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Thread: Dining Table with thicker live edges added to perimeter?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Eugene, OR
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    Dining Table with thicker live edges added to perimeter?

    I've looked all over this site and spent hours with Google but haven't seen anything like this.
    I am building an extension dining table for my daughter who lives in a small apartment in Brooklyn, NY. The table will be 24” X 48” and extend with 3 – 12” X 24”leaves to 84” length. The table will be made from Oregon White Oak(Quercus Garryanna) from a tree on our property. This non-commercial oak is harder and thought to be less stable than Eastern White Oak,but I've built 2 previous tables with it and haven't experienced any problems. The wood was air-dried for 2 years, then kiln dried and stored inside my shop for almost 2 years.
    I plan to build the table top with 4-1” X 9” X 18” boards as the width of the table. I want to add2” thick live edge pieces as an additional 3” wide edge around the perimeter of the table and leaves, giving a thicker appearance to the entire table. ( The 1” slabs will be glued to a dimension of 18” X 42”, the live edges will add 3” on each of the 4 sides).
    My design question is: Can I simply glue these 2” thick X 3” wide live edges to the 1” sides and ends of the thinner 1” wood, or should I treat these edges as bread boards with mortise and tenons, also allowing for expansions and contraction of these small 1” X 9” X 18” planks.
    Also, do you think this design will look too busy, given that all the wood is from the same tree and has similar grain characteristics?
    Thanks for your thoughts and ideas.
    Last edited by Gary R Katz; 05-27-2015 at 12:28 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    Atlanta, GA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gary R Katz View Post
    .....should I treat these edges as bread boards with mortise and tenons.......
    Also, do you think this design will look too busy, given that all the wood is from the same tree and has similar grain characteristics?
    Yes to #1, on the ends....no on the long-grain sides.

    Beats me to #2 - a personal aesthetics thing. Ask the future owner..............It is gonna look "unique" - I can give you that much...........
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    Gary, I think having the thicker live edge would look great. I would probably play with the relative width of the main top boards vs the live edge. In other words, try 6-6" boards with 3" border or even all 4" boards. I guess it comes down to how it looks to you. The 3" is going to feel like a frame, whereas all 4" might feel more like a solid thick top...
    Last edited by Phil Mueller; 05-31-2015 at 7:04 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    McKinney, TX
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    I think that rather than attaching a live edge to the endgrains of the top I would make the top pieces about 6" longer and
    Cut off and fold under 3" on each end giving you 2" thick look and book matching the end grain. Putting a live edge across the end grain would,I think, look odd.
    Steve Jenkins, McKinney, TX. 469 742-9694
    Always use the word "impossible" with extreme caution

  5. #5
    I agree with Steve. In addition, you should think about how the live edges will meet up when there are different numbers of leaves installed. Are the edges straight enough so the line will be continuous with no leaves, one, two or three? If not, is the resulting jog in the edge going to be a problem?

  6. #6
    +2 on Steve's rec.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Saturna Island, B.C.
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    327
    would your daughter like to live with a table like that
    24" is probably a little on the narrow side also
    ron

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