By Tim Johnson
You don't need a dream shop to build
this project.
Aside from feeding the
occasional flock (when’s the last time you had eight dinner guests?), a big
surface where you can spread things out is invaluable, for computing, writing,
hobbies or for kids’ activities. A large table is the perfect gathering place
for today’s open kitchens and great rooms, and you can build this one even if
you don’t have a dream shop with lots of huge machinery.
This table is made from white ash, a hardwood that’s beautiful, durable and affordable. The top floats on a base that’s built to last. Strong joinery between the legs and aprons is accomplished using an innovative and inexpensive commercial jig. Internal supporting rails are dovetailed to stiffen the structure, yet you can make and install them in minutes. And don’t worry about the huge top. I’ll show you how to manage gluing it all together, but only after I’ve shown you how to edge-joint its long boards perfectly without using a jointer!
|
|
|
RIP
STRAIGHT EDGES easily with inexpensive straightlining jigs (see Sources,
page 77). One thumbscrew on each jig holds the rough-edged board, the other
grips an 8-ft. long by 7-in. wide MDF straightedge. After straightlining one
edge, remove the board from the jig and rip the other edge parallel. (You can
also have straightlining done for you at the lumberyard.) |
You don’t
have a battleship-sized jointer? Fine! Get perfect edge joints on these long
boards using a router instead.
You’ll need a tablesaw, a
router that accepts 1/2-in. bits, four router bits, an electric drill (a drill
press is very helpful, but not absolutely necessary), a BeadLOCK doweling jig
(see Sources, page 77), a jig for ripping a straight edge
on rough lumber, sawhorses and assorted clamps. In addition to the lumber
($450), buy two 4x8 sheets of 3/4-in. medium density fiberboard (MDF) ($50).
One serves as a work surface and the other provides the straightedges for
jointing and squaring operations (see Fig. H, Photos 3 through 5 and 10). You won’t need a jointer. You don’t have to
own a planer either, because most hardwood lumberyards will mill rough lumber
for you. You’ll need a lathe if you want to turn your own legs. There are
ready-made alternatives if you don’t ($35 to $75 each, see Sources, page 77).
|
A
BIG PATTERN-CUTTING BIT works best for jointing edges. Its large cutting
diameter leaves smooth, chatter-free surfaces. |
|
ROUT
THE FIRST EDGE of each joint, using the pattern-cutting bit and an 8-ft.-long
MDF straightedge. After laying out the boards for the top, draw a line across
each joint, halfway from the end. Aligning these lines with a similar line at
the midpoint of the MDF guarantees that the jointed edges will fit together. |
|
|
|
JOINTING
WITH A ROUTER |
The top, aprons and internal support rails are
made from 8-ft. long 5/4 boards, about 80 bd. ft., milled to 1-in. thickness.
If you’re having your lumber milled at the yard, have them also make a straight
cut on one edge (called SL1E or "straightlining"). Milling and
straightlining cost only about 30 cents per ft. and save you the trouble of
doing it yourself (Photo 1).
If 5/4 boards aren’t
available, substitute 100 bd. ft. of 6/4. You could also use 4/4 stock and
rework the dimensions for 3/4-in. material. A 3/4-in.-thick top will be lighter
in weight and appearance (maybe too light for your taste), and the splines will
have to be no wider than 3/16-in. The thinner, 6-ft.-long aprons will be more
likely to sag. You’ll also have to use smaller loose tenon stock and a
different BeadLOCK drilling jig that requires drilling more, albeit smaller
holes.
Use 8/4 stock for the legs,
milled to 1-3/4-in. thickness, cut into 30-in. lengths, and glued up. You’ll
need about 25 bd. ft.
White ash looks similar to
oak, with one noticeable difference. Its heartwood is a dark brown color that
contrasts sharply with its light-colored sapwood. When choosing or ordering
lumber, look or ask for pieces that are all sapwood, especially the 8/4 stock
for the legs. The 5/4 stock must have one good sapwood face. Heartwood on the
back side won’t show, except on the edges of the top.
You’ll need twelve 5/4
boards that are at least 7-in. wide. Use the seven that look the best together,
considering grain pattern and color, for the top (seven boards 6-in. wide after
jointing will make a 42-in. wide top). The four aprons, including their add-on
half-round details, require three of the remaining boards (you can get the four
pieces for both short aprons from one board). Use one of the two remaining
boards for the internal rails and the other for splines and test pieces.
Make the top first. Don’t
worry about making it to exact dimensions. Just use your best-looking boards
and come as close as you can. (My top turned out to be 41-1/2-in. wide). Then
adjust the size of the base, changing the lengths of the aprons to maintain the
overhang of the top.
Splines align
the boards in the top, so you don’t spend hours sanding the joints flush later.
|
|
|
|
USE THREE SPACER BLOCKS to position the second board for routing and
clamp it in place. Make the spacers 1/32-in. narrower than the cutting
diameter of the pattern bit, so the second routing pass will remove only 1/32
in. from the board. |
ROUT THE MATING EDGE of each joint, while keeping the router firmly
held against the straightedge. Because the cut is made opposite the bearing
point, the edge will be ruined if the bit wanders away. |
|
|
JOINTING WITH A ROUTER |
|
ROUT THE 1/2-IN.-DEEP GROOVE for the spline in several passes, using a
1/4-in.-wide slot-cutting bit (above).Tip: To avoid tear-out, make a couple
light scoring cuts, about 1/8-in. deep, moving from right to left. Then move
left to right, full depth. Stop the cut 2-in. from each end of the board, so
it won’t show. |
|
|
|
|
|
TEST FIT the spline. It should slip into the groove freely, but
without being loose. It can be one long piece or several short ones. Rounded
ends match the ends of the slot. Dry fit each joint to make sure the spline
fits inside without binding. |
STACK THE BOARDS as you glue them. Put a bead of glue at the bottom of
the groove of the first board and add the spline. Roll a layer of glue onto
the edge of the adjacent board, add a bead in its groove and assemble the
joint. Don’t put any glue on the splines. The glue causes them to swell and
make the joint impossible to fit. Glue the top together in stages, two to
four joints at a time. |
Three
pairs of cauls make gluing the huge top manageable and guarantee that it will
be flat.
