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TM

DOWNLOADABLE PROJECT PLANS FROM THE EDITORS OF WOOD MAGAZINE

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Yuletide Sleigh

Coffee Table

With styling reminiscent of Victorian-era horse-drawn sleighs, this finely

crafted showpiece will draw rave reviews. We wrapped thin ash strips
around shop-built bending forms to laminate the shapely runners. Choose
stock to match your existing woodwork, or use our striking cherry/walnut/ash combination. And be sure to keep your bending forms on hand.
Youll be getting requests to build more of these beauties.
Page 1 of 13

3/8"

#8 x 11/4" F.H.
wood screw

plug 1/4" long

3/8" counterbore 1/4" deep with a

5/32" shank hole centered inside
3/16"

1/8"

chamfers
along top
edges only

gaps

3/8" counterbore
1/4" deep with a
5/32" shank hole

1" dadoes
1/4" deep

centered inside

3/8"
1/4"

plug
long

#8 x 11/2" F.H.
wood screw

#8 x 11/2" F.H.
wood screw

C
1"

3/8"
1/4"

plug
long

B
B

1/4"

dowel screw
2" long

H
G

B
1/8"

chamfers

3/16" pilot hole

1" deep

11/4" wooden
ball

EXPLODED VIEW

11/2" wooden
ball

H
H
I
1"

1/8"

3/4"

chamfers

3"
Mating half-laps
3" long

Page 2 of 13
TM

B legs

1"

1"

17"

C* knee
blanks

fi"

1"

12"

C*

1"

2"

42"

E* side slats

"

4fi"

37fi"

F* center slat

"

8"

38"

B*

D rails

DECK/TABLETOP

H braces

"

"

30"

LA

I runners

1"

1"

38fi"

*Cut parts marked with an * oversized. Trim to

finished size according to the how-to instructions.
Materials Key:
Ccherry, Wwalnut, Aash, LAlaminated ash.
Supplies: #81" flathead wood screws,
#81fi" flathead wood screws, 16" dowel
screws 2" long, 81" wood balls, 81fi" wood
balls, clear finish.

x 9 x 96" Cherry

LA

54"

1 x 5fi x 48" Walnut

1"

1 x 3fi x 96" Cherry

1"

A*

G curved
runner fronts

D*

RUNNERS

CUTTING DIAGRAM

FRAME ASSEMBLY

1 x 3fi x 48" Ash

21"

H ( x 1 x 30"7 strips per piece)

1"

G ( x 1 x 54"7 strips per piece)

1"

1 x 7 x 96" Ash
I *

Qty.

A beams

Part

*Plane or resaw to the thickness

listed in the Bill of Materials.

Matl.

Finished Size

1"

Bill of Materials

Buying Guide
Hardwood kit. All the individual pieces shown
on the Cutting Diagram cut slightly oversized
from the thickness and species listed in the Bill of
Materials. This includes the ash being resawn
into the necessary " strips. Plus, 81" wooden balls, 81fi" wooden balls, and 16" dowel
screws 2" long. Kit no. W118, $199.95 ppd.
Heritage Building Specialties, Fergus Falls, MN
56537. Or, call 800/524-4184 to order.

Page 3 of 13
TM

No chamfers
along top edge

1" dado 1/2" deep,

cut after assembly
A Beam

213/4"

173/8"

15/16"

11/4"

C Knee
123/8"
(ends trimmed
after assembly)

11/4"

Half-lap
11/4" long,
o
cut at 5

B Leg

1" dado 1/2" deep,

cut at 5o

1/2"

SUPPORT
(2 needed)
Construct a pair of supports
to start the construction

Stop
chamfers
above
notches.

1/8"

chamfers,
routed after
assembly

Half-lap
B 1" long

1"
1"

