turning table leafs into a table

[keith ouellette]

table leaf.jpg

I am going to turn these two leafs into a free standing table. Each leaf is 42x18. I am just going to make some legs and a skirt for the table top to sit on.

What do you think would be the best way to join the two leafs together. Should I run them through the jointer to remove the finish and some of (or all) the round over and just glue them like a big
panel glue up and would the finish chip at the edges? I can not match this stain. Or should I leave the finish on and just use a mechanical fastener to pull both halves together and leave the roundover on both edges which will form a groove down the center? That seems simplest and has the least chance for me to ruin the leafs but may not look as nice.
? table leaf back.jpg

The back of each leaf has a board around the edge that is a little over 3/4 inches thick

[Jim Heffner]

Keith, I would first off, take one of those sections to a good woodworking supplier and see if they can match the stain for you. Next, I would run both mating surfaces through a jointer and make the meeting surfaces as square and tight fitting as possible. Then I would use glue and a pocket hole screws or biscuits and glue and clamp them together overnight and see how well they look the next day. If they look to suit you, clean up the joints ( glue squeeze out) and proceed with making legs and table apron around the edges for a finished look and call it finished.
Jim

[David Thompson 27577]

Glue the two pieces together using the best methods available to you. (Joint the mating edges if you have a jointer, or table-saw them straight if that's what you have. Or use a straight-edge and a router if that's what's available.) Then glue them together. Take the result to a local cabinet shop and ask them to run the piece through their wide-belt sander. This will eliminate any unevenness at the joint.

You'll then have a panel that can be used for your table top. If it were mine, I'd saw off the profiled ends, because they can't be matched along the sides. Then I'd rout a new profile on all four edges.

And since the cabinet shop power-sanded the full surface, you're left with bare wood, and no stain matching worries.

[steven c newman]

OR, maybe a pair of tables? ala Sofa Table?SDC11959.jpgThis one is from a single plank of Oak. I added some breadboards to the ends. Top is 12" wide, by 36" long.