Coffee Table Design based On Inspiration from Kaleo

Mike,

In the picture, it looks like there is a cross member under the