Joinery advice needed

[wbwufpack]

My wife and I have finally settled on a design that we like for a couple of end tables. I have started laying everything out in Sketchup and I would like to get some advice. The design is going to include some half lapped lattice type pieces on each side. The problem is I can't figure out a good way to join them to the bottom shelf and upper side apron. I could always just butt joint them in there, but I would like to find a way to get a little more strength in the joint. Does anybody have any suggestions?
The end tables are going to be made out of some 4/4 Walnut that I acquired a little over a year ago.
I would happy to hear thoughts on any other aspects of the design as well. Thanks.

 

[Gotcha6]

It would be a skill challenge, but a neat dovetail into those areas would look fantastic. There is always pocket screws from the back and bottom too.

 

[Barron]

The lattice is cosmetic, so you really don't need a lot of strength, but if you want you can do mortise and tenon. I think a straight mortise and angled tenon would be the strongest and not really all that hard to do. Short dowels would work and be even easier. Nice design.

 

[Chris C]

It would be a skill challenge, but a neat dovetail into those areas would look fantastic.

+1...though you may have to make a small adjustment to your plan.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I kind of agree w/ Barron. There is no structural strength consideration, so I wouldn't go too elaborate on the joinery. If you do M&T I would make it very shallow (1/8"). All you want is to prevent side to side movement, not reinforcement. Or you could go w/ a small, short dowel.

But you definitely need something to keep the lattice from ever moving. I wouldn't trust glue alone, since you will be gluing end grain (the lattice) to long grain.

 

[Gofor]

A short blind dowel will anchor the bottom center well, but if also used on the top, it may make assembly a bit complicated. A through dowel could be used at the center on the top, but dowelling the corners will be very difficult if not impossible to assemble. You may need to pin nail the corners from the inside.

Mortising into the top apron will work, but the lattice will have to go in along with the top apron.

Whatever you decide, make sure you dry assemble first to make sure you have the right sequence.

Go

 

[FredP]

cut a shallow dado in the top and bottom rails the same width as the lattice. after assembly fill in the exposed dado with wood strips trapping the lattice. much easier than mortise and tenon.

 

[wbwufpack]

Thanks for all of the tips.
I really like the dovetail idea but it is a bit intimidating right now. I’ll be attempting my first full and half blind dovetails on the drawers so I don’t know that I am ready to use them on the lattice work.
I think I am going to go with the hidden dowel idea just to make assembly a little easier. That way I can glue up the main structure then dry fit the lattice work versus having to get it all perfect in one shot.

 

[tarheelz]

^
This would be my plan as well. The dowel exceeds your engineering needs for strength and alignment while still addressing aesthetics and practicality.

 

[KenOfCary]

Similar to Fred's idea I think I would add a very small edge strip to the bottom of the top edges all the way around the unit for consistency and do the same for the top of the bottom shelf. Make this about half as thick as the lattice and about as tall. Then just add another half lap at the top and bottom of the lattice. Make it so the lattice disappears behind the ledge to cover any minor mistakes.

 

[jerrye]

A short blind dowel will anchor the bottom center well, but if also used on the top, it may make assembly a bit complicated

Go

I would dowel the bottoms and tops. Use wooden dowels on the bottom, and metal rod in a deep hole into the top of the lattice with a spring underneath. Place the lattice onto the bottom dowels, hold the top dowels down until aligned with the top holes, at which point the springs will force the metal dowels into the matching holes, holding everything in place. The nice thing about this is that it allows for easy disassembly should you ever need to do that.

 

[cyclopentadiene]

Number one choice, Festool domino's as they are simple to set up and align. Number two choice is dowels as you can drill one side and use dowel centers to ensure you drill in the correct position for the other piece.

 

[wbwufpack]

cut a shallow dado in the top and bottom rails the same width as the lattice. after assembly fill in the exposed dado with wood strips trapping the lattice. much easier than mortise and tenon.

Okay now that I have had some time to think about what you and Ken said I do like this approach. My only fear is that the dado on the bottom shelf might be visible even after I fill it in with the wood strip. There is no way I am going to be able to match the grain exactly with the wood strip but Walnut is so dark I guess I could get away with it. Do you think I am being to paranoid about this aspect?
Regardless of which way I go I think I need to get the lattice joints out of the legs and only use one component top and bottom to anchor them. That will make things simpler in that I won't have to cut half a joint in the leg and half a joint in the shelf or apron.

 

[KenOfCary]

That makes sense to me as a simplification of the build without sacrificing any of the design.

 

[Gofor]

I agree that getting the legs out of the corner posts will simplify the joinery. This would allow the short dowel approach on the bottom 3 contact points. For the top, you could rabbet the inside edge of the stretcher (skirt), and half lap the lattice top contact points. For assembly, you could slide the latticework inside the legs and just rotate it up into place after the rest of the piece is assembled. The half lap into the rabbet would only be visible from underneath.

An advantage to installing the lattice last is that you can do all the finish work on the assemble and the lattice before installing it, just masking the contact points to ensure a glue bond. This will make access during finishing a lot easier.

Go

 

[Jeff]

I could always just butt joint them in there, but I would like to find a way to get a little more strength in the joint.

There's no additional strength needed for the end tables so the lattice work is "decorative" but needs to stay in place somehow while keeping the construction and glue-up simple. So try your hand at a few SketchUp solutions and see what looks doable.

Do you think I am being to paranoid about this aspect?

Yes, and you're overthinking how to do it, but you have good advice/methods from other members. Who's going to notice those cosmetic imperfections from walnut filler strips besides you and your wife (if you point them out to her)?

 

[CrealBilly]

If it were me - i would chisel in a few mortises for it to set in. A couple of minutes time and your good to go.

The internet is a black hole - nothing can escape it

 

[bluedawg76]

pin nails. anything else would just be too complicated for this application. JMTCW