from the friction. See the Tip Alert for a quieter and cooler idea. Make this cut with the drawer front (K) flat on your saw table, with the outer face upward.

7 MAKE CUT 5 INTO THE DRAWER BACK (L) with the inner face upward. Note that you need to set the height of the dado head so that a ¼" tongue remains on the inner face of the drawer back. Confirm this setup with test cuts in scrap stock identical in thickness to the drawer back.

8 PUT YOUR REGULAR BLADE BACK INTO YOUR TABLE SAW to make the two passes that cut the groove for the drawer bottom. Set your rip fence for the first pass so that the outer edge of the blade is 2¼" from the fence, and raise the blade for a ¼"-deep cut. Cut a groove near the bottom inner edge of the drawer fronts (K) and drawer sides (M). You don’t need to groove the back (L). Move the fence closer to the blade so that you’ll widen the groove enough to fit the thickness of the drawer bottom (N). After you’ve grooved all of the drawer fronts and sides, raise the blade high enough to slice completely through the drawer back. This cut narrows the back’s width so that it reaches only to the top edge of the groove in the sides. Finally, rout a 1/8" chamfer around the outside edges of the drawer fronts (K).

9 DRY-ASSEMBLE THE DRAWER components to check the joints and to confirm the size of the drawer bottom (N), and cut it to size. Glue and clamp the drawer joints, but don’t glue the bottom into its groove. Check that the drawer assembly is square and flat. Drill countersunk pilot holes, and fasten the drawer bottom to the back. Unclamp the drawer after the glue dries.

Ready for final assembly

1 RIP AND CROSSCUT THE DRAWER RUNNERS (O) to size. Drill countersunk pilot holes, and attach the runners to the upper end rails (C) and the drawer divider (H) where shown on Fig. 7. Be sure that the runners are straight and parallel to the upper edge of the end rails and divider.

2 TEST-FIT THE DRAWERS, then sand them to final smoothness. Apply the finish, drill holes for the drawer pulls, and attach them. Remove the drawers.

3 ATTACH THE FIGURE-eight FASTENERS to the upper end rails (B) where shown in Fig. 6 (their placement is not critical). Do not counterbore them into the rails. Drive the screws so that the fastener rotates easily without flopping up and down. Place the top (I) face down on a padded surface, then invert and center the base assembly on the top. Mark the underside of the top so a 1¼" counterbore will recess each figure-eight fastener. Move the base assembly, and drill these counterbores with a Forstner bit (see the Buying Guide). Again center the base assembly, and drill pilot holes into the top to attach the figure-eight fastener as shown in Photo H. Lightly tighten these screws so that the fastener will allow the top to move in response to seasonal humidity changes.

4 TURN THE TABLE UPRIGHT, and replace the drawers.

COMPLEMENTARY END TABLE

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks loved the game so much that he often said, “Let’s play two!” You’ll feel the same way about this table, and probably decide to build a pair. They are a natural companion to the Coffee Table on page 23, and will be right at home in your living room. But it’s also sized right as a bedside table, expanding its usefulness. Construction techniques include mortise-and-tenon and drawer-lock joinery, marking curves, and attaching tabletops to allow for wood movement.

Fill out the ensemble by building a pleasing pair of end (or lamp) tables. The construction piggybacks that of the coffee table with a few differences that we’ll point out in the instructions. Note, too, that although we constructed our pieces using quartersawn white oak, cherry makes for an excellent choice as well. See examples of Jim Probst’s cherry mission pieces at probstfurniture.com.