Thread: Outdoor table advice

Hi all.

Between home renos and our 4 month old baby, I am trying to build an outdoor table. I was hoping someone can give me advice on the type of joins I need. I have attached a picture of the top only.

Note that I am pretty much a woodworking beginner but have managed to get a decent collection of tools and 2nd hand machinery including: benchtop jointer, 12" thicknesser, Triton w/c, bandsaw, scms, router, etc. No biscuit joiner or drill press.

The top is 1500 x 1000 and is to be made from reclaimed hardwood (thanks to trusty bandsaw, jointer and thicknesser). I have read about movement of timber, especially with regards to table tops, but am not sure how much of a concern this well be with slats on the top?

For the outer frame and centre piece of the top I was planning on using M&T joints. Note these pieces will be 90x30.

The slats I am not sure about. On many of the tables I see at the outdoor furniture shops, I notice that they run a groove along the inside of the outer frame of the table top. The slats appear to have a half tenon which sits within this groove. Would this be correct? (The slat dimensions were to be 65x10 but now I am thinking that 10mm is too thin? I was going to brace them halfway along but should I make them thicker? I have plenty of timber.)

As the groove is continuous, I am guessing they glue each slat into the outer frame and then fix it with a screw?

Also wondering about the order of steps I need to take to join and glue the top. I was thinking:
1. Join the three width components of the frame to one long edge.
2. Slide all slats in.
3. Join other long edge.

Not sure if this makes sense and I am sure I'm not using the right terminology.

Am I biting off more than I can chew?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

John