1 Plane five-quarter (1") cherry to 1" thick or laminate thinner

stock to form 1" stock for the beams (A) and legs (B) to form a
pair of supports (A, B). Cut the beams and legs to size.
2 Cut the 5-angled dadoes in the ends of the cherry beams (A)
and the 5-angled half-laps in the mating ends of the legs (B).
Then, cut the straight 1"-long half-laps on the bottom outside face
of the legs (B). See the Parts View drawing on page 12.
3 Glue and clamp the angled half-laps in the ends of the legs into
the angled dadoes in the beams. See the Support drawing for reference. Trim and sand the protruding ends of the legs flush with
the top surfaces of the beams.
4 Construct the jig shown on the Knee Dado Jig drawing page 5.
5 Fit your tablesaw with a " dado blade, and position the rip fence so the right side of the dado blade
is flush or just grazes the left edge of the jig base as
shown in Photo A at left. Adjust the dado blade to cut
fi" above the surface of the jig base.
6 As shown in Photo A, clamp a support (A, B) to the
knee dado jig, and cut a dado, angled through two of
the adjoining pieces. Repeat the cut on the remaining
corners of the two supports. Now, reposition the rip
fence, and make a second pass to widen the dadoes
to 1" (width of the legs).
7 Cut the knees (C) to fit the dadoes plus 1" in length.
8 Glue and clamp the knees (C) into the dadoes.
Later, trim and sand the protruding ends of the knees
flush with the outside edges of the beams and legs.
Finish-sand both supports.
9 Rout " chamfers along the edges of the supports,
where shown on the Support and Exploded View

To cut the dadoes in the beams (A), use our

knee dado jig for accurately located and
angled cuts.
Page 4 of 13
TM

5 Lay out and mark the 9"-long

cutout on the top (unbeveled) surface
of each outside rail. Bandsaw and then
drum-sand to the line with the
beveled side down.
6 Rout a " chamfer along the top
edge of all but the 9" cutout section
of each rail.

KNEE DADO JIG

Base (3/4" particleboard)
Blocks (3/4 x 21/2 x 41/2")
STEP 1 Mark points at
edge of board.

Complete the deck

with the remaining slats

R=61/8"
STEP 2
Mark
61/8" arcs
to locate
intersections.

41/2"
24"

STEP 3
Connect
points
with
intersection
of arcs.

41/2"

R=61/8"
12"

1 Cut side slats (E) and the center slat

(F) to width by 39" long.
2 Clamp the three deck boards edgeto-edge with " spacers between the
slats. Using trammel points or a beam
compass, mark a 14" radius at each
end of the clamped-together slats,
where shown on the Parts View.
Remember that the slats are cut long.
The final length of the center slat
needs to be 38". Unclamp, then
bandsaw and disc-sand the end of
each slat to the marked radius.
3 For screwing the deck slats (E, F) to
the support beams later, drill counterbored holes in each slat, where
dimensioned on the Parts View.
Chamfer the top edges of the slats.

Use templates to create the

runner-front and brace forms

STEP 4
Align 3/4 x 21/2 x 41/2" blocks
with lines drawn in Step 3.
Left edge
8"
drawings. Stop the chamfers where
the half laps in the bottom ends of the
legs will fit into the runners later.
Theres also no chamfer along the top
edges of the beams (A).

beams (A) later, drill counterbored

mounting holes in each rail, where
dimensioned on the Parts View.
3 Mark and cut the 1" radius on the
front outside corner of each rail (D).
Note that youre making a pair of rails,
and that one rail is a mirror image of
the other rail.
4 Bevel-rip (we used the tablesaw) the
bottom edge of both rails, where
shown on the End View of the rail (D)
on the Parts View drawing. The bottom edge is beveled so it will be
aligned and parallel with the top edge
of the runners (I) later.

Start the deck/tabletop

with the outside rails
1 Cut the outside deck rails (D) to
size. Cut 1" dadoes " deep on the
bottom surface of each rail, where
dimensioned on the Parts View drawing on page 12 and shown on the
Exploded View drawing.
2 For screwing the rails to the support

1 On " particleboard, mark the

shapes of the runner front S-curve
template and the brace template using
the Template drawings on pages 6
and 9 for reference.
2 Bandsaw the two templates to
shape, cutting just outside the marked
cutlines. Sand to the line with a drum
or spindle sander.
3 Cut one piece of " particleboard
and another of fi" particleboard to
2638". With the edges and ends of
the two pieces of particleboard flush,
glue and clamp the pieces together
face-to-face to form the runner front Scurve form blank. Repeat the process
with two pieces of particleboard measuring 1622" for the brace form
blank. See the Routing the Brace Form
drawing for reference. Keeping the
forms the same thickness (1") as the
initial width of the laminations for G
and H makes it much easier to keep
the edges of the laminations aligned
when gluing.

