A generous storage drawer and two fold-down leaves make this table a handsome addition in any Living Room or Bedroom.

This small drop-leaf table with drawer is modeled after a traditional Pembroke Table. It is a versatile, compact piece of furniture, offering a multitude of uses in your home decorating plans. Place it in an entry hall under a mirror to offer a warm welcome to visiting guests. Open both leaves and place it next to a sofa to showcase a special lamp or other prized object. Open a single leaf and place it next to your bed for the telephone and a reading lamp. The drop leaves bring untold versatility to this handsome little table.

The table uses a total of eight different joints; five of them functioning as “locking joints” that help hold the carcass or drawer together, the other three are part of the movable features of the table. Each joint was chosen for a good reason. But don’t let all of this joinery overwhelm you. Remember, you don’t have to cut all of them at once. Instead, you can parcel out the work to suit your own pace.

Here We Go: Start by studying the plan drawings. They contain all the information you need to build this great little table. Everything in these plans is there to help you – the smallest mark, the least dimension – review them all very carefully. Remember that an old, “Master Woodworker” once offered this formula: Of the total time required to build this or any project, 60% should be invested in studying and planning your approach…10% in sharpening and setting-up your tools…10% in making your cuts and fitting everything together…and the last 20% in final sanding and applying your finish.

Only one kind of specialized hardware is required for the table…the drop-leaf hinges. We used two pairs of Stanley 1-1/4″ table hinges (Stanley item # 46-330), which we ordered through a woodworking supply catalog. All other hardware came from a local Home Center.

1. Create the glue joints that will hold the pieces of the top together. We used the Shopsmith Glue Joint Shaper Cutter to make the cuts for this joint. We recommend this joint because it consists of a unitized, self-aligning spline/groove combination that dramatically increases the amount of gluing surface. As a result, you get an incredibly strong joint, once assembled.

When shaping these joints, remember to set your MARK V Work Table at waist-height or a little lower for optimum workpiece control and be sure your Shaper Cutters are sharp before you get started.

Your rough top, once assembled should be 36″ x 19″. This will give you plenty of stock to dress up the edges and cut the special drop-leaf joint.

Alternative Procedure: As an alternative, you could also use the Shopsmith Molder Set-Up with the Molding Glue Joint Cutter to create these joints.

2. Cut the drop-leaf (rule) joints that allow the leaves to be raised or lowered without leaving an unsightly gap between the leaves and the tabletop when the leaves are down. This movable joint is created by using the Shopsmith Shaper set-up and a combination of two cutters: The Drop Leaf Cove Cutter and the Drop Leaf Bead Cutter. When creating these profiles, it’s best to make a series of light passes under the cutters for the smoothest, most tight-fitting results. Again, sharp cutters can make a significant difference in your results.

Alternative Procedure: As an alternative, you could also use the Shopsmith Molder Set-Up with the Molding Drop Leaf Cove and Bead cutters to create these joints.

3. Form the mortise-and-tenon joints that will anchor the table sides and back to the legs. These joints will stand up under stress from almost all directions. Used as one of our locking joints, they’ll help form the durable carcase framework for our table. Start by carefully marking the stock used for the legs, identifying them relative to their final position on the table. This procedure will prevent mixing up the faces as you cut the joinery. Mark the locations for eight mortises and two dovetails.

Before you cut the mortises, however, turn the legs on the lathe. Use the Shopsmith Lathe Duplicator to help ensure that all four legs are identical.

Always cut the mortises BEFORE you cut the tenons because it’s easier to cut (or adjust) a tenon to fit a mortise than it is to cut a mortise to fit an existing tenon.

Use your Shopsmith Mortising Package with a 3/8″ Mortising Bit/Chisel.

Set to create these mortises. Be sure to use your Telescoping Legs or a cut-to-length 2″x4″ to brace the MARK V worktable during this operation, as the process of cutting mortises with this set-up requires substantial downward pressure, which will create table flex. If you don’t have a Mortising Package, you can also cut these mortises by removing most of the stock with a 3/8″ brad point drill bit, then cleaning them out with a chisel…or by using your Router set-up with a 3/8″ straight router bit.

Next, mark the tenons with a knife to prevent feather splinters, then use your Dado Set-Up to cut the tenons, custom-fitting them to fit your mortises. Cut them 1/8″ shorter than the depth of your mortises to leave room for the glue.

A Rule of thumb for mortise-and-tenon joints: Mortise widths should be no more than one-third to one-half the thickness of the stock you’re using.

4. Cut the locking dovetails. The “female” parts of these joints will be cut on the inside top of the two front legs…and the “male” parts will be cut on each end of the Front Top Rail (C). These joints will be located where the table will be stressed the most – at the top of the drawer opening – and will lock the legs and the front of the table assembly firmly together.

Start by cutting the dovetail slots in the tops of the two front legs. Use your horizontal boring set-up to drill out most of the waste, then clean them up with a 1/2″ chisel.

Next, cut the mating dovetails into the ends of the Front Top Rail using your Bandsaw, then a chisel and wood rasp to achieve a tight, final fit with the Legs. It’s best to cut these a bit over-size to begin with, then “pare” them down carefully until they fit snugly.