I want to make a large table for my dr.
10 feet closed, 16 extended (using 3 leaves of 24″ each).
I have done a few projects but nothing this big or professional.
I own a table saw, miter saw, orbital sander, airgun, and other small stuff. I can buy tools at hft if I need them to do this project.
Some questions.
1. Will 4 corner legs be enough support?
2. Will this work for extending the table? http://www.osbornewood.com/9059.cfm
3. I want to use those 8*4 sheets of plywood they sell at Lowes with a 34″ edge glued and nailed on for the table top. This will save me from having to glue lots of boards together. Does this make sense?
4. Any tips on finishing it so it will look good enough for the wife?
5. What else do I need to ask that I’m not asking?
Thanks!
Joe
Replies
I think 4 corner legs be enough support for table.
Tip
Here's a tip: The more scratches, rough spots and gouges the better. Goodluck on your table!
What Else Do You Need?
20 years experience.
Hey,
Look in Highland Woodworking's 'library' section for tips on finishing. My 2 favorites are titled, "Wet sanding with penetrating oils" and "Wet sanding."
Both articles are by professional furniture restorer Alan Noel. The results from the "Wet sanding" article will surprise you.
Mikaol
If you use plywood any 3/4" edge banding will hide the ply. Or, MLCS has edge banding router bits that let you join solid wood to plywood.
I made a 34 inch 'to-order' table out of eight different species of hardwood. After edge- gluing the pieces I had to even out the thicknesses between pieces Luckily, a local high school had a 36" table plane.
So, there are a lot of options building tables.
Good luck,
Mikaol
Reviewing this it does not read so well, but I'm out of time - some random musings on what sounds like a fun and interesting table.
You have all the tools you need. This means you have not yet learned the importance of making sure that every project you do is done in a way the requires a new tool! I am sure you would find a way to incorporate the need for a router and a set of cheap carbide bits at least. I find this is the best way to get new purchases past the wife...
Four legs are enough for pretty much any table.
You will need to consider though, how much loading is going on them. The Golden gate bridge has four legs after all. It's just a matter of scale and engineering the parts.
I would estimate you would be looking to seat at least 12 and up to 16 people round a table that size, so that's a lot of elbows resting on it after a heavy meal and a lot of potential for racking and twisting. Greater length means greater forces on each joint if the table is moved or knocked and greater stress on the apron, which needs to be beefier as a result. You will need a very robust frame or it will all end in tears.
Provided that the legs and apron are in proportion to the loading required, you should be fine - I'd recommend you look at a minimum of 3 and preferably 4 inch legs, if they are to be square section, though you could get away with 40mm if you given them a bit of shape. You will certainly need a decent fat apron - I'd suggest at least 4" depth, probably best to curve it, with 6 inches at each leg. If you can manage a 1.5 inch thickness then that would definitely be enough and 1" is probably ok. Strength of the apron is however more related to width than thickness - wider (top to bottom height) is far better than thicker. Racking is better resisted by thicker aprons and double tenons. You could add some diagonal cross-bracing if you really need extra strength and want a thin apron.
You will also need to support the end leaves to ensure they remain flat, though this can be a lot finer. Plywood will sag if it is not well-supported. Ensure the apron comes to within 6 inches of the edge of the ply, or that it is supported with additional wood underneath - you need a supporting member every 18 inches or so for protruding leaves.
Make sure your plywood is thick enough to take a vigorous sanding - not all ply is sold with thick enough veneer and you dont' want to finish the table and find a bald patch. Sand the top to finish level and seal with shellac as soon as it is practicable to do so. Tape harboard over it to protect from dings (I use 4mm MDF for this)
Personally I would not make the table with those slides. It is going to be a very heavy item and you will be pulling (easy enough) and pushing (hmm..) the legs to move them. They are also quite expensive for what they are.
A way better and only slightly more complex approach is to copy the successful G-Plan system in which the frame stays still, the end leaves both pull out, and the centre leaf is stored inside the table. This minimises lifting and increases the strength of the table overall as the apron is uninterrupted. It can be achieved with minimal hardware - you need only hinges and pivots for the centre-leaf and those are optional as you could just make a hiding place for the centre leaf a and lift it out into place as needed.
https://thevintagehub.com/product/g-plan-teak-extending-fresco-dining-table/
The leaves are locked together with tongues and grooves.
have fun and please post a pic of the finished product!
PS: Just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsmTPBToih4
Wow Rob awesome post! You’ve covered it well.
Unless you are very experienced, I would not suggest that you undertake a project of this scope without first reviewing a few designs of similarly sized tables to get component sizes, number of legs, structural approach, etc. In general, if you can't find any examples of something you want to build, there's a good chance that the idea isn't sound.
I build large tables all the time and an extension table of 16 feet (when extended)will need a split center support. A way to get around this is using what are called George Washington extensions. see attachment. This table is 70" long with two extensions it is 105" long and sits 12 on the tight side. The legs are 3-1/2" so for you I suggest 4-1/2"sq. A router would be nice but better yet a straight line fence kit with a circular saw will help immensely. I have a table saw but the straight line kit is accurate enough to straighten for joining where the table saw unless you are very careful won't.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled