I recently built a communion table with a very heavy 8/4 top. I wanted the top to be removable so that the top and the frame could be moved as 2 separate pieces, due to the weight.
Suggestion – Glue the dowels into the underside of the top and drill slightly oversized holes into the top of the frame. Also, put a little taper on the end of the dowels. With the dowels glued into the top, it is easy to get your fingers under the top if you had temporarily set it on the floor.
Another idea – - Have have done a few smaller projects with a natural edge. I have left the bark on and stabilized it with thin CA glue. The thin glue basically saturates the bark and you have very little trouble with pieces of bark breaking off. On a big project, this could be a little expensive.
-- Rich, Cedar Rapids, IA - I'm a woodworker. I don't create beauty, I reveal it.