Page 5 of 13
TM

S-CURVE TEMPLATE
11"

77/8"

3/4"

particleboard

R=51/8"

325/8"

161/16"

R=77/8"
77/8"

11"
187/8"
Page 6 of 13
TM

S-curve template is used to

make the two halves of the jig.
187/8"
11"
Trim mark

ROUTING THE
S-CURVE FORM

11/4" router bushing

(Porter-Cable 42021)
38"

Direction of feed
1" straight
router bit

Edge of template

S-CURVE TEMPLATE
Trim mark

51/2"

11/4" thick
(We used one piece of 3/4"
and one piece of 1/2" particleboard
to make the form.)
26"
Page 7 of 13
TM

Use quick-action clamps to pull the two form halves together; then
use bar clamps to pull them tight.
3 Attach the S-curve template to the
form blank with brads or finish nails.
Dont use large nails as youll need to
remove the template later.
4 Fit your hand-held router with a 1"
O.D. bushing and a 1" straight bit.
Adjust the depth to cut about " into
the form blank. Now, with the bushing riding against the edge of the template, rout a 1" groove in the blank, as
illustrated on the Routing the S-Curve
Form drawing on page 7. Repeat this
operation, lowering the bit " each
pass until about " of the blank is left
at the bottom of the groove.
5 Remove the S-curve template from
the jig blank, and use a jigsaw to cut
down the center of the groove, separating the two halves of the blank.
Now, install a flush-trim bit in a handheld router, and rout the "-thick
edges flush with the previously routed
faces of the form halves.
6 Repeat the routing and cutting
process with the brace form blank
and template, using a fi" guide bushing and a " straight bit.
7 Transfer the locations of the trim
marks to the particleboard forms.
Apply a couple coats of varnish to seal
the wood and prevent the glue from

sticking to the forms later. (We also

adhered 2"-wide plastic packing tape
to the mating edges of the forms for
further insurance.)

Laminate thin strips to create

the runner fronts and braces
1 From straight-grain ash, bandsaw 32
strips measuring 154" for the
curved runner fronts (G), and 32
strips measuring 130" for the
braces (H). Keep the strips in order as
you saw them to get the best color
and grain match in the finished laminations.
2 Glue and clamp just enough strips
between the two S-curve form pieces
to create a 1"-thick runner front (G).
If your lamination is thicker than 1"
delete strips as necessary. (We used
white glue for a longer working time.)
Draw the form halves together with
quick-action clamps, making sure the
ends of the laminations are beyond
the trim marks on the form, as shown
in Photo B. While quick-action clamps
work great for pulling the form halves
together, youll need to add bar
clamps to get enough pressure to pull
the lamination tight. Position one
clamp across the ends of the forms

(perpendicular to the other clamps)

to counteract the tendency of the
form halves to spread slightly. Let the
lamination dry for 24 hours before
repeating with the other runner front.
3 Hand-plane and sand flat one edge
of one of the curved runner fronts.
Position your bandsaw fence 1" from
the blade. Running the planed (flat)
edge of the curved runner front
against the fence, bandsaw the curved
runner front to 1" wide. Repeat for the
second runner front.
4 Place the runner front back on the
form. Transfer the trim marks from
the form onto the runner. Do not trim
the ends of the runner front yet. The
extra length on the bottom will help
keep the lamination flat on the tablesaw when cutting the 3" laps later.
5 Repeat the process in Steps 14
above to form the eight braces (H).
Bandsaw the braces to " wide. Trim
the ends of the braces where marked.
Sand smooth.
6 Transfer the full-size pattern on page
13 to the top end of each runner
front. Bandsaw them to shape.
7 Mark the 3"-long lap on the bottom
end of the runner fronts, marking forward from the trim line 3". Fit your
tablesaw with a dado blade and cut
the lap in each. With the laps cut,
crosscut the bottom ends of the runner fronts at the trim mark.
8 From solid stock, cut the runners (I)
to size, making sure the thickness and
width match that of the curved runner fronts.
9 Cut a mating lap on the front end of
each runner. Then, cut dadoes on the
inside face of each runner, where
dimensioned on the Parts View drawing. The spacing between the dadoes
must match the spacing between the
dadoes in the rails (D).
10 Glue and clamp the curved runner
fronts (G) to the straight runners (I).
Later, sand the joint smooth, and sand
the bandsaw marks off the runner
(G/I) sides.
11 Rout a chamfer along all the edges
of each runner (G/I), stopping at the
dadoes for capturing the legs (B) later.

