Expert: Jamie Yocono - 9/8/2006

Question
I would like to make a side-table from my dining room table leaf. How can I attach wooden leggs to it or do you have any suggestions?  

Answer
Hi Belinda,

It just so happens that tables are my specialty, so I can probably give you some good pointers.

You cannot just add 4 legs to your table leaf and call it a table. There is no strength in that design, and all it will take is an accidental kick with your shoe or a nudge with a chair to knock one of those legs right off. You need to add an apron or a stretcher system to the legs, which will add strength to the legs, and make it hard to budge them.

Tables need side to side strength, as in some sort of bracing- whether it's aprons (at the top of the legs) or stretchers (about 3/4's down the legs). So you need to devise some way to join your legs together.

That sounded odd, but I hope you understand what I mean.

Look around at a few tables in your home and you'll see a rail, called an apron, that connects all the legs together. The table top rests on these, and that's how the top is attached to the base. Now depending on what legs you use, the aprons can be as simple as a board that connects all the legs, simply screwed in place from the front into each leg.  So if your table is square, you'll have 4 aprons that are all the same size. If it's rectangular, you'll have 2 long aprons, and 2 short ones. Remember that the table top usually overhangs the table base, so cut the length of your aprons with that overhang in mind.

If this table you're making isn't going to get a lot of use, you'll probably be OK with just an apron at the top, connecting all the legs. But if you plan on people using this, or putting a heavy load on this, then you might want to think about adding stretches near the bottom. I usually place stretches about 1/4 the way up from the floor. The stretchers will be nearly identical to the aprons, lengthwise. They just add a little extra bracing at the bottom of the lag, for stability.

This isn't a hard project, but you're going to need some tools and a little perseverance. At minimum, you'll need a saw to cut the pieces, some tools to screw this all together, and perhaps a sander to make everything look nice. It's doable, if you're resourceful.

OK, Good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com