Thread: Table Build - Assistance please

a 1600 mm diameter table is big enough for 6 or 7 place settings.
I suggest you rethink your base design with this in mind, otherwise half your guests will be sitting on top of a leg.

Your questions
in this situation, Dominos are an aid to aligning the boards during glue up. They do not add any appreciable strength to the joint. If you use them, the key is to make sure there are no dominos where you will be trimming the boards to round.

I think you could safely halve the spread of the legs. We frequently seat eight people at a 1450mm round table. Rather than a dodecagon on the outer edge, I'd make it an octagon or whatever provides a straight edge for each person dining. Better still, make it round because you run the risk of the joints between the outer pieces failing when the wood shrinks or expands. Alternatively you can leave a few mms. between each of the boards on top rather than butting them together.

mick

Originally Posted by Glider

Rather than a dodecagon on the outer edge, I'd make it an octagon or whatever provides a straight edge for each person dining. Better still, make it round

Have another read of the the first line, it's going to be round.

Techniglue will leave quite a thick, visible glue line.

The biggest issue is that it appears you want to make a ring and glue it to a straight-grained panel. You can't do that. You'll get movement in multiple directions which will pop the joins, either on the ring or in the middle of the table top. If you want to build up the edge, the grain must run the same way as the top.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Have another read of the the first line, it's going to be round.

So I noted. However the sketch entitled "Table Top View" shows 12 laminated edge boards in a dodecagon. Why would it be shown that way?

mick

To illustrate that the outer ring will be joined in 12 segments, then trimmed. That's why it's done in dotted lines.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

If you want to build up the edge, the grain must run the same way as the top.

thanks, do build up the edge, is it as simple as laminating another piece directly underside each board instead of building a ring? So I can just cut the a piece of each board end and laminate the offcut under it?

Originally Posted by pach

thanks, do build up the edge, is it as simple as laminating another piece directly underside each board instead of building a ring? So I can just cut the a piece of each board end and laminate the offcut under it?

Yep

Originally Posted by pach

thanks, do build up the edge, is it as simple as laminating another piece directly underside each board instead of building a ring? So I can just cut the a piece of each board end and laminate the offcut under it?

but ideally you will trim the inside edge of the "thickness" ring so that it feels like a ring and not a bunch or random segments.

A few thoughts:
I built a 1400mm round table, and the 18mm thickness does not look at all out of proportion.
I'd suggest putting stretchers between diagonally opposite legs and having them cross over with a half lap in the centre. More leg room for everybody and very sturdy.
For an outside table, I'd be tempted to use resorcinol, if the red-brown glue lines would go well with the timber. Or aerolite 308 if you can still get it (clear). Not sure -- I've not worked successfully with epoxy, although I know a lot of people do. When I used it between pilularis and jarrah planks on my former workbench it blew apart. For my indoor furniture I use 'exterior' Selley's pva -- plenty good enough.
And - what elanjacobs said about not gluing things together criss-cross. Bad things happen.

Originally Posted by ian

but ideally you will trim the inside edge of the "thickness" ring so that it feels like a ring and not a bunch or random segments.

Hi @ian, yes I was thinking of that and that is why initially I came up with the idea of the ring so it easier to make. I guess now I have to work out how to cut the laminated pieces so they are a ring.

Any suggestions on how to best do them?

Answering your questions below:

Originally Posted by pach

Q1. I am planning on using dominos. Is 250mm spacing ok?

For joining long lengths of timber there is so much surface area that a mechanical aid is superfluous.

Q2. Should I use Techniglue Epoxy or would Titebond III be better?

Epoxy is more durable, Titebond III is good too. Epoxy is messy

Q3. I want to laminate edge boards to make it look thicker. Is say 150mm ok for the edge boards ?

Thats a taste question you should ask the customer. 150mm is probably deep enough. I'd put a thin strip of contrasting timber between the edge and centre...

Q4. What size should I make the brace under the table ?

NGR is a softer timber so a large dimension is better with a bigger glued surface. if possible some hidden mechanical aids to assist with racking.

Q5. If I need to use a different timber for the legs / braces, what do you recommend (incase I run out of NG Rosewood).

get more rosewood

ALSO... I think 21mm is not thick enough for a top = dress for 30mm and thin it down if it looks wrong - my concern is cupping in the platter.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


table_size_view.jpgtable_top_view.jpg

Originally Posted by pach

Originally Posted by ian

but ideally you will trim the inside edge of the "thickness" ring so that it feels like a ring and not a bunch or random segments.

yes I was thinking of that and that is why initially I came up with the idea of the ring so it easier to make. I guess now I have to work out how to cut the laminated pieces so they are a ring.

Any suggestions on how to best do them?

I'm thinking that you will probably use a jig saw to cut the table round and clean up the cut with a trammel mounted router.
I'd use a similar technique -- router and trammel -- to round the inside edge.
You may want to consider investing in a spiral or skewed router cutter for this.