Photos by Burt Murphy

It's for the children's room, but odds are you'll want a few more around the house—and extra ones come easy once you know how.

Combining the interesting pattern of rustic design with rugged simplicity, this provincial night stand is the answer to those in the family—young or old—who prefer something slightly more ornate than the straight lines of most modern furniture. As for use—well, there's hardly a piece of furniture in the house more handy and versatile and mobile. There's no outgrow­ing the piece, either; it's "children's furni­ture" only insofar as children will delight to have it in their room. If you wish, make several of them for use as occasional cabi­nets around the rest of the house.

As shown in the cutting diagram, mark the various parts and cut them from a 4-foot square panel of 3/4-inch Weldwood birch plywood.

In the back edge of sides (B) and top (A), cut 1/4X3/8-inch rabbets. When cut­ting the rabbet in top (A), make sure to stop the cut 11/2, inches from each end in order to conceal the groove. Place both sides (B) on top of each other, holding them temporarily with clamps. Then draw the design profile at the bottom as shown in profile graph 2.

Bore 1-inch holes in the short curves of the design, as shown on page 81. Saw out the pattern, file and sand. Next, separate sides (B) and draw a line on the inside surface of each piece, 31/2 inches from and parallel with the top edge. Draw a second line 3/4 inch down from the first, parallel with it. Starting 31/2 inches from the bot­tom, draw a second set of lines similar to and parallel with the first set. These are guide lines for mounting shelves (C).

In back edge of side (B), cut 1/4x3/8-inch rabbet where Vi-inch plywood back will later be fastened.

On the outside surface of both sides (B), 37/8 inches from the top and 35/8 inches from the bottom, draw light parallel lines across. Along these outside lines, bore four equally spaced 1/2-inch holes, 5/16inch deep. Then drill 3/16-inch holes all the way through the centers of these first holes. Start boring holes 3/4inch from each side.

Also on the outside surface of sides (B), 3/8 inch in from and parallel with the front edges, draw a 31/2-inch long line up from the bottom. Bore two 1/2-inch holes and then 3/16-inch holes through these, as was done previously; start the first hole 3/4inch up from the bottom, and the second one I1/2 inches farther up.

Begin assembly of the table by mounting both shelves (C) between sides (B), keep­ing the shelves flush with the rabbet in the back. Use glue and l1/4-inch No. 8 flat-head screws. Square up the cabinet and set it temporarily aside.

Draw a line on the bottom surface of top (A), 3/4 inch in from and parallel with each side edge, and then a second line 3/4 inch farther toward the center. With a square, ■transfer these lines to the back edge of top (A), so that they will serve as guides when lining up and mounting the top.

Again, draw lines on the top surface of top (A), 11/8inches in from and parallel to each side edge. Bore four equally spaced 1/2-inch holes along this line, 5/16 inch deep, and drill 3/16-inch holes through these.

From matching solid wood, cut a 4-foot long strip, 11/4inches thick and 1/2 inch wide. Round off the top of the strip and miter it around top (A), starting it flush with the back edge. Keep the bottom edge of the strips flush with the bottom surface of (A), thus making it appear as if it were a tooled molding. Attach the trim with glue and 3/4-inch No. 19 brads.

Fasten on top (A), keeping the edges flush in the back. Use guide lines on the back edge of (A) to line up sides (B). Again, use l1/4-inch No. 8 flathead screws and glue. Now fill all 1/2-inch holes with matching long-grain wood plugs, using glue; refer to the chapter on construction techniques.

Plane all front edges flush, then cover them with matching Weldwood Flexible

Wood-Trim. Instructions for applying trim are given in a separate chapter. Clean off all excess trim and mount on the front base cutout. Fasten with glue and 11/4-inch No. 8 flathead screws through the sides; you can also add a few finishing nails up through the bottom of the base piece.

Turn the unit upside down and cut the rabbet square on the back edge of the top (A). Fit and attach the 1/4-inch plywood back with 3/4-inch head nails. Turn the cabinet front side up and fit the door and drawer front. Make sure that there is at least a full 1/16-inch clearance all around— with the exception of the door, which is fitted with a piano hinge.

