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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    Default Suggestions needed for joins on table legs.

    Hi All,

    Making a table currently its American Oak 1900x1100x45 are the dimensions of the table and the legs I want to make for it are timber like in the attached picture, I'm after some suggestions as to what sort of joins
    I should use on the bottom section of the leg for best strength. Would simply cutting the uprights and bottom section to desired angles and glue joining them at those angles using the largest size Domino's be sufficient?

    Or would I just cut the angles on the bottom cross section and butt join the uprights to it using dominos then cut the bottom of the upright to match the angle of the cross section (if that makes sense)

    Normally I would use steel legs but in this case they want timber.

    Thanks in advance.

    Joel


    Table Legs.jpeg

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
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    Oberon, NSW
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    Default

    With that design I'd be a tad concerned about the legs wanting to pull away from the bottom rail and 'splay out' with weight on the table.

    Any of the traditional joints that'd inherently overcome that would show some of the rail's end-grain, which wouldn't look right... leaving a choice of either mechanical fasteners or overly complicated cuts.

    Personally I'd probably opt for a simple butt joint, using dominos or dowels for positioning, then once the glue has gone off flip the whole thing upside down and screw a plate or pair of figure-8 fasteners into a routed recess across each joint, so the screw-heads don't mar the floor.

    Because the screws would be perpendicular to the joint, they'd be much more secure and less likely to pull apart.
    I may be weird, but I'm saving up to become eccentric.

    - Andy Mc

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    Melbourne
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    Default

    The dowel/domino and figure-8 idea would work. Another option is to mitre it and drop some long screws in from the bottom once the glue goes off, I've done that plenty of times.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    back in Alberta for a while
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    Default

    A bridle joint would be more than strong enough.

    But you could add dowel pins if you're belt, braces and suspenders minded.


    perhaps the quickest joint is a pair of large dominos, pinned with a contrasting coloured dowel
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  6. #5
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    Mar 2004
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    Default

    The customer is always right, but I'm glad I'm not faced with making this table. It certainly looks neat & elegant, but from what I can see of its undercarriage, it's not a robust design. There are several ways of achieving an adequate joint between the legs & bottom rail - I'd be tempted to use through dovetails & make it a 'feature' but if you want to keep it minimalist, dominoes & pins should suffice - at least include some way of resisting lateral spread other than relying on glue alone.

    But your real concern, imo, is how you are going to join the leg assemblies to the top. I'm assuming the top rail of the leg assembly is screwed to the underside of the table top, & that's it - there is no evidence of any sort of skirt or bracing between those leg assemblies. There's going to be some movement cycles in that top, unless it's destined for a climate-controlled environment. A wide, thick top like that will develop a lot of power if it decides to move, so the screw joints need to allow for expansion/contraction, reducing the rigidity of the leg assembly & top. That, to my mind, is going to be the major concern over time; tables do get dragged & pushed around in the best of families. Don't put a long guarantee period on this one......

    Cheers,
    IW

  7. #6
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    back in Alberta for a while
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    Quote Originally Posted by IanW View Post
    But your real concern, imo, is how you are going to join the leg assemblies to the top. I'm assuming the top rail of the leg assembly is screwed to the underside of the table top, & that's it - there is no evidence of any sort of skirt or bracing between those leg assemblies. There's going to be some movement cycles in that top, unless it's destined for a climate-controlled environment. A wide, thick top like that will develop a lot of power if it decides to move, so the screw joints need to allow for expansion/contraction, reducing the rigidity of the leg assembly & top. That, to my mind, is going to be the major concern over time; tables do get dragged & pushed around in the best of families. Don't put a long guarantee period on this one......
    It's a bit of work, but the top leg brace -- for want of a better description for the top member of the trapezoid legs -- could be screwed to dovetail keys inserted into the underside of the top.
    The keys could be inserted via a pocket routed into the center of the top.
    This would (1) hold the top flat, (2) allow for movement in the top and (3) give a rigid connection between the legs and the top
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Perth WA
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    If the top you are doing is anything like whats in the picture then why would you want to spoil/degrade the top with disgusting leg frame like that. I doubt the table would be very ridgid lenght wise... one wobble and it would fall into a heap.
    Experienced in removing the tree from the furniture

  9. #8
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    1) Looks are subjective
    2) Threaded inserts and demon bolts are an incredibly strong way of attaching them. Yes you will get a bit of wobble, but the legs are certainly not coming off without some serious effort.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
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    Perth
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    The strongest joint for the leg construction is a finger joint, as this maximises the glue area. I would avoid butt joints and fasteners, such as screws, dowels, biscuits or dominos. They are limited in glue area. Through dovetails come second to finger joints - less glue area (on a face-to-face or side-to-side) but better mechanical connection.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Adelaide
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    Default

    what about pocket hole screws from the bottom with some glue? No-one would see them

  12. #11
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    Melbourne
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    Default

    Thanks guys I think I will just put some screws in from the bottom as they won’t be seen.

  13. #12
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    Melbourne
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    Default

    Hi All,

    Thought I would post my finished table on here it turned out pretty nice. American Oak finished with Osmo Polyx and Matte Black outside legs.

    file-24.jpg file2-6.jpg file1-6.jpg

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