Replies

1. 
   woodrae | May 26, 2007 12:16am | #1

   Hi, Mr. Furniture—

   Wood movement is the issue here, assuming you make the entire table from solid wood.

   Have you considered using a solid-wood frame-and-panel for the shelf? That way, your corner joints can be anything you want (as long as they’re strong) without worry of any wood movement at all.

   —Andy

1. 
   furniture | May 28, 2007 02:01pm | #2

   thanks for your reply. In fact I did consider this, but put it away for design reasons. I do understand the woodmovement issue. that's why I hesitate to start on it. I hope someone can come up with an idea to overcome this and have a plain solid shelf between the legs in some way. unless there's no alternative I have to stick to a frame solution with either a solid panel or a veneered piece.

1. 
   woodrae | May 28, 2007 04:41pm | #3

   Furniture—You can have your solid-wood shelf, no problem.Here’s a couple suggestions:Add a stretcher between each of the legs, and then use through-wedged tenons or blind tenons (cut in the ends of the shelf) to join the shelf to the stretchers. Perhaps three tenons on each end of the shelf will do it, with each center tenon fitted tightly in the center mortise in the stretcher. Leave room in the two outer mortises for the two slightly narrower outer tenons. You can wrap the shelf around each leg, but make sure you leave room widthwise for the shelf to expand so it doesn’t push the legs outward.Another way to go is to forgo any stretchers, and cut pockets into each leg to house the shelf. On the cross-grain axis of the shelf, cut each pocket a bit deeper than the shelf is wide to allow for wood movement, and then fit the shelf tightly along its long-grain axis. You can secure the shelf with either blind stub tenons or dowels, or you can drive screws through each leg and into the ends of the shelf, then plug the screw holes in the legs.If this isn’t making sense, let me know.Either way, think about using quartersawn wood for the shelf. It moves roughly half as much as plainsawn wood, which greatly reduces the effects of wood movement.Oh, and you haven’t said how you’re dealing with wood movement in the top. How are those legs going to join up there, and how are you preventing the top from pushing or pulling on them as it shrinks and swells?—Andy

1. 
   furniture | May 28, 2007 07:02pm | #4

   andy,

   thanks a lot for these solutions. I'll have a try with them. about the top : the top is in an ordinary way attached to the aprons between the four legs. just as the normal procedure. thanks again and perhaps I'll come back another time. if you like I can mail you a photo of the completed table in time. let me know.

1. 
   woodrae | May 28, 2007 10:11pm | #5

   Furniture--By all means, let us see this beautiful table thing when it's done. But not by email; post it right here as an attachment, if you can. That way, everyone who reads this thread can benefit!Good luck.—Andy