MAGAZINE SLING TABLE

Combining mahogany and leather, this Danish Modern-inspired cube offers a design and mitered tenon construction that will both stand the test of time.

- KERRY GIBSON

Up for a challenge? This project provides a chance to try a new joinery technique and to work with materials other than wood, all without investing a lot of time or money. The frame for the Danish Modern cube calls for cutting intersecting mortises in the legs. To do this, we used a hollow-chisel mortiser, but you can easily create them using a drill press and a hand chisel. Then you’ll cut tenons on the ends of the stretchers and miter them to fit inside the intersecting mortises.

To make the sling, you’ll cut, punch, and rivet a piece of leather that’s supported by two steel rods. Never worked with leather? We’ll show you how.

CUT THE FRAME JOINERY

When cutting the mortises in the legs, you’ll need to create two pairs of legs that mirror each other. So, be sure to mark your pieces as you work.

1 From 1 ⅜" stock, cut the legs (A), stretchers (B), and rails (C) to size [Exploded View, Materials List]. Cut an extra length of 1 ⅜" scrap stock for setting up the tenons. Set the stretchers and rails aside for now.

2 With a marking gauge, lay out the mortise locations on the legs (A) [Drawing 1]. Using a hollow-chisel mortiser with a ½" bit, form the intersecting mortises near both ends of each leg.