12' 4' poplar table

[Brett Shaw]

Shortly we are going to be working on this huge 12' 4' table. We were planning to use a few dowels for alignment, as well as slow set epoxy. boiled linseed oil followed by oil based poly finish. For the apron we were thinking about making it a torsion box. I'd be happy to have anyones thoughts on the matter.

Thank you for your time.

[Dave Richards]

It would be helpful to have more details. What are you doing for legs? Which direction will the top boards run? How would you attach them to the aprons? Have you got any drawings you can share or photos of a similar table?

[Brett Shaw]

Boards running the full length of table 12' 4" 5/4. We already have 3" set of legs. They already have bolts in them. Trying to decide if we should do a new glue up and slot them into the apron itself. Need to do it in a way where we could slot them on site, they would not make it through the door otherwise. We wanted to use metal clips to attach the top to apron. I will look for a picture of something similar.

[Dave Richards]

Don't reinvent the wheel. Use corner brackets like these or wooden equivalents. And metal Z-clips to secure the top into grooves cut into the aprons so the top can move with seasonal humidity changes. You could use mortises and tenons of loose tenons to help align the aprons with the legs.

[Brett Shaw]

Thanks for the ideas.

[Dan Hulbert]

I'd re-think the finishing plan. Poplar is a bit soft and a poly finish doesn't like to flex. I used a very simalr scheme on a white oak table and the dings are ugly. Fortunately, the wife thinks they are charecter.

[Prashun Patel]

I think poly + BLO + poplar will look yellow in a year. Yellow, not warm amber.

If that does not appeal to you, consider a less yellowing finish, or a dye.

[Brett Shaw]

Thanks for the tips. Hadnt used BLO before didnt know it was bad with yellowing.

[Dan Hahr]

When I first got serious about woodworking, I made some small tables for my wife out of poplar. I tried to get the darkest greenest poplar I could and most of it was so. I used Minwax oil in satin. I later learned how bad poly was at looking thick and not adhering. I really was surprised how well it has lasted over the years. 14 years and two kids later, the finish is still fine, despite the thousand dings, scuffs, and two corners chewed off by two labs. Follow the instructions, and it will work fine. However, I have now moved on to Waterlox or Pratt & Lambert 38.

Dan

[Scott T Smith]

Bret, I have found that Titebond II is a better glue for edge gluing boards versus epoxy. The epoxy is strong, but it does not penetrate the wood pores as deeply as the Titebond, and on long, heavy planks I have seen it shear off of the surface more easily than Titebond II or III.

If you want to start with an oil based finish, consider tung oil instead of BLO.

If the table is going to be used in a commercial setting, post catalyzed conversion varnish is a pretty durable finish. Be sure to finish all sides of the top when using wide boards.