Woodsmith

Standing Mirror

At first, glance this project appears to be an ordinary dressing mirror. Yes, it’s a little smaller than other mirrors in its category. But if you loosen the hand-made cherry knobs on the sides, you can position the mirror for a perfect view of your attire.

That’s when you’ll notice that the front is actually a door. A door that opens to reveal a case that holds all of the accessories required for a night on the town. And when the evening is done, no more draping items on the mirror because they have no home.

As for the construction, the mirrored door is a sturdy frame built with open mortise and tenon joinery (also known as a bridle joint). The case has splined miters and a back that’s rabbeted in the frame. The stand features graceful legs that are solidly joined to the feet. The thick feet are good looking and a strong foundation for the mirror. Working on those feet (and the stretcher) over in the shop is where we’ll start.

BLANKS FOR THE FEET. As you see in the drawing above, the feet are made from 1 1/2"-thick material and are tied together with a stretcher. Plane these pieces to their final thickness before cutting them to size.

It’s a lot easier to make the mortises in the feet while they’re still square blanks. Later, you’ll use a template to create the final arched shape.

Begin by laying out the location of the mortises on the top and inside

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