Good idea to put tee nut underneath laminate?

[Cal Baxter]

I'm building little laminated coffee tables for my decor business and want to have removable legs to facilitate ease of transportation.

The coffee table is 24"x48" board laminated with high pressure laminate on the top and sides . The plan is to put a tee nut on top and put laminate over it. The legs will bolt in from the bottom.

Do you think putting the tee nut underneath the laminate will cause any long term problems? The other option is to put the tee nut on the bottom but I think it will eventually come loose and pop off.

What do y'all think?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Cal,

I think you could do it....recess it and then epoxy it in place. With the addition of the epoxy, it would never work loose and rise up to fracture the laminate.

[Jamie Buxton]

The problem with a Tee nut is that it is just nailed in place, and can back out. I prefer threaded brass inserts. They screw firmly in place, and do not need epoxy to keep them there. http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/3606...hreaded-Insert

[Cal Baxter]

Thanks for the input guys! I'm gonna try the threaded insert as that sounds like the best solution. Appreciate it!

[Doug Shepard]

I'm picturing a bolt sticking up from the center of the leg (the type with a wood screw on one end and bolt on the other). So are the legs square or round? If square, the problem I see with either a T-nut or threaded insert is how you're going to precisely control the depth of the bolts and inserts so that the legs are square to the table when you tighten them in. Or were you going to use some other type of fastener on the leg end that you'd tighten somehow with a wrench?
I think I'd be more inclined to try making a shallow apron and some fasteners to hold them from the side to the aprons in the corners.

[Norman Hitt]

The problem with a Tee nut is that it is just nailed in place, and can back out. I prefer threaded brass inserts. They screw firmly in place, and do not need epoxy to keep them there. http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/3606...hreaded-Insert

Jamie, I have used the "Exact Method" Cal describes several times and they work Perfectly. The "T" nuts I used have three sharp tines that drive into the wood to prevent turning and when you use a forstner or spade bit to slightly countersink them into the "TOP" of the table then cover it with laminate, you screw the leg into the "T" nut from the bottom and it pulls tight with the wood of the top BETWEEN the "T" nut and the leg and it cannot possibly pull out and is MUCH stronger than any brass insert. The only thing you have to make sure of is that you install the lag bolts in the legs and then fit them into the "T" nuts to be sure that the length of the bolt when tight is slightly below the top of the "T" nut so it will not press against the laminate when it is installed. The last thing you do is apply the laminate to the top side of the Table top, which covers the "T" nuts.

[Cal Baxter]

Thanks again for the additional input. Really appreciate it!

Btw, I've attached a photo of what I'm trying to make. It's pretty simple table but the legs have to be removable so that we can store and transport these tables easily.

So now I'm on to the next part..the laminate.

Anybody suggestions on laminates? What kind would you recommend? Looking for something durable. Formica, Wilsonart?

Is there a way to finish the edges so it looks seamless? The HD guy told me it's not possible to have a seamless look as the substrate will show when the edges are trimmed.

[Bob Lloyd]

Cal

If you use a laminate where the color goes all the way through , you will not see the normal dark brown substrate; it does cost more though.

Bob

http://www.formica.com/publish/site/...olorcore2.html

[Cal Baxter]

Thanks for letting me know about that kind of laminate. I stopped HD and the guy there had no clue what I was talking about but I'll definitely call a cabinet shop tomorrow.

Thanks again for your help!