Table Leg & Apron Assembly...How??

[Irvin Cooper]

Good evening.

I am in the process of assembling a 40x70 kitchen table. The legs are 3 3/8 tapered to 1 1/2 in. Aprons 4" wide, with a mortise & tenon joining them to the legs.

My question is this: what is your best recommendation for assembly and keeping the legs square to one another? I am thinking of gluing up the long sides individually with pipe clamps, laying the entire setup flat on the ground (resting on the bottoms of the pipe clamps).

This is my first project of this actual size, and every step of the process has been something about handling the size....

Any/all advice is appreciated. I am sure I will have more questions when it comes time to glue up the top....

Thanks.

Irv

[William Hutchinson]

I would suggest that the short sides be glued first. This makes it easier to glue the long sides. You can use square clamping cauls to hold the assembly while the glue dries. You can make these from 3/4 ply scrapes, just notch the corner to fit around your legs. See this for more info. http://www.newwoodworker.com/crnrblock.html

[Tony De Masi]

I agree with Williams in doing the short sides first. Will give you some stabiltiy when doing the aprons.

Tony