Don’t
worry about chopping mortises or trying to cut tenons on the ends of the
6-ft.-long aprons. With the new BeadLOCK system, all you need for
mortise-and-tenon style joinery is a drill and a bit
|
CLAMP THE CAULS to the work surface with the top sandwiched between
(see Fig. C).
Then tighten the pipe clamps, starting at the center and working out to the
ends. Remove the glue squeeze-out at the joints after it sets up, but before
it hardens. After gluing, trim the long edges with the router and
straightedge so they’re straight and parallel. |
|
|
CAULS FOR GLUING THE TOP |
|
SQUARE THE END of the top, using a piece of MDF with a factory corner
as a template. If you have more than 1/4 in. to remove, use a saw first, to
get close. Align one edge of the MDF with the long side of the top. Clamp a
block against the opposite edge of the top to avoid blowout. Then trim the
edge square, making shallow passes with the pattern-cutting router bit. |
LEG PROFILE AND
DIMENSIONS |
|
TURN THE LEGS from laminated 3-1/2-in. square blanks, using the
dimensions from Fig. E,
or order the legs through the mail (see Sources,
page 77). If you want to turn them yourself, see "Turning Table
Legs" on page 42. |
|
|
|
|
|
MARK REFERENCE LINES for the BeadLOCK jig on the legs and aprons.
Offset the centerlines on the leg by the thickness of a credit card. This
slightly raises the rail above the top of the leg, allowing you to plane the
apron flush after assembly (see Photo 16). |
EXPLODED VIEW OF LEG AND APRON JOINERY |
|
|
|
|
DRILL THE LEGS. Use a shop-made 1/2-in.-thick spacer in the BeadLOCK
jig to locate the holes properly. A drill press works great for this
operation. It’s easier, faster and more accurate than drilling by hand. |
DRILL THE APRONS from the end so you can be sure the holes go in
straight. If the holes aren’t straight, the tenons will be angled and the
joint won’t fit. Center the drill on your body and sight down the apron while
drilling. |
|
|
|
|
GLUE THE LONG SIDES FIRST. Avoid a twisted glue-up by clamping the
legs flat to the MDF before you tighten the pipe clamps.Use a spacer to keep
the apron from sagging under the weight. |
PLANE THE APRONS flush with the top of the legs, working from each end
to the center. It’s OK to leave the apron slightly crowned at its center, so
the top doesn’t appear to sag. |
|
|
|
|
APPLY A TOURNIQUET to square the base after final assembly. Do this
before the glue sets. Shorten the longer side by adding tension until both
diagonals measure the same. |
TWO SHORT BLOCKS reinforce each joint. The upper blocks leave room for
top fasteners. The lower blocks extend and serve as stops for the half-round
detail. |
|
|
|
|
MAKE ANGLED CUTS on the end of the rails, using a tenoning jig, with
the blade height slightly less than the thickness of the mounting block. Then
raise the blade and crosscut the mounting blocks at the same angle. |
LOCATE THE SHOULDER of the rail’s dovetail by using the mounting
block. Then cut the shoulder square, keeping the blade low enough so it
doesn’t cut into the dovetail. |
|
|
|
|
GLUE THE RUNNER in place after the first mounting block has been glued
and screwed square to the apron. It’ll hold the rail at exactly the right
height. The runner extends below the apron, just like the corner blocks. |
CAPTURE THE DOVETAILED RAIL between the mounting blocks. After
applying glue, set the rail on the runner and snug it against the first block.
Then slide the second block tight against the rail and fasten it. |
|
|
Dovetailed
braces strengthen the base, support the top and keep the long aprons from
bowing and twisting. |
|
INTERNAL RAIL ASSEMBLY |
|
|
|
|
|
MAKE HALF-ROUND molding for the aprons. Round the edges of
1/2-in.-thick stock with a 1/4-in. round-over bit. After routing, rip the
stock into separate 1-1/4-in.-wide pieces. |
GLUE THE HALF-ROUND MOLDINGS to the aprons. Cut them slightly long and
spring them between the legs, pressed against the corner blocks and runners
that hang below the apron. They’ll stay in place while you reach for the
clamps. |
|
|
|
|
ROUT SLOTS for the tabletop fasteners, using a 1/8-in. slot cutter
(see Sources).
Make a wider surface to support the router by clamping a second board to the
apron. |
ATTACH THE BASE. Allow for seasonal movement of the top by using
screws at the center of each short apron and support brace and S-shaped metal
fasteners everywhere else (see Sources).
To position the base for fastening, align centerlines drawn on each of its
sides with corresponding lines drawn on the top. Then clamp the base in place. |
|
|
|
|
CUTTING DIAGRAM FOR MDF |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||