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How to Build a Shaker Dining Table

Form meets function in this classic trestle-table design.

By Christian Becksvoort #193–Sept/Oct 2007 Issue

Building a Shaker dining table

Based on a piece built at the Shaker community in Hancock, Mass., this table has been sized to meet the demands of today’s diners. Bed bolts used in construction ensure that the trestle design can be knocked down easily for moving or storage. The single center stretcher gives plenty of vertical leg room, and the arched feet give the table a graceful appearance while leaving plenty of space for diners’ feet. The posts are turned on a lathe, then notched with the aid of a shopmade jig.

The Posts Are Simple Turnings

Turn the blank. Becksvoort turns a 35⁄8-in.-sq. blank to 3½ in. dia., then makes a series of 23⁄8-in.-dia. parting cuts along the midsection, checking the diameter with calipers. After that, with the parting cuts serving as guides, he reduces the entire midsection to 23⁄8 in. dia.

Drill holes in the ends of the stretcher. Add a trestle to the stretcher temporarily, then use a 3⁄8-in.-dia. brad-point bit to extend the bed-bolt hole slightly into the end of the stretcher. After that, remove the trestle and drill deeper to complete the hole.

Add The Bed Bolts

Assembly Is Easy

Put it together. After all the parts have been sanded and finished, it’s finally time to put the table together. With the table parts upside down, slide the ends of the stretcher into the post grooves and slip the bed-bolt nuts into the mortises in the stretcher. Then, insert the bolts

From Fine Woodworking #193

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