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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    perth
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    Default First project - coffee table - got some questions!

    Hi guys, I’ve got a few questions regarding my first go at doing a coffee table.


    • I was going to use biscuits to join the planks for the table top together, is this OK?
    • I wanted to make it using Jarrah, but I want the table top to be double the thickness of the Jarrah planks I’ve got. Is it acceptable to glue the planks together to make a double thickness top? Or would this look funny?
    • Similarly with the legs? Should I just glue legs together?
    • Attaching legs to the top, can I use dowels?


    Apologies for bonehead questions!

    Cheers!

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by zed_ View Post
    Hi guys, I’ve got a few questions regarding my first go at doing a coffee table.


    • I was going to use biscuits to join the planks for the table top together, is this OK?
    • I wanted to make it using Jarrah, but I want the table top to be double the thickness of the Jarrah planks I’ve got. Is it acceptable to glue the planks together to make a double thickness top? Or would this look funny?
    • Similarly with the legs? Should I just glue legs together?
    • Attaching legs to the top, can I use dowels?


    Apologies for bonehead questions!

    Cheers!
    Q1: yes, but unnecessary. Pva glue alone is enough to hold the top together as long as the edges are well mated. Biscuits provide no worthwhile strength in this situation - maybe just a bit of help with alignment.
    Q2: yes, its doable. However think about the inconvenient weight and the inelegant look of heavy timbers. You will probably see the joins when looking at the timber from the side, its not a bad thing to see though.
    q3: yes, laminating timbers together for legs is quite common. If done well, you will scarcely see the joint - though I dont think a well-made joint being visible is ever a bad thing.
    Q4: definitely not. Do a search on attaching table tops and find out why.

    Cheers
    Arron

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Imbil
    Posts
    1,167

    Default

    Hi zed_,
    The use of biscuits is a good move when joining boards to help with alignment in the length especially if you are working on you're own as for doubling up the thickness of the top if that is what you want in the depth of the top go right ahead clean dressed boards should come together well enough for the join to have to be looked for to see it, as with the legs. To attach the top to the base frame don't use dowels as they will restrict the possible movement in the width of the top you should use a method that allows for this movement there are hardware versions available but I prefer to make my own as per drawing.
    Regards Rod.
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  5. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Albury Well Just Outside
    Posts
    13,315

    Default

    There is nothing wrong to glue planks together to make a thicker top. If you think it might look a bit odd you can do a little bit of a chamfer at the glue line when the top is glued up.

    I would start by gluing the boards together to get the thickness first, then glue up for the top width and length.

    The legs can be done the same way and the glue line might not be easily seen if you try to match colour and grain direction as close to the opposing plank. Or you could sandwich another contracting piece between the planks to add a feature?

    You can use dowels for the legs to attach to the top but I do have one question that you might want to think about. Is anyone going to sit on it?

    I have found that if the coffee table looks sturdy people tend to sit on them. If it looks light weight less likely for someone to plant themselves on top.

    One idea that comes to mind is to have longer dowels thus lifting the top from the legs. almost like it is floating.

    The beauty of making this yourself gives you these options.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    1,147

    Default

    Instead of using a double thickness top why not just use single and put a skirt piece around to give it the same look.

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