Table top advice

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Here's a possible fix: move the legs so they're about 6" away from the corner. You get space for two additional diners at the extended table. The elbows of the diners at the ends of the table are hanging off the ends, but that's okay. There's no neighboring diner to collide with.

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Jamie,

The "golden rule" based on a table top thickness of 1 1/4" dictated that the legs be 5.29" from the corner in the retracted position and that is what I had planned. There's really no reason I couldn't push that to 6". Also, I plan on "clipping" a 4"-5" off the corner of the tabletop so it somewhat mimics the octagon on the legs. Those sitting at the corners would be angled a bit.

Thanks for the input! Keep it coming!

[Jamie Buxton]

Jamie,

The "golden rule" based on a table top thickness of 1 1/4" dictated that the legs be 5.29" from the corner in the retracted position and that is what I had planned. There's really no reason I could push that to 6". Also, I plan on "clipping" a 4"-5" off the corner of the tabletop so it somewhat mimics the octagon on the legs. Those sitting at the corners would be angled a bit.

Thanks for the input! Keep it coming!

Any golden rule is just a guideline. The important thing is that your diners can sit comfortably at the table. Draw yourself out a diagram like I made, using whatever dimensions fit your vision. Use dimensions for diners that fit you and your chairs. Make sure there's room for the diners' place settings and their legs. That should get you a dining table which works well.

[jack duren]

I have to draw poker tables because most tables you see are by manufactures who have to ship and its size and cost . So I make them custom sizes to meets wants versus needs.. I need a new table, but my wife wants oval.. guidelines are great reference, but are changeable to some degree..

Apron making..

[glenn bradley]

Ken, first off thanks for doing this. I have many pictures of butterfly tables and imaging one is in my future. I will be following closely and watching for tips and tricks.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ken, first off thanks for doing this. I have many pictures of butterfly tables and imaging one is in my future. I will be following closely and watching for tips and tricks.

Glenn, from a fellow member of a local woodworking club I was directed to this website as a company that provides good table hardware. https://www.osbornewood.com/products...ides-equalizer

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My plan for the top is to run the grain of the boards across the table with breadboards on each edge. That coupled with the two equalizing extension rails should keep them aligned. I don't have a dominoe to it's either biscuits, dowels or just glue to join them.

What say you?

[Tom Bender]

Be sure to make the base really strong so someone big and strong and clumsy can lean hard on it.

Also plan on it being lifted by the top.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

So far, I have the 4 table legs milled, turned and ready for mortises. Earlier this week, I sharpened my 3/8" mortising bit and chisel and installed them. Monday I inventoried my walnut and realized I didn't have enough to build the tabletop as I wanted so I made a mad dash to my supplier in Walla Walla, WA and bought some more after checking with a supplier in Spokane. Most of the wood has been sitting in my shop since October except for the small amount I cut and glued up for the table legs. Yesterday after getting some devastating news about a young family member, when my wife left for a planned dinner date with 3 former coworkers/friends, I went to the shop where I cut all the parts for the tabletop field to rough length, jointed one face, jointed one edge and then planed it to rough thickness. Thank God, to turn to work off the stress! This morning I returned to the shop to joint and plane my 6/4 leftovers so I would have sized scrap to turn to as I begin getting ready to final size, plane and mill for breadboard edges.

Photos of the legs ready to be mortised later today, maybe.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Here's my plan for laying out the table top on this butterfly extension table.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

IF anybody's interested, here's a screenshot with the rough design for the table I am building.

[Brian Runau]

My plan for the top is to run the grain of the boards across the table with breadboards on each edge. That coupled with the two equalizing extension rails should keep them aligned. I don't have a dominoe to it's either biscuits, dowels or just glue to join them.

What say you?

I have a domino and a biscuit cutter. I prefer to use biscuits for table tops since they are longer. Domino for leg joinery. Brian

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Here's a photo of the 4 octagonal table legs. They have a 5" tapered foot above which is a 3" turned area. If you look closely at the leg on the left you'll notice the turned collar on that one is smaller/shorter than the one on the other 3 legs. I had a catch with my skew so I had to turn it smaller to remove the area where the catch damage was. The 2nd photo shows the recessed area and the corresponding leveling leg that will be inserted with screws securing the threaded base to the foot.

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[Ken Fitzgerald]

If you look at the screen shot of my table top plan, the breadboard edges will run the length of the table, down each side. Where the field boards meet the breadboard edge, I am toying with the idea of putting an almost unnoticeable chamfer on both members where the two meet in an effort to hide any irregularities in the joint should they occur. Any opinions?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Last week I glued up 2 of the tabletops that will ride on the rack & pinion assembly. Saturday I spent the afternoon removing the excess glue from 1 of the two pieces, sanded it and then made a dump run some of the stuff that is taking up valuable real-estate in my shop. I was tired of climbing over a large box to get to the off-side of my outfeed table. Today, I removed the excess glue from the other piece of the tabletop and then standing it on edge, I jointed one edge going with the grain to remove some really rough surface. The results were worth the effort.

All 3 of the pieces fo the table top will be mounted using threaded inserts. Having never made anything significant out of walnut, I am surprised by the weight! By mounting the tabletop parts using screws and threaded inserts, I can remove them to move the table base into the house independently. Then I can carry the 3 parts of the tabletop into the house and reassemble it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

This afternoon I completed mortising the 6 pieces for the breadboard edge on the 3 sections of the table top. Wow! What a mess that 3/8" straight cutting bit caused! I will be putting a 3/8" upcut router bit on my want list for my next tool order! This afternoon, the DC connector delivered for my Makita 6 1/2" cordless circular saw. Now I have to find the right size screw to mount it. I am betting it's metric and probably M5.