Shaker Style End Tables in Cherry

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When my wife asked me to make a pair of end tables for the living room, I immediately looked for shaker style plans to match the dining room furniture in our open living space where these rooms are adjoined.  I managed to find one that was a close fit in appearance to what she wanted, and then adapted it from there.  The overall top profile is 18" square, and it sits at roughly a 26" height.  In the construction, I did use tenons on the aprons and front rails (above and below the drawers), and the legs are dual tapered as one might find in typical Shaker tables.   

However, for the sake of those Shaker purists out there, I will confess a few deviations I took from the traditional Shaker style.   For one, I did not use a dovetail tenon on the front rail as my plans indicated.  Instead, I used a straight tenon.  Secondly, I didn't use dovetails on the drawers (half-blind on the front face to sides, and full on the back to sides).  Lastly, I used store bought Cherry drawer knobs in lieu of turning my own.  I hope I won't rot (or shake) in Hell for these woodworking sins, but these were simple short cuts, and after all, as the Shakers would sing: "Tis a gift to be simple..."

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No aversions being cast here, function, simplicity in form, and CHERRY!
They'll age in place nicely for a deep red.
i love the simplicity of shaker design. nice pair alan.

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

Very nice tables. I love Cherry!!

Cheers, Jim ........................ Variety is the spice of life...............Learn something new every day

They look great.  Shaker style is so clean.

Not being well informed on  Shaker (more of an A&C, G&, and Craftsman guy), I'm curious if the "traditional" Shaker edge detail is a round over or a wide, shallow bevel on the bottom edge?  
Alan,

Nice work on the Shaker end tables.


Petey

Beautiful work.  Cherry is just so pretty in that design. Nicely done. 👍🏼

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

Re Earl's comment, I'm no expert on Shaker design, and most of the ones I've seen have been reproductions that have beveled edges, and even some with beading around the perimeters of drawers or aprons, for example.  On these, I did bevel the underside of the tabletop edge (~7 degrees) starting about 1/2" from the top, and then I rounded off the top 1/2" lip to soften it.   I did this because we have other "Shaker-Like" reproductions in the room where these are (bought years ago from some local furniture shop), and those pieces also have a similar beveled edge.

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