Replies

1. 
   RW | Oct 21, 2008 02:53am | #1

   The taper ought to tell you everything you need to know, and thats roughly 1 1/2 degrees.

   If you draw it on paper, from a rectangle, you lose 3/4" on each side. You can cut the corresponding 45 if you're mitering on a saw with a taper jig, or if you have something like a Festool saw on a rail. You can clean the joint if need be on a jointer. So if the top leans in 1.5 deg, then rather than a 90deg shoulder on your tenon pieces, its 91.5. Everything will follow.

   Ya dig?

    

   Real trucks dont have sparkplugs

2. 
   oms | Nov 02, 2008 12:52pm | #2

   Hi Jay

   In case you did not search the FW archive there is an excellent article on a pedestal table (which I am in the midst of finishing (in cherry)). It may answer some of your questions on how to attach the top etc, including a better handle on the taper issue you have.

   Pedestal Table
   Router jig makes easy work of shaping round and curved parts
   by John Zeitoun
   FW #176

3. 
   shopmate | Nov 03, 2008 07:57am | #3

   I would attach the top to a platform that is mounted to the top of the pedestal.  Use a few battens that are attached to the bottom of the table.  Make the battens a bit skinnier than the aprons of the table and allow the top to move across them with a few elongated holes.  There are specialty router bits that you could use to do this or just drill a few holes in a row and chisel out the waste.  Anchor the platform to the top of the pedestal and the battons to the platform.  I would use plywood for the platform so as to rule out any wood movement that might weaken the top.  Use bolts wherever you can to really stiffen it up, perhaps some hanger bolts attaching the platform to the pedestal. 

   Or you could make the pedestal from one solid piece and use a half lap like joint to attach the top.  This would be the strongest way to do it.  Laminate some stock together to get the thickness that you want cut it to shape and then glue on some 1/4 to 1/8 thick matching veneers to the ugly side of the glue up.  Cut the t-shaped half lap out before cutting the tapers.  This would make that beast heavy and solid. 

   About the legs to the pedestal.  From the picture the bottom of the pedestal doesn't look tapered.  I would simply taper all but the bottom four inches.  Rout a nice decorative groove in there before you cut the tapers and then taper the legs up to the groove. 

   To cut the taper, use a tapering jig and just create a skinny template that looks like the leg and cut it to shape on a band saw or with a hand held jig saw.  Smooth the cut out with a hand plane or sandpaper and then use that to set up your tapering jig.  Forget the math.  I have never found those scales on tapering jigs to be accurate anyways.  Just make sure that you use a spacer when cutting the third and fourth face of the pedestal.  Make the spacer equal in thickness to whatever you removed during the first cut. 

   Good luck. 

1. 
   JayTran | Nov 04, 2008 07:11am | #4

   Thanks for the ideas guys. I am currently almost done with all components. I made a taper jig from an old copy of American WW. It worked great. I cut all four sides of the pedestal square, then routed the mortises for the legs. Next I cut the tapers then cut a rabbet on 2 of the side pieces. I didn't trust a mitered joint for the pedestal joinery.
   I have made the legs and cut the tenons, Then I tapered them as well. I also drilled 2 holes into the ends of the tenons and then routed a slot on the cheek of the tenon down to the hole to hold a nut. After putting the leg into the mortise I place 2 bolts through a small piece of 1/2" ply and tighten the leg to the pedestal...I works real well and will act like a clamp when glue-up time comes.
   I decided to attach the top by attaching 4 supports to the top of the pedestal supporting the top. They are 1/2 lapped to each other and surround the top of the pedestal. Hopefully it will be solid enough. I am making the table out of maple and it is pretty heavy. I hope I described my methods clearly enough. I hope to post some photos when I finish.

   Edited 11/3/2008 11:13 pm ET by JayTran