Make a back ledge strip as shown in the drawings, using 1/2-inch thick, matching solid wood. Bore four equally spaced 3/16-inch holes 3/8 inch in from and parallel to the bottom edge of the strip. Countersink the holes on the back surface, for flathead screws. Sand down the front surface of the back ledge, breaking all sharp edges with sandpaper.

With a sharp chisel, cut off all excess wood plug, and then sand the top well. You can now mount the back ledge strip to the back edge of top (A) with glue and I1/4-inch No. 8 flathead screws. Sand and clean off the entire table. Then mount the door in place with a 3/4-inch (single dimension) piano hinge. Attach a door catch for se­cure closing.

To make the drawer, first rabbet the drawer front (D) to a depth of 3/8 inch for the drawer sides. On the inside surface of the drawer sides and of drawer front (D), 1/2inch from and parallel to the bottom edge, dado out a 1/4-inch square groove.

Cut out the drawer back. Its length should be the same as that of the drawer front less the thickness of both drawer sides. The height of the drawer back is the distance between the top of the dadoed groove and the top edge of the sides.

Rabbet similar to that in side (B) is cut in lop (A), but cut is stopped 11/2inches from ends to prevent rabbet from showing there. Lower piece onto blade carefully.

After drawing profile on side (B), clamp sides together temporarily and bore 1-inch holes inside the sharper curves to avoid intricate sawing and assure best results.

When holes hare been bored in sides (B) as shown on previous page, finish cutting out profile with saw, then file and sand down edges; sides are still clamped to save time.

Mount side (B) to shelves (C); holes are bored Use measuring tape to check diagonally; this is for wood plugs, with screw holes drilled in center. good method of determining if the unit is square.

Decorative edge trim tor top (A) is cut in miter box; narrower than top, trim resembles tooling.

Glue and brads ore used to attach edge trim; top of trim has been rounded. Sink brads, putty over.

Keeping back edges flush, mount top (A) to pre­vious assembly with glue, I1/4-inch No. 8 screws.

Assemble the drawers, using glue and 4d finishing nails. Insert a 1/4-inch ply­wood drawer bottom through the back of the drawer, and then fasten it to the bottom edge of the drawer back with 3/4-inch head nails. Bevel the end edges of both drawer sides and fit the drawer into the table. At­tach a matching wood knob in the exact center of the drawer, and another on the door l1/2; inches from the edge and centered vertically.

When the drawer has been fitted, cover the top edge of the drawer front (D) with matching Weldwood Flexible Wood-Trim. Also cover with trim the side edge and top of the door.

A shelf for the cabinet is optional. To mount one in, use 1/2-inch square solid wood cleats fastened to sides (B). The piece constructed here was made from Weldwood birch plywood and stained with Cape Cod maple stain. It was then var­nished with rapid-drying Seat & Pew Varnish. •

All 1/2-inch holes in table are covered with long-grain wood plugs, glued in place, to hide screws.

When parts (A), (B), (C) have been assembled, plane all front edges flush and smooth for trim.

Flexible Wood-Trim is used on front edges after sanding; be sure to remove excess contact cement.

Attach front base cutout (F) with glue, screws. Finishing nails can be driven into bottom, also.

Base cutout (F) is secured by 11/4-inch No. 8 flat-head screws. AH wood plugs will be chiseled down.

With chisel, square rabbet in back edge of top (A). Unless you're experienced, don't copy BUI Baker's stance while chiseling.

Above right, 1/4-inch plywood back mounts into rabbet in back edges of sides and top. Fasten back down with Vi-inch head nails.

Drawer front is fitted to cabinet. Refer to text on page 28 and compare photographs of other projects for illustration of method.

Sand top thoroughly before mounting back ledge strip, shown in drawing and in photo of completed table. Plugs in top blend in.

Bottom right door (E) is mounted to the table with 3/4-inch piano hinge. Check fit and clearance with hinge on, beforehand.

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