Page 8 of 13
TM

BRACE TEMPLATE

45/8"

R=45/8"

7"
3"
3/4"

particleboard

R=85/8"

153/8"

85/8"

115/8"

Page 9 of 13
TM

ROUTING THE BRACE FORM

6"

Trim mark
1/4"

straight
router bit

221/8"

1/2"

router bushing
(Porter-Cable 42033)

Direction
of feed

BRACE TEMPLATE

153/8"

Edge of template

Trim mark

2"

11/4" thick
(We used one piece of 3/4"
and one piece of 1/2" particleboard
to make the form.)
16"

Page 10 of 13
TM

SIDE SECTION VIEW

1/8"

chamfers

1/4" dowel screw

2" long

6"

6"

11/4" wooden ball

H
H

18"

H
11/2" wooden ball
B
B
I

10"

1/4"

50"

dowel screw
2" long

drilled in the rails as guides,

drill pilot holes into the
1/4" dowel screw
beams, and screw the rails to
2" long in a hole
1
the beams.
1 /2" wooden
perpendicular
3 Fit the slats (E, F) in place
ball
to the wood grain
using " spacers to hold
them in position. Using the
shank holes previously
H
drilled as guides, drill pilot
holes into the beams, and
screw the slats in place.
Remove the spacers.
4 Clamp the curved runner
I
fronts to the rails (D) where
they cross. Check that the
runner fronts cross both rails
the same distance back from
Final assembly:
the
front
end of each rail. Drill counIts all downhill from here
terbored
holes
in the rails, and screw
1 Glue and clamp the rabbeted ends
them to the curved runner fronts.
of the supports (A, B, C) into the
5 Plug the holes in the rails (D) and
dadoes in the runners (G/I), keeping
slats (E, F). Later, sand the plugs flush.
the supports perpendicular to the run6 Glue and clamp the braces (H) in
ners. Complete routing the chamfers
place, where shown on the Side
where the runners meet the legs.
Section View drawing.
2 Fit the beams (A) into dadoes in the
7 One at a time, clamp a 1fi" wood
rails (D), and clamp the rails in place
ball in a handscrew clamp, and drill a
flush with the ends of the beams.
" pilot hole 1" deep, centered in
Using the shank holes previously

BALL DETAIL

10"

each ball. Drill the holes perpendicular to the grain. See the Ball detail
accompanying the Side Section View
for reference. Do eight total. Switch
to 1" balls and drill pilot holes in
eight of them. Thread a " dowel
screw 2" long into the pilot hole in
each ball.
8 Drill pilot and shank holes through
the braces (H) and into the runners (I)
and rails (D). Thread the dowel
screws (with balls attached) to the
sled assembly.
9 Finish-sand the entire project. Apply
a clear finish. We used Minwax
Antique Oil Finish, rubbing between
coats with a gray (superfine) Scotch
Brite pad.

Produced by Marlen Kemmet

Project Design: Jan Hale Svec
Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
Photographs: Hetherington Photography;
Steve Struse
Graphic Design: Jamie Downing
Copyright Meredith Corporation 2000

Page 11 of 13
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TM

Page 12 of 13

11/4"

15/16"

R=1"

1/2"

I
1"

381/2"

BEAM

71/8"

11"

chamfer
along all edges

1/8"

1"

173/4"

213/4"
1/8"

chamfer

5o

1" dado
1/2" deep
cut at 5o

15/16"

11/4"

1"

5o

1"

LEG

42"
1
1" dadoes /4" deep cut before rail is beveled

1" dadoes 1/2" deep

on back face
cut after assembly

1"

The purchase of these plans does

not transfer any copyright or other
ownership interest in the plans, the
design, or the finished project to the
buyer. Buyer may neither reproduce
the plans for sale nor offer for sale
any copies of the finished project.

173/8"

Half-lap
11/4" long
cut at 5o

TOP VIEW

65/8"

Half-lap
1" long

1"

END VIEW

1"

1/2"

D OUTSIDE RAIL
3/8" counterbores 1/4" deep, with a 5/32" shank hole centered inside
5o
1
7 /8 "
Bottom surface
2"
Inside edge

1" dadoes 1/2" deep

173/4"

chamfer along top edges only

5
1"
R=1" /8"

No chamfer

43/4"

No chamfer
91/4"

1/8"

3"

RUNNER

PARTS VIEW

91/2"

383/4"

183/4"

3/16"

CENTER SLAT

spacers

To ensure full-sized patterns are correct

size, your printer should be set to print
at 100% (not fit to page). Measure fullsized patterns to verify size.

fi

1"

1/8"

Front end

chamfer
along all
top edges

R=14"

17/8"

SCALE

8"

91/4"
41/2"
3/16"

PARTS
VIEW

R=14"

3 /4 "
3/8" counterbore 1/4" deep, with a
5/32" shank hole centered inside

SIDE SLAT

323/4"

71/8"

R=14"

FRONT RUNNER
TOP FULL-SIZE
PATTERN
(2 needed)

Page 13 of 13
TM

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