On this page you will find a day-to-day log of my progress in making a pair of Stickley inspired bedside tables

• What follows is the design process of a Stickley inspired bedside table.  The table will be made from walnut with tiger maple drawer fronts.
• I need to make two of these things!

• Another CAD drawing of the project.  The design is based on Stickley's Three Drawer Night Stand (89-0910).

• Carcass construction (sides and top removed for clarity).
• The back and sides will be made from 1/4" walnut ply.
• The drawer runners are centered and will have dovetailed tops attached.  They will be half lapped onto the front rails and mortise and tenoned in the back.
• A board in the back will receive the drawer runners that runs vertical.  This will be glued and screwed to the top and bottom rails. 
• For added strength the vertical board will be lapped around the top and bottom rails by 1/4".
• Note: The drawer dividers are supposed to be flush with the front legs (need to adjust CAD drawing).

• 2/16/08 Purchased all the lumber for both tables.  I will give the lumber one week to acclimate to the shop and next weekend I will start woodworking.

• 2/24/08 Finished milling most of the lumber for both bedside tables (with the exception for the top and drawers and runners).  Next I need to groove for the plywood sides, and mortise for the loose tenon joinery.

• The curves on the lower rails were cut using a template at the router table.  (See the process here)

• 2/28/08  Dry fit of carcass.  Next I need to cut out the side and back panels.

• 3/02/08  Finished the glue-up of both carcasses.  Next I need to work on the top and the drawers and runners.

• Applied a dye (TransFast) to lightly stain the drawer fronts to bring out the figure in the curly maple.

• So far I have applied 3-coats of "Tung Oil Finish" (Minwax).

• To the bottom of the drawers I attached a guide that was slotted with a dovetail bit.
• It is attached to the back with a screw and inserted into a mortise in the front (guide was half-lapped and inserted into a  mortise).

• This picture really shows off the beauty of the tiger maple.  You can see why it is also called 'quilted maple'.

• A dovetailed guide rides in the dovetailed slots on the bottom of the drawers.

• All of the drawers were assembled (at the front) with half blind dovetails.

• Tails were set up with a 'Big-Small-Big' layout, but maybe next time it needs to be exaggerated more.

• Close-up of the dovetailed drawer guide.

• 3/21/08  Finished!  Still might apply one more coat of Tung Oil finish to the tops.

• In the bedroom next to my walnut Stickley inspired bed.

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