I am considering building a 1 1/4 inch thick table out of quartersawn white oak. Looking back through back issues of FF, I found a Mario Rodriguez article about a small stool with wedged through tenons from the legs planed flat with the top. My question is, would this work for a table? In my mind it would look sharp, but am I asking for trouble? We live in the high desert of Oregon, and experience virtually no humidity, however, who knows what the future would hold.
I realize that it would not knock down, so if I must have this look I can do false tenons, however, I would like it to be real, it won’t be that wide of a table top- about 32 inches.
Replies
I've seen it done in tables which take extension leaves. You need an apron which is not fixed in place, and the grain of the table top goes the short way. Without some 'give' in the aprons, the top WILL crack.
-matt
Purswell,
You should make allowance for the top, with legs attached, to move from summer to winter, (or from your dry to moist conditions), or you will run a serious risk of splitting the top. If the legs are not restrained (by aprons for instance) you will be ok. Build with the understanding that the top could gain as much as 1/4" or more in width. Movement of 32" of even quartersawn stock will be appreciable.
Regards,
Ray
Not sure I understand... Legs hardly ever have a problem.. The top to apron do!
Will,
What I was trying to warn against was, thru tenons (thru the table top) on the ends of the legs, which were connected to one another by aprons. Would prevent movement of top.
Regards,
Ray
Purswell,
I agree with the points that were made already. You cannot join the legs to aprons or stretchers because they are going to move with the top. So the whole stability of the table depends on that wedged tenon. Therefore the thickness of the top becomes critical. If it were 2" instead, it would make the table less "shaky". If the legs are set somewhat in from the edges of the top, you can improve the solidity just by beefing up the thickness at the area of the joint.
DR
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