I made a nightstand (and then another)

As the next step toward building myself a dresser, I made myself a nightstand. I've been using a step stool for a nightstand for a while and it was really getting old. This also seemed like a logical step in my learning process. I used skills I learned for the box (mitered corners, dados) and added to it drawer making, drawer slide installation, and leg construction and attachment

This took me way too long to finish. I knew what I wanted it to look like, but didn't have all the specific design details decided in advance. It took me a while to figure out what kind of legs to put on it, what wood to use, and how to cut and attach them. It kind of became a "give a mouse a cookie" scenario where I decided I wanted to do one thing, but that necessitated a tool or a jig or a whatever in order to do it so I'd go about procuring/making that first before I could go back and finish the step I originally started with. The good thing is I now have a complete design with all the right tools and skills to make the matching nightstand for my husband much faster.

Glue up
Glue up

Drawer is in!


I made this sled/jig for the table saw to cut the legs all the same size and angle

My lovely assistant holding things so I can figure out where to attach the legs

Drawer pull attached and everything stained

Sealed and done!

After this project I worked on something else, then went back and made the second nightstand. The second one went quickly as anticipated but presented different challenges. I didn't have enough same oak to make the legs so I instead made them out of plywood and added an iron-on oak veneer. The veneer I found was red oak so the grain pattern is different but whatever, it looks fine even if it doesn't perfectly match the first nightstand.  I might re-do all the legs someday because they didn't turn out as sturdy as I'd like anyway.


Nightstand #2 completed. It looks more red than the first but it's just a difference in lighting.


Hers

His

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