Console table project advise needed please

[fobos8]

Hi all

Here is a rough sketch of a Console table I'm gonna make from Euro Oak.

Sorry dunno how to include picture in this message but here is link

http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j376/fobos8/?action=view&current=consoletable.jpg

The table is 1100mm wide. My question is about the dimensions of the horizontal drawer dividers which I've highlighted with a wooden colour.
You can see that they are 25mm thick and initially my intention was to make them the same width as the legs (45mm) and domino them to the legs.

I'm just a bit worried that they are too thin and may bend. They will be around 1050mm long. There drawers will be filled with stuff like telephone book, keys etc.

I made them 35mm thick on Sketchup and they looked awfull.

I have a book called "Practical Design Solutions and Strategies" by Taunton and it suggests a solution allowing you to have thin dividers. It is to make them 100mm wide. This would mean in my case dominoing them to the legs and the side rails. My concern with doing this is that a 100mm wide oak divider will want to shrink and will end up cracking.

I don't have the experience to know if 100mm wide oak dividers will end up cracking or cupping from expansion. Maybe its not wide enough to worry about??

Anyone got and experience on this that could help me.

Best regards, Andrew

 

[Waka]

I think the dimension of 25mm will be fine, remember that the centre divider will be holding the bottom rail to the top rail.

How do you intend to support the drawers, will it be a frame that's attached to the table sides and back, or a solid piece of wood.

My self I'd go for the framework method thats supported back and front by the drawer divider, with these supports in place the span is only about 500 mm, therefore I would personally go for 19 mm.

On the sagulator assuming you had 30 Kg in the draw the sag would be negligible.

I'm sure others will come along with info.

 

[mtr1]

There you go..

Just copy and paste the IMG code.

I think they look to thick TBH, you could get them down to 20mm. As waka has said, if you tenon and wedge the drawer divide, then fix though your top rail into the top itself, that will be quite strong. Plus if you fix your runners and kickers into the legs and side rails, they will take most of the weight. The centre runner could be housed into your back rail and front mid rail.

 

[fobos8]

Hi Waka et al

I intend to do the drawer support like this;


[url=http://s1082.photobucket.com...082.photobucket.com/albums/j37 ... upport.jpg [/url]

still can#t figure out how to insert image into the text- doh!!

 

[mtr1]

To the left of your picture on photobucket there are four codes in a box that says ....share your image the IMG code is the bottom one of these.

Looks fine.

 

[Waka]

19 mm will be adequate for the method you are using, Anything thicker will not look right IMHO.

 

[devonwoody]

Quite adequate. The drawer runners either wood or sliders will take the strain, the bottoms of drawer sides carry most of the weight IMO.

 

[fobos8]

when you say 19mm thickness will be okay for the dividers is that with a width of 45mm, i.e the full thickness of the legs?

Many thanks, Andrew

 

[devonwoody]

don't know about the ~Domino route.

Normally the cross pieces are tenoned into the leg and side rail so 45mm might not be wide enough. (top rail as well which is a dovetail)

 

[mtr1]

with a width of 45mm, i.e the full thickness of the legs?

That will be too big, you want to be able to fix your runners behind this rail, so make it 30mm, then you have 15 mm to fix your runner into. Unless you are talking about somthing else, in which case I'm confused :?

 

[Waka]

when you say 19mm thickness will be okay for the dividers is that with a width of 45mm, i.e the full thickness of the legs?

Many thanks, Andrew

The width of the material can be the same as the thickness of the legs, if you domino them into the legs back and front and the side runners into the long bits it will be strong enough.

Not any good at SU so unfortunately can't show you.

 

[OPJ]

I agree with Mark's original comment on the thickness of the drawer rails - at 25mm, they look thicker than the top and it doesn't quite look right. 19-20mm would be better.

I also agree with Waka's last comment, and that I would also make the front and back rails to be the same width as the legs. Since you have a Domino jointer (?), you shouldn't need to worry about anything else! :wink: Otherwise, you could tenon the runners in to the inner edges of the rails. Side guides could be stub-tenonned/Dominoed in to the legs. Actually, if you do that, you could also screw the runners in to the inner faces of the guides.

You may want to widen your kickers (the pieces above the drawer that stop it from tipping as you open it), unless you plan to add buttons or similar for fixing the top.

 

[Tarkin]

I just made a coffee table in a very similar style/size, albeit smaller in height. See here.

It has 1100mm long, 18mm thick rails above and below the drawers (which admittedly aren't shown in the pics because I've not finished the drawers off yet). But with the centre divider and the back/front stretcher secured to the top it is plenty strong. The 18mm thickness was for aesthetics, thicker wouldn't look right IMO, not with drawers.

 

[tisdai]

If you want to make the the vertical centre divider stronger, why not try a blind dovetail from the back where you can't see it. It will make for a stronger joint. Only a thought.

Cheers

Dave

 

[fobos8]

many thanks for your kind replies. Have taken into account everything you've all said and ammended my sketchup drawings.

I've got another query about the same project. As soon as I've sortout out the drawing I'll post it.

Cheers, Andrew

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Maybe you'll be addressing it but to me, the interior stuff looks a bit too heavy to me..

And out of curiosity, how are you drawing your table in SketchUp? You've got a lot of reversed faces there. Leads me to think you're not having a good time drawing.