The dining table our daughter thinks I should build for her

[Gene Davis]

I'm glad you spotted that in the photos, Glenn.

The first view seems to confirm my interpretation, that there is a triangle-section joiner-piece between the splayed upper leg bents. As I said in an earlier post, this part ensures the leg assembly stays locked in place and does not splay. See the pic, attached, in which I moved the part out a ways so it's shape is evident.

Your arrow in the second pic points out the stretcher.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here's a different commercial table that's very similar. You can see a bit more of the joinery. http://www.dwr.com/dining-tables/cro...=en_US&start=2

[Robby Tacheny]

I think there is a metal spine hidden in that leg assembly for strength. Why would they laminate the wood for the legs like that otherwise, unless the lamination is for rigidity? Also, I don't think the legs are a compound angle. I think they would be flat if you laid them on a table with just legs angled to one side.

I would have to build a mock up out of 2x4's or plywood to strength test. To me, the splayed legs have too much stress at the leg joint without a piece of metal angle, thick dowels/tennons, pegged bridle joint.

The only way this table would be used for my family is if I could place several hundred pounds in the middle of the support and not hear the legs crack or move. I would also need to be able to try and rack the table end to end or pull from one side and be sure there is no way to break the legs loose.

If I can make that work in pine or plywood, then I would feel comfortable doing it with a hardwood.

Robby

[Brian Holcombe]

Gene, you may want to check out a design called the Cross Extension table by Matthee Hilton. This table appears to be based on that, however Matthew's table includes a stretcher at the mid point.