Conference Table for Local Church #8: Made the Supports and Fit the Legs

Worked this weekend on fabrication of the supports for under the table top and fitted the legs to these supports.

Here’s the project at the end of the day…

Hey, Quixote, can you see the curl? Between the first two ribs? Here, let me zoom in… :-) That came off the big ole No. 8 jointer!

I made up 8 double-tapered supports or ribs to hold the top flat and allow a mechanism for attaching the legs to table top.

After rough cutting stock to size, I jointed the face and planed to 1” thick and jointed the edges. I used the jointer to taper the sides using the method in this video from Popular Woodworking’s website. Works like a charm! See the link at the bottom of this blog. On the first cut, I did set up a stop block on the outfeed table held all the marking and measuring to a minimum.

I screwed them to the bottom side of the table. NO GLUE was used for this part of the construction.

I used my Kreg K3 Master jig to cut 8 pocket holes in each rib. I drilled 1/2” holes, 3/8” deep on the underside of the ribs to allow for wood movement. This photo of the cross section shows the pocket hole and the relief cut.

The ribs were notched to keep the stretcher from flexing when weight is applied to the table top.

Note: You see in these photos that the boards have large voids or dished out areas in them. They still have the air dried patina on them. These are the areas of the wood that are where a limb come out of the trunk and caused a large area of switchback grain and BIG undulations in the edge of the board. My client saw them and wanted me to not patch them over. She wanted these to show that the table was handmade and not a big chunk of plywood. I obliged her wish. After all, the customer is alway right.

Next week and weekend, I will be making the 3” deep skirt and rough cut the breadboard ends and edge boards.

I am going to have to hire some of my youngest son’s friends to help me turn the table top back over. Going to cost me some cash or maybe just a pizza or two. Nineteen year olds have an appetite!

Tapered leg video: http://fw_woodworking.permissiontv.com/index.html?showid=115402

-- Makin' Sawdust!!!