Thread: Recycled timber dining table WIP

A little progress here.. glueing the boards up in 2’s so that I can run them over my jointer/through my little thicknesser, then I will only have 5 pieces to try to keep flat instead of 10. One more set in the clamps now, then I’ll do the last one in the morning. I didn’t use any biscuits or dowels in these, but will do with the final glue up. I never seem to get perfect alignment with biscuits, so perhaps I will try dowels this time around.





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Gluing up in pairs is a good idea as I have done that in the past to get them through the thicknesser. What I have also done was to continue with this until I could no longer get them in the thicknesser. To keep the final pieces aligned I also clamped across the joint. I used a square piece of wood covered with clear packing tape so that the piece would not stick to the panel.

I do have an option to use dowels but found that in the past I did not get very good alignment when I dry fit this together. My doweling jig was not very good.

Even after all this there might be a time that you get some shifting in the final glue up and that is when I had to use hand planes to get this panel flatten. My initial feeling was very down but after realising that these things happen it became just one more step to complete.

Originally Posted by Christos

Gluing up in pairs is a good idea as I have done that in the past to get them through the thicknesser. What I have also done was to continue with this until I could no longer get them in the thicknesser. To keep the final pieces aligned I also clamped across the joint. I used a square piece of wood covered with clear packing tape so that the piece would not stick to the panel.

I do have an option to use dowels but found that in the past I did not get very good alignment when I dry fit this together. My doweling jig was not very good.

Even after all this there might be a time that you get some shifting in the final glue up and that is when I had to use hand planes to get this panel flatten. My initial feeling was very down but after realising that these things happen it became just one more step to complete.

Yeah, I might actually m try making some clamping cauls, I have a few spare sticks I can play with. After some frustrations with the jointer I am really happy with the way the timber is coming together (w no gaps, except for the notches in the timber, which I decided I might just fill with black epoxy)
I too have a not so good dowel jig I got from the big green shed ages ago, which I was kinda scared to use anyhow so I’m glad you mentioned this. I recently got myself a Stanley #4, which I believe can be used for flattening? I never used a hand plane before [emoji849] anyhow I have a new iron, and bought some Japanese sharpening stones & honing jig just for that moment! Unless I come across someone with one of those fancy wide drum sanders that likes beers


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I also came across a pipe clamp head in the old mans shed yesterday, and am picking up a Bessey pipe clamp head today, so I will have 2 more in my arsenal. I want the Bessey just to compare quality to the eBay clamps I have. One Bessey is $10 more than 4 eBay specials.

I was supposed to get a bunch from a member here in January, but my car registration was due and I still havent recovered from paying that!


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Unforunate reality is we get scalped here on Bessey products. It's still cheaper for me to get Bessey Pipe clamps from Amazon with USD and pay a fairly hefty shipping fee than it is to drive 20 mins to a local Bessey supplier. The table top is coming along nicely!

Originally Posted by hurcorh

Unforunate reality is we get scalped here on Bessey products. It's still cheaper for me to get Bessey Pipe clamps from Amazon with USD and pay a fairly hefty shipping fee than it is to drive 20 mins to a local Bessey supplier. The table top is coming along nicely!

Oh yeah they really are. I have a brother in Seattle, I wonder if he might bring me some next time he visits


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Originally Posted by Damon90

Oh yeah they really are. I have a brother in Seattle, I wonder if he might bring me some next time he visits.....

That's what brothers are for.

Well, after a long week working (unfortunately not as much on my tabletop as i would like to) sick kids, sick mrs & a broken phone, i have an update. The top is all joined, ended up using biscuits for alignment. Actually really happy with the results, very close to flat across the whole table except for the very last board is out by about 3-5mm. tempted to rip that board off and re do it. As my ryobi table saw is a POS, i just jointed each board on both sides with the jointer, so my table is a bit of a paralellogram, i think it was 10mm on the ends widthwise (853mm to 865mm) or something very close. Had a hard time getting a straight cut on one end tonight with the circular saw wanting to wander away from the guide rail i was butted up to, so i have left it for now and will pick back up on it tomorrow.

I'm also contemplating doing bread board ends, after flattening i would assume is best? Ive just scored myself a #7 stanley from NZ for $46, and whatever it costs me to post it. Off topic, but the guy also has a falcon #7 jointer plane aswell, currently at $30. Are they worth it?

Table is measuring approx 850x2400 ATM, which i guess will end up at closer to 2600mm if i add breadboard ends. Weight at a guess would be close to 50kg, its darn heavy.


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Looking good mate, thanks for sharing! Have you decided what you’re doing for the joinery underneath?

i was thinking of welding this from 90mm box tubing, but also have a fair amount of timber left over, so havent committed to a design yet. I'm open to suggestions! I'm worried about flattening it at this stage. I want to feel like a craftsman so rather than make a router sled (lets be honest, this will be plan b) i will wait for my #7 to be delivered, figure out how to get a super sharp iron, watch some youtube and hope for the best.
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I'm torn, because i love the look of black powdercoated steel with the pale timber, but i also just love the look of pale timber lol.

I know that worried feeling about flattening, I still haven’t worked up the courage to take a plan to the top of the grinder stand I made a while back.

Not sure I can make any suggestions on the legs but I’m coming along for the ride!

i saw the stand on your vintage machinery/shed post. the top looks pretty flat? i guess for a grinder stand it doesnt have to be perfect. neither does my table to be honest, I'm just worried that if the top isnt flat the breadboards will be out... guess i could flatten these at the same time? I planned to flatten the top, then add breadboard ends originally, but if it wont affect the m&t's then i guess i could do them first then plane the whole lot at the same time

Yeah the stand isn’t too bad but it’s far from good. Will be a good learning experience though before I build a full size bench.

Haven’t had any experience with breadboards but I’d probably flatten the top and then add the breadboards afterwards. Will let someone with more experience weigh in though.