Hi All --
I'm planning on trying this table but I have a question before I start. I don't see anyhing in here about planing the table top board edges (or any other edges, for that matter) before fastening them to the apron supports. I also notice that the table top boards are not attached to one another but only to the apron.
I'm worried that not planing and attaching the boards to one another will result in gaps between them. How did others make sure there were no gaps between the table top boards? I saw in the comments that one builder was seeing gaps but no one responded to her plea for help.
Thanks to anyone who has some advice!
Best,
Angela
Forums
m4marya
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 07:12
Hi,
I actually built two of these--for work surfaces. I cut the length in half so that I could have two work surfaces and just made extra legs and aprons.
I used two methods to attach the tops. On the first one. I clamped the pieces together and then attached them to the apron supports. This gave me a fairly tight fit. On the second one I kreg jigged the pieces together and then attached them. Since they are work tables they did not have to be perfect, and honestly I am happy with both of the tables surfaces.
ajherring
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 08:41
Thanks Marya --
I'd never heard of a Kreg Jig before, looks useful!
In the non-Kreg-Jigged case, did you use glue? Thanks again!
a.
m4marya
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 09:02
I didn't use glue, but I probably should have. Laziness on my part, I hate sanding it off. Just type Kreg Jig into the search box here on Ana's site, and a ton of info should pop up.
stefanie
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 11:42
We built that table and I ended up hating it so we aren't using it. Too many gaps in it.
ajherring
Wed, 10/13/2010 - 03:15
Wow, Stefanie, I'm sorry to hear that. It's exactly what I'm worried about though, so thanks for your honesty.
Reading over the plans a little more and thinking of how Marya used clamps for a very tight fit, I have another question. It seems like the multiple cross-beams screw into to the table-top boards at various points so as to hold the wood tightly together as much as possible, but I'm now wondering if you do that will the wood have room to exapand and contract as it's wont to do or will the rigidity of all the screw joints cause it to break down over time?
Thanks again!
a.