Thread: Putting inlaid metal banding in a wooden dining table

Hi,
It depends on the look you want to go for, but you can used steel, aluminum, brass, copper, titanium......the list goes on.

The best way of doing it is to make the table top up first then rout grooves in it for the banding. Then it can be glued in place with epoxy, superglue (good thick stuff like slow Zap) or polyurethane glue.

The biggest problem you will encounter is sanding it back flush. Best to use a belt sander, but you have to be very careful not the get the metal too hot. Ally is the worst for this. If the metal gets to hot 2 things will happen, the glue can give way, and the metal will expand, crushing the timber either side of it and then it will shrink as it cool and leave gaps. Trying to swell the timber with a damp cloth and an iron may cause the timber to swell and close the gaps but best not to cause the problem in the first place.

The way that I would go about it is to work out the width of the table, by laying the boards side by side, level the ends and then mark where the bands will be, route out to the depth required, on the sides where the strap folds around, route these out as well as underneath for about 50mm (no sharp edges that way). Effectively a G with the bottom on top there as well. Bend the flat to suit.
If you want an antique look, some 50x3 flat, hammer beaten then buffed, blackened or a rusted look(choice of finish appearance) and powder coated with a clear finish, to give authenticity, get some one to turn domes on the heads of the bolts/rivets with a step and treat as per the flat bar. These can be welded under the flat through a hole. Unfortunately I don't know how to load a sketch here.
To assemble, place all the boards, bar one in the centre, in the straps (upside down) and then force the last one in place, then attach the cross beams to hold it all together. Leave enough gap to allow a saw blade to cut through, or assemble with the filler in place then cut, that way all the grain will match.
If you PM me, I can do a computer drawing and snail mail it to you if required. Hope this helps.
Kryn

Thanks for the replies.
I was picturing KBs idea, where the metal is bent around and under the table.
I'm concerned with the metal shaping part. I want a durable grey metal, so steel or iron would probably be what I'd use. But these metals are so hard, I don't know how I would bend it precisely to make it work. I've never worked with metal like this. Do I need a metal break, or can I bend it by hand?

Originally Posted by gfries

Thanks for the replies.
I was picturing KBs idea, where the metal is bent around and under the table.
I'm concerned with the metal shaping part. I want a durable grey metal, so steel or iron would probably be what I'd use. But these metals are so hard, I don't know how I would bend it precisely to make it work. I've never worked with metal like this. Do I need a metal break, or can I bend it by hand?

You should be able to bend 50X3 flat steel in a vise quite easily, work out the width, thickness plus wrap around, mark these on the flat and position in a vise (working from outside in to the centre) using a large hammer bend to 90 degrees, a piece of angle 5-6+mm thick will help get a sharp edge.
Kryn

I'd also notch the timber on the two outside edges to allow for expansion/shrinkage otherwise the top may buckle

DJ raises an interesting question..

Are the metal strips purely decorative? or are they functional, in the sense of holding the boards together? Or perhaps locking the removable leaf in place?

Either way, the holes for the bolts should be slotted to allow for wood movement, and I'd wrap the steel all the way around under the table, you might be able to incorporate some kind of a locking pin for the removable leaf.

You can buy 50x3 flat stock at pretty much any steel yard.


Regards
Ray

Why a metal strip? Why not use angle-iron in the first place... then you could simply put countersunk fasteners through the 'hidden' face into the end-grain of each board. (Slightly slotted counter-sinks, of course!) That would give you nice, clean lines and still keep it securely fastened. Unless you like the idea of visible rivets or screws? A lá iron-bound chest?

It shouldn't be too much trouble to find a local welder who could tack in end plates at the appropriate places - and maybe clean 'em up with a grinder - to simulate folds going over the edge...

Hmmm... come to that, I wonder if C-channel comes in appropriate sizes?

The reason I don't want to use angle iron is because I want the banding to wrap around and underneath the tabletop. The banding is purely decorative - the parallel boards will be fastened together (most likely with pocket screws and a skirt - haven't totally thought that out yet). I guess I'll grab some straight steel banding and try to bend it to the proper length with a vise. If I scratched up the bottom of the steel, would construction glue be enough to keep it fastened to the table, or should I throw some fasteners through it?