Blackbutt table: breadboards? Legs?

**murphey** · 13th February 2018, 09:20 PM

Hey long time listener first time caller here!

Ive put together a nice desk using reclaimed blackbutt - approx 85cm x 210cm, 25mm thick. The timber is from old 45cm beams, which I’ve biscuit jointed together and breadboarded. I never put legs on it - IKEA trestle legs suited it in the office because they were cheap, available and offered storage.

Now that our family’s growing, we need to get the old table out and a new table in. The desk may be on the threshold of being too narrow, but we can manage. It is however too long. Exactly two breadboards too long.

Can I get away with chopping off the breadboards altogether? If it’s relevant, I do not have an apron on it, but I’ve got enough timber leftover to put one on. I’d rather not as I’m tall and tend to jam various body parts on them.

As for legs, it has been made clear to me that the IKEA trestles will NOT DO. Can anyone recommend a simple, sleek option, given how thin the tabletop is? I’m happy to slap a chunk of wood to the bottom of it in order to allow more depth for a screw-in prefab timber leg, but a simple narrower trestle similar to the Nomess Copenhagen tables seem like a good option too: Nomess Copenhagen

I’ve seen the ‘17 table top fastening post’, but just to consider all options, can you recommend any pre-fab options or fastening solutions that might suit a heavy, long, thin table?

**artme** · 19th February 2018, 07:11 AM

Your main problem will be overcoming the sag. To that end an outer frame would seem to be your best solution.

Perhaps screw on legs could be used if you MUST keep the slender look. As far as I Know these can be bought
along with the fitting that screws to the underside of the table top.Check out Lincoln Sentry for these.

**ian** · 19th February 2018, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by murphey

Can I get away with chopping off the breadboards altogether? If it’s relevant, I do not have an apron on it, but I’ve got enough timber leftover to put one on. I’d rather not as I’m tall and tend to jam various body parts on them.

there is a "standard" for the clearance required between the underside of a table / desk (especially any rails) and a seated person. It sounds as though, as a taller than average person, your table / chair combination doesn't adopt this standard. If you do adopt the standard clearance, apron rails -- which structurally only need to be 30-40 mm deep, but aesthetically should be deeper -- will easily fit between you and the desk.

**IanW** · 19th February 2018, 08:29 AM

Murphey, I suppose there are various ways to attach some legs to your tabletop, but as Artme says, without some extra support lengthwise, you are likely to be faced with some sag, though if it hasn't been an issue in the table's office-desk incarnation, you may be ok. Similarly, if the top is showing no signs of warping & putting strain on the breadboards, you can probably dispense with them safely.

My other concern is that a table gets dragged about and is likely to experience more dynamic loads than a static desk tucked away in an office, so make sure the fixings for the legs are sound. There are various ready-made fixings available,or you could screw a heavier member underneath (& sufficiently out of site) that tubular legs could be inserted in. Make sure the screws are in slightly elongated holes towards the outside to allow movement of the top with the seasons.

My own preference would be for something like this, but that's probably the antithesis of the look you're after......

Cheers,

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