Expert: Jamie Yocono - 3/18/2008

Question
Hi
How can i join the legs to the top bench of a coffee table(est size - 1200mm x 700mm)?if you can may you suggest any materials need to complete it.

thank you

Answer
Hi Simon,

There are a few different methods for attaching the legs to a table top, but the biggest thing to keep in mind is that the top needs to be able to expand and contract with seasonal movement. See, wood absorbs humidity from the air, so it swells a little with humid weather, and shrinks a little with dry air. Depending on where you live, the top can undergo fluctuations in size that - if not connected to the base properly - can cause the top to crack or buckle.

You want the top to "float" above the aprons. The "floating" allows the top to move slightly when it undergoes dimensional changes. Most woodworkers use these: http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=1036

To install those, you put a groove in your apron, on the inside of the table base, where it won't be seen. Then install those clips, so that the metal clip can slip side to side in that groove, thus allowing the top to "float" on the apron.

Some woodworkers made a wooden version of these clips, so that the entire table has a handmade feel to it. I've done that in the past, it's a nice touch. You can read about it in Tage Frid's classic woodworking book: Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking Book 3: Furnituremaking. Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/091880440X?&camp=212361&creative=380733&linkCod...

Look in the area where he discusses tables, he calls the wooden clips "cleats" and give dimensions for making your own.

Finally, you asked about wood. I'm not sure where you live, so it's difficult for me to answer this. But I would look for a hardwood, as opposed to a softwood. Hardwoods hold up better to everyday usage, and tables DO get a lot of abuse. So you want a wood that is hard, nice to look at, takes a finish well, and is somewhat easy to work with. I like Mahogany, Cherry, Walnut and Oak. In fact, almost everything I build is made of those 4 woods.

I have a woodworking blog, and just posted a recommended reading list, it contains the names of the best books (in my opinion) on woodworking. These books are sort of the staple in my wood library, and it might help you to take a look at that list. My blog is:  www.wooditis.blogspot.com.

Good luck, write back if you have any other questions. Table making isn't too difficult, there are many good books out there. But it's easy enough to try on your own.

Jamie Yocono
www.wooditis.com
Las Vegas, NV