Metal Table Legs

[Scott Welty]

I'm making a table top for a dining room table form some reclaimed walnut. Table will be 72"x 30" x 1 1/4" approx. I'm looking at these metal legs. I like the look. Wondering if simply screwing that top flange to the table top will be strong enough so there is no racking. table will be ~30 inches high so legs will be 28-29 inches high.

Scott

[Jamie Buxton]

A 4x4 top flange makes me a little nervous. I'd contact the seller, and ask for a bigger plate. He says he is open to custom orders. A larger plate should be trivial.

[Frederick Skelly]

I'm not sure Scott. If you could use those 3 "outside" holes on each leg, use bolts that went nearly the full thickness and really tighten them down well, you might get away with it. Be sure that when you move it around, you pick it up - don't drag it into place. If you start to notice the legs working loose, you might need to figure out how to brace it at that time. Edit: I agree with Jamie about a bigger plate.

Another thought. I keep wondering whether wood movement is a factor here. That leg unit spans 30" across the grain. It's steel - it wont give. But I'd expect the walnut top to move slightly. I'm thinking that if it doesn't break outright, it will work the bolts very slightly loose over time, won't it?

Look forward to seeing everyone else's thoughts.
Fred

[Wayne Lomman]

The top flange needs fixing holes all around to work properly. At best you could drill another hole as close as possible to the blank corner and then it won't be too bad. If you use heavy gauge coach screws they won't work loose. I hope your price is a lot better than what showed up when I checked the photo... Cheers

[Danny Hamsley]

This is where I buy my metal legs. High quality, wide flange, and a baked on powder coat finish.

ritelegco.com

[Scott Welty]

This is where I buy my metal legs. High quality, wide flange, and a baked on powder coat finish.

ritelegco.com

Danny - Looked at that site. The tops look larger and more connected. Have you used those legs on something like the size of a dinning room table? Oh and that other site will powder coat for +$80 I think.
-Scott

[Danny Hamsley]

I have only used the bench legs, not the table legs yet, but I have used a bunch of the bench legs. The top of the legs is a single wide flange. On the alissa style table leg, the flange is 6" wide x 26" long. Go to the pricing page and click on the downloadable sheet. For each leg, there is a detail drawing with dimensions. They will anchor the top very well for a large dining table. You can use a lag bolt with a lock washer to attach the legs to the table top. If you use a lag bolt that is one size smaller than the holes in the flange, there will be enough room for the tabletop to expand and contract seasonally.

Here is a pic of a spalted curly maple bench/coffee table that I made using the alissa style bench legs.

IMG_1813_resized.jpg