Thread: Help with Table Legs

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Make that 3

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Pics fixed.

Originally Posted by Damienol

Hi WWF,

A friend of mine has asked me to make a table with legs like those shown in the pic. The only difference is they want the intersection point to be higher so that the strider is out of the way. I am teally not sure how to make these and get a furniture quality finish with the right level of strength.

I am sure there must be some tricks out there to help with this. Anyone have any ideas?

IMG_4692.jpg

If they want the intersection higher, either the leg will be wider at the bottom or the angle will have to change.

How about a simple half-check for the intersection and a sliding dovetail for the bottom rail to be knocked in after? The angle will make it a bit tricky, but I think it would be the strongest method.

That style of base has a halving joint at the intersection, Google halving joint there are probably descriptions of how to mark and cut it . If you were to raise the intersection you would be spreading the spot where the feet meet the ground .

Edit. I take that back , keep the feet where they are and just bring the tops of the legs in closer to each other . The center x then goes higher and the feet stay the same.

You would have to draw it up to find out how far you can go before the feet get to close to being the same width as the top . I would be trying to keep the width of the feet at least 50mm in from each side of the width of the top , so 100mm narrower. Your friend wants the the strider out of the way , by strider your talking about what I know as the stretcher ? It's sitting in the X just above middle , a lot of this style table has it going from end to end spot on from the center of the X, not with the timber in dimension flat like this one though . I don't think it actually gets in the way of your legs unless you try and kick someone on the other side ?

Rob

Half lap?

Is the issue the cross piece at foot level? Why not make it like a folding trestle table (not my preference) but route a groove underneath table top for X legs to sit into then no cross piece at bottom required in theory? Sorry if I'm missing something.

A lot of my concerns were with working out all the different angles and it all fitting tightly together and the strength of the joint at the cross over.

In in the end I decided to stick with 45's all round which meant that By offsetting the cross a little I could raise the strider slightly above centre.

To overcome my strength concerns at the cross I figure the thicker the timber the better, so to get the right balance of aesthetics and strength I went for 110x50mm boards. That way I still have 50x50mm at the lap joint.

Now I am trying to work out how to do attach the lower cross board. The only fail safe way I can think of at the moment is pocket hole screws from the bottom.


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I made a drawing of your table just for fun


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Originally Posted by Damienol

To overcome my strength concerns at the cross I figure the thicker the timber the better, so to get the right balance of aesthetics and strength I went for 110x50mm boards. That way I still have 50x50mm at the lap joint.

Now I am trying to work out how to do attach the lower cross board. The only fail safe way I can think of at the moment is pocket hole screws from the bottom.

They look good , so does the thicker wood choice.

I think screws allow for a slight bit of movement . You could glue it and use one screw in each side , then after its dry, drill through both pieces of wood into the leg not through it, and tap in some dowels, 12.5 mm ones . at 90 degree to the leg face. on the under side . That will lock it in and fight gravity and downward pressure a bit .

Rob