Thread: Table top fasteners thingies?

Table Hardware : Clip, 'Z', for Solid Table Top Buttoning, Plated Steel, 10 pcs, #TCZ/HD

Used this company for my table and knock down furniture hardware. Excellent service

Or make your own old school buttons.

Thanks guys! Some of the techniques in the link from Fuzzie might be a bit advanced for my skills at this stage! But even just the terminology - "z clips has led me to a few other results on google, although the pricing from Lappa's link looks reasonable - they want $12.50 shipping, not too bad.

Cheers

Here are some of the figure 8 ones. IIRC these people are in Canada so international shipping may not be a problem.

Woodworker.com: WROUGHT STEEL DESKTOP FASTENERS 8&searchmode=2

Artia Cabinet & Furniture Hardware Supplier Australia & NZ have a store in Christchurch and have them listed as 'table brackets' in packs of 2000 but they may be able to direct you to someone who can sell you enough for your purpose

Have emailed these guys, thanks for the tip!

I wonder if it is counted as hijacking my own thread, but here's a related question:

Obviously I am making a table, and i have just enough knowledge picked up from various sources more knowledgable than me to know that i should use brackets like these to affix the table top to the apron to allow for expansion and contraction without the top cupping.

BUT - what i don't quite get is how a table like this (my design is nothing special, think of a rustic farm type dining table, mostly 2x4's and 2x8's for the top) can have a top made of rigidly dowel or biscuit joined pieces which surely would want to individually expand and contract, yet it's the joint of the assembled top to the table apron that is the problem?

Can anyone explain this - and would you really have issues with a rigid join of the top to the base using screws through the apron?

wood mainly expands across the grain
so if you have 6 boards joined for the top and each expands in warm humid weather by 1 mm then that 6 mm overall
if solidly screwed to the aprons it is thus putting a lot of pressure on the mortise and tenon joints of the short aprons and legs on the ends of the table

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

wood mainly expands across the grain
so if you have 6 boards joined for the top and each expands in warm humid weather by 1 mm then that 6 mm overall
if solidly screwed to the aprons it is thus putting a lot of pressure on the mortise and tenon joints of the short aprons and legs on the ends of the table

Ah...the penny just dropped. Thanks! So to be crystal, "wood mainly expands across the grain" means a 2x6 will expand in the 6" direction right?

This wouldn't be the first time maths has gotten the better of me....)

I also have heard that when finishing it, whether old or poly sealer or whatever that all 4 sides of the wood should be finished not just the visible surfaces, so that moisture uptake is even - thoughts on that? It's just it will cost basically twice as much in my (well, the wife's) desired finish.

Well i have tried to help myself by searching and it seems the answer to the sealant question - YES do all sides based on this thread from these fine forums!

Also in case i haven't mentioned - the entire table will be simple old Radiata, no MDF or anything to mix in different expansion/contraction characteristics. Turns out my plans which are a combination of many ideas from around the internet actually have what i no know is called "breadboard" ends, which along with sealing it on all sides and using a non rigid mounting to the apron should help!

Jeez the penny does have to drop a long way sometimes.....

just ran outside and snapped a pic of a rigidly attached structure resembling a table i.e. 4 legs and a top made of multiple boards. I made this fort for the kids last year so it's only been thru one seasonal cycle, K this is outside and subject to a lot more change in weather but same principle at work i believe...and the platform boards have pulled the rearmost big stout 100mm/100mm post quite out of true!

IMG_3617.JPG

When using bread board ends, ensure they are attached in a manner that will allow the main boards (that are end attached to them) to expand and contract. Do a search and there are numerous explanations, and multiple methods for attaching.

Also don't be surprised when, at various times of the year, the ends of the bread boards don't align with the sides due to expansion and contraction.

I would strongly recommend the 'make your own wooden buttons' article that Fuzzie posted the link to.

Several years ago I made a large, heavy table for a friends SO. Initially we fastened the top with the 'recommended' metal fasteners but after a few months these started to fail - turned out the tiny cleaning lady used to pick up the table by the end and dragged it around the room so she could vacuum underneath! I spotted some articles on the wooden button system and made up a set - so far these have lasted about 15 years of cleaning lady without any sign of failure.

Re buttons,
Round the end wot goes into the apron and use your lamelo biscuit cutter to make the slots.
That way you don't need to rip a groove along the length of the apron, just little cuts where you want to attach.
H.