Kitchen table. How close should the legs be to the table corners?

**grapeseed** · 2nd October 2022, 01:11 PM

Hi Guys. I'm going to build our kitchen (dining) table from this 1200x1800 pine slab.

I'm planning to make a simple frame using some chunky 5x5's for the legs.

The style I'm going for is rustic/country style. So rough-sawn timber, lightly sanded with aris edges.

I want to be able to seat 10 at the table at a squeeze (3 per side and 2 on each end), otherwise it will generally be a 6 seater. With this is mind, the question I have is...where should I site the legs under this slab? I'm imagining that if you want them to be least "in the way" of people's knees then they need to be either as close to the corners as possible (i.e. build the frame the same size as the top...1200x1800), or as far from the corners as possible (e.g. a frame which is 600x1200...or however small I can go before it gets tippy). If they are right at the corners then we actually loose 125mm of sitting area at each corner due to the size of the table legs, so in fact the latter suggestion seems to make the most sense to me. But will this look silly? And any idea how small I can go before a table top of this size starts to get too "tippy"?

table.jpg

**havabeer69** · 3rd October 2022, 10:40 AM

I would put them as close to the corners as possibly, you will lose the 150mm on each side.... BUT.... someone won't end up with a table in between their legs when you actually have max guests sitting at it.

**Chief Tiff** · 3rd October 2022, 11:03 AM

Or...

Design the table to have only two legs in the middle. 5" x 5" are well chunky enough; you just need to mortise them into bearers at the top and feet at the bottom with a stretcher somewhere between them.

**The Spin Doctor** · 5th October 2022, 07:48 PM

Where to place the legs and how much overhang you want is completely contingent on the style of the table you plan to build. It's impossible to say without a design to look at.

**orraloon** · 5th October 2022, 10:51 PM

Our dining table has the legs pretty close to the corners. Its 1930 x 1000. It is comfortable with 3 on the long sides but 2 on the ends is a push unless they are children. You'r extra 200mm width should make a difference at the ends but you have a bit less length. We have served 10 at it at times and at those times its make do. It may be time to experiment with a sheet of ply/mdf/chipboard and 4 bits of framing to see what works best.
Regards
John

**anc001** · 8th October 2022, 01:35 PM

as a six seater, will you have 3 on each side, to 2 on ends and 2 on each side? If the former I'd try to get them in the corners, if the latter, I'd bring them in.
My reading points to minimum 450mm knee space laterally each sitting position and 600-750mm per person table space aka elbow space.

If you have an overall length of 1800 (lets call that a), and have 3 people along each long side, their elbow room is 600 each (call that b), the people on the ends are sitting 300mm from the ends (call that c), each person needs 450mm knee room (call that d), which is 225mm on each side of the centres of the sitting spot (call that e), so the leg has to be outside the knee space, which is c minus e, or 300 minus 225, ie 75mm.

WOrked out with a diagram and the words above are a poor attempt to describe the diagram

Mind-you, I'm a newb so take this with a grain of salt!

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