table Foot ideas needed?

[lubbing5cherubs]

Hi Can you please tell me how do you make a table foot or show me some pictures of some different ideas so that I can put a foot on a single pole table. Do you have any suggestion?

I mean on a single post table (the table with one post up the centre) What do you use for a foot or stand to make it stay up and stay standing.

I know I probably not made this clear. I hope you understand what I mean.
Thanks Toni

[DJ’s Timber]

Something like these tables Toni?

http://www.shapiroauctioneers.com.au/pasthighlights/mh_images/trad_design/furniture/191a2_035.jpg http://www.shapiroauctioneers.com.au/pasthighlights/mh_images/trad_design/furniture/128_013.jpg http://www.shapiroauctioneers.com.au/pasthighlights/mh_images/trad_design/furniture/143_009.jpg

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

The foot on our old diner was just two short planks, I'd guess about 3 foot long by 4x1 inch, crossed over in a half-lap and with blocks of wood glued underneath the ends for feet.

It survived a lot of kids hanging off the top, pulling it over more than once. :rolleyes:

[lubbing5cherubs]

I been thinking would wrought iron feet on a timber table made from Camphor laurel, Then Legacy turned leg with wrought iron feet do you think this would work or not? Timber and metal does taht sound a good idea or not??
thanks
Toni

Thanks Skew and Dj.
Dj those tables are beautiful but bit beyond my talent. I never made a table before but my mum got some gorgeous slabs. Must try to make a table with it.

[RETIRED]

Toni, put "pedestal tables" into google.

[lubbing5cherubs]

thanks . I wondered what they be called
Thanks Mate
Toni

[lubbing5cherubs]

Also What do you finish a table with?? I sort of expect that you would use a varnish or shellac?? What would you use on legacy

Added photos to try and help me work out what I am doing. Plus to give me ideas on joints and that as I am going blind to set the leg in the table what I have done is to lathe it down to a size of the forstner bit that I plan on drilling into the slab to make stay on there is this strong enough or do I need to do something else???
Open to suggestion


The table tops has marks on it as I did not wipe it up or anything I was just got it out and decided to take a photo so you can see what I am up to.

The leg top is facing the right. The bottom I have left longer until I do work out what I am doing to the leg.
What do you think so far?? Sorry this is so long
bye Toni:B

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

What size is the table top? If it's just an ornamental table, or to be used as a bed-side stand it's probably OK to mount it the way you are.

But if it's likely to see heavy weights out near one edge, or people leaning on it... then it'd really need some sort of bracing.


Timber and metal does taht sound a good idea or not??

There's nothing wrong with the idea in principle. Of course, how it all comes together in the end depends as much on how much artistic sense the builder has as it does their woo/metalworking skills. :)

To my mind, if you're using wrought iron you'd be better off making the whole pedestal & legs from wrought iron, so the camphour laurel top would really stand out by itself. But that takes away the need for your ornamental leg... and where's the fun in that? :D

[lubbing5cherubs]

[quote=Skew ChiDAMN!!;930684]What size is the table top?

Hi Skew, Mate this I am still unsure at the moment the table top is about 2" thick and 80cm long in an oval but I am still deciding on whether I am going to make it into a small round occasional table. But doing this I loose the natural bark on it.So very torn still undecided. I am very happy with the Ornamental part of the leg and I do want to include it.
Thanks Toni

[SawDustSniffer]

having the pith of the log still in the table top is asking for cracks when it dries out
the way the timber is cut is the weakest way ( end grain ) you will need some support under the top ,

2 half lapped timbers ( cut 1/2 way on both so there scribed together) and set that into the leg ( a "X" cut out in the leg ) ,
but don't screw the top down , you have to use sliding fixing's ( small metal clips that fit into a grove on the support and screw to the top )
the top is going to expand and contract if you fix it solidly it will crack
look under a well made coffee table for the sliding clips

i think no matter what you do it will crack :o, how many seasons has the timber been seasoned for ???? is it still green ?? so you might want to wait 4 weeks to see if the top grows cracks radiating out from the center , sealing the moisture in with a finish will slow down the drying but as soon as a crack forms it will start drying out in that area and the result will be worse , you could " butterfly" the cracks but then the cracks will form some where else , to make a table like this the timber has to be well seasoned , absolute minimum 1year per inch thickness , then if it hasn't cracked i'd feel safe turning it into a table (1 in a 100 from my experience ,depending on timber species)

the way timber grows (from the outside ) leaves the heartwood (dark) with less moisture than the sapwood ( light ) , when the sap wood dries out it shrinks ,because the heartwood is denser and dryer it doesn't shrink as much , so the shrinking sapwood has to crack to account for the shrinkage , ( unless its rubber wood )

timber shrinks more on its end grain than its length (umm take a 90mmx 45mm x 3m length of wood , the 90mm and 45mm dimensions will shrink a huge amount , but the length ,just a bit )
the timber will expand and shrink with humidity , if you have a table top with 90mm boards joined edge to edge to make up 800mm it is going to expand and contract more on the 800mm wide side than the length , if you then fix a peace of timber to the under side running 90 deg to the grain on top you stop it from moving resulting in it tearing it's self apart , you have to let this join slide

having a end grain cut peace of timber the expansion and contraction is all the way around the top , so you need to router/power saw the supports with a small grove 5mm from the top and fix a sliding clip on both sides of each support

nice work though , i don't want to be "Mr negativity " just "verbally diarrheaering" my experience on such matters

[lubbing5cherubs]

how many seasons has the timber been seasoned for ???? is it still green ??[/quote]

Hi Sawdust Sniffer,
The slab I have had it under the house for about 12 months and I bought it off another turner that said he had it for years but was having a garage sale. My mum bought it for me and she was told that it was dried when he bought it. So should that make it fine to proceed on the table
Thanks Toni

[Gil Jones]

Hi Toni,
Go to this site >> http://books.google.com/books?id=HyVWIXFlNDwC&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=attach+pedestal+to+a+tilt+table+top&source=bl&ots=P4XIhxfbZ1&sig=THzSd1HEDzYeKbhuUdfPQ3DIDms&hl=en&ei=CDDYSemmA6KstgeI95zgDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPA82,M1
And start at page 82. It is how I have attached a base to a table like yours. It works fine, and can even be made as a tilt top table while you are at it.
This article is for a repair of the table, but you can see how the base is attached to the top.
Cheers,