plans

Scroll-Leg Coffee Table

Pages 32
project Bill LaHay

Parts Thickness width LENGTH Quantity

[A]
 3⁄4 30 18 1
Tabletop
[B]
 3⁄4 1 ⁄
1
2 17 2
Short cleats
[C]
⁄4
3
1 ⁄
1
2 18 2
Long cleats
[D]
⁄4
3
2 ⁄
1
2 15 3⁄8 2
Short aprons
[E]
⁄4
3
2 ⁄
1
2 17 2
Long aprons
[F]
⁄4
3
9 14⁄
1
4 4
Front/back leg

[G]
⁄4
3
8⁄
1
4 14⁄
1
4 4
End leg segments
Skill level: Beginning/intermediate woodworker NOTE: All dimensions are in inches.
Time to complete: 1 weekend, including painting
Estimated cost: $90

Tools Materials Cut and Assemble Parts

- tape rule
- angle square
- sawhorses
- portable circular saw with
straightedge guide
- power miter saw
- bar clamps (6-inch
capacity or greater)
- portable jigsaw
- drill
- drill bits (1⁄16, 3⁄16 with
countersink)
- No. 2 Phillips screwdriver
(or driver bit for drill)
- hammer
- nail set
- putty knife
- sanding block with
150-grit sandpaper
- paintbrushes
Do It Yourself | winter 2007
- one sheet of 3⁄4 -inch birch
plywood or medium-
density fiberboard (MDF)
(for parts A, F, G)
- one piece 1×2 poplar,
8 feet long
(for parts B, C)
- two pieces 1×3 poplar,
8 feet long (for parts D, E)
- two pieces 1×10 poplar,
8 feet long (optional, for
parts F, G)
- wood glue
- one package No. 6×11⁄4
drywall screws
- one package 5d
finishing nails
- wood filler
- 1 quart latex primer
- 1 quart semigloss
latex paint
Start by cutting the tabletop (A) from the birch plywood or
MDF with the circular saw. Lightly sand the edges and corners
to remove any sharpness or splinters. Set the top upside down
on a pair of sawhorses and mark the layout lines where the
cleats and aprons will attach. (See the Bottom View illustration,
opposite.) Note that the top will overhang the aprons 11⁄2 inches
along each edge; to allow for the aprons’ 3⁄4-inch thickness, the
cleat layout lines should be marked 21⁄4 inches from each edge.
Use the miter saw to cut all the cleats to length and drill
countersunk 3⁄16 -inch holes for screws as shown. Center the
cleats along their respective edges—short cleats at the short
edges and the long cleats at the long edges—and attach them
with glue and drywall screws.
Next, arrange the short and long aprons into a frame on the
floor or on your workbench. Drill 1⁄16 -inch pilot holes near the
ends of the long aprons as shown, then connect the corners
with glue and 5d finishing nails; be sure to fit the ends of the
short aprons against the inside faces of the long aprons as
shown. Test fit the assembled apron frame onto the underside
of the tabletop, ensuring that it fits securely around the cleats
and that there is 9 inches of apron clear on both ends of each

cleat. Remove, apply glue where the apron edges will attach to
the tabletop, then clamp the apron frame to the tabletop. For
good measure, drill a few pilot holes and drive 5d finishing
nails through the aprons into the cleat edges. Let this assembly
sit while you work on the legs.

96
 F
B

plans
D
G F
G

5d finish
Make the Leg Assemblies
Each leg consists of two segments (F, G) with matching scroll-
sawn patterns that together resemble the profile of a turned
leg. You should have enough birch plywood or MDF left over
to cut all of the blanks for each of the end and front/back leg
segments; for a slightly cleaner look you can use 1×10
poplar, though it adds about $60 to the project cost. It’s easier
to assemble the leg sections before cutting the contoured
edges with the jigsaw; connect them with a glued and nailed
butt joint as shown. Be sure to fit the edge of the narrower 11/2"
E
(end) segment against the inside face of the wider (front/
back) segment.
Next, enlarge and transfer the Pattern for Scroll Leg, page C 11/2"
G F
95, onto your leg assemblies and cut each with the jigsaw. F D
Sand any sharp or splintered edges, then drill countersunk G
21/4"
3
⁄16 -inch holes into the inside faces, near the upper ends as D B A B
shown. Apply glue to the inside apron areas and attach the
leg assemblies as shown with drywall screws. G
G F F
21/4"
111/4"
Finish the Table C
Use the nail set to countersink all of the nails, then fill the
holes with wood filler. Sand the filler flush after it dries. Also BOTTOM VIEW E 111/4"
sand the corners and edges of the table to remove any
splinters or sharp edges. Apply a latex primer to all surfaces
of the table (two coats on the edges, especially for the
tabletop). Let the primer dry thoroughly, then apply one or
two coats of semigloss latex paint.

E
5d finishing nails

D
C B
A
G
C F
E
F
B
D
G F #6 x 11/4"
drywall screws
G
Do It Yourself | Winter 2007

F G

5d finishing nail

97
pattern for scroll leg
(instructions on pages 96–97)

Front/back legs F 9" (4 needed)

End legs G 81/4" (4 needed)

F G
LEG
HALF-SIZE PATTERN

Enlarge pattern
200% for full-size

www.diyideas.com

Filename: DIY Scroll coffee TBL 2

R LeMoine