Max Overhang of Table Top and Legs? No Tipping

[Patrick Irish]

I have a 53"x22" piece of 2" thick walnut slab live edge. I'm trying to design an easy leg layout and added pics of my crappy drawing.

I was thinking about making legs out of weathered 2x6's. I'd 45 miter them and then screw or dowel them to secure the top on. My question is overhang. If the 2x6's are joined on the 45, that makes them 7" at the widest right? That will leave about 6" overhang on either side of the legs. Is that too much? I suppose I don't have to 45 join them. I just like the point/angle in the middle and thought about adding a cross piece in the middle and mortising it into the legs. Be a first go with m & t work but I'm patient.

[Jamie Buxton]

That seems like too much overhang. You could consider joining the 2x6 at a larger angle. If you join them at 135 degrees, not 90 degrees, the base width is 10 1/4", and the overhang is 5 7/8".

[Pat Barry]

I have a 53"x22" piece of 2" thick walnut slab live edge. I'm trying to design an easy leg layout and added pics of my crappy drawing.

I was thinking about making legs out of weathered 2x6's. I'd 45 miter them and then screw or dowel them to secure the top on. My question is overhang. If the 2x6's are joined on the 45, that makes them 7" at the widest right? That will leave about 6" overhang on either side of the legs. Is that too much? I suppose I don't have to 45 join them. I just like the point/angle in the middle and thought about adding a cross piece in the middle and mortising it into the legs. Be a first go with m & t work but I'm patient.

This seems to be a coffee table size slab, is that what you are planning? It will stand up on its own of course with your mitered 2x6's, but I think it would be terribly unstable. I would ask you if you couldn't live with an overhang of about 3 inches. Put some more material on the floor contact to make it more stable

[Gene Davis]

Here is part 1 of a ten-parter, showing a really nice build of a sofa table using a slab about like yours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdyKVVPymZQ

Here is a screencap of the builder trying it out for scale in his hall.

[Patrick Irish]

That seems like too much overhang. You could consider joining the 2x6 at a larger angle. If you join them at 135 degrees, not 90 degrees, the base width is 10 1/4", and the overhang is 5 7/8".

Good call guys. I too was thinking too narrow a base. I could join them at 135 degrees OR just thought about tapering them a bit, fancying the legs up with the router so they are not so bulky and them placing them on a angle I like with say 4"-6" of space between the legs and a thin support piece spanning the legs and notch into the 4"-6" space in the middle. Explanation may be confusing but I think it would work. 6 + 6 + 4 (gap between legs) = 14" so overhang would be 4" each either side.