Rustic Elegance Series

Some of the fine points that are not readily apparent . . . the drawer slides on recessed rails, and is assembled using wood pegs (vs. screws) and the drawer pull is cut from a deer antler.

Ok, so this end table might look out of place in Dallas or NY, but here in the "wilds" of Montana, our homemade furniture radiates rustic ambiance.  An agreeable likeness to the coffee table, it is a different height (and has a drawer), but overall both pieces compliment each other quite nicely.  The wood grain, knots and disease imperfections (on the legs) play an important part in the design.

Note that the end cross cuts (against the grain) on the table top are the same angle as the sides (bark surface). This gives it more of a natural form vs. a sawed-off plank.

The process

Using the same plank from which I made the coffee table, I was able to cut an exceptional slab for our end table.  Again, we used fence posts for the legs and were able to find some with several unique knot and disease characteristics.

The picture at left shows how the jig works with the table saw. Using this I was able to cut out the mortise slots and then chisel the wood that remained at the end of the saw cut.

One benefit of this kind of joint is that it is extremely sturdy. Our tables can be used for scaffolding if the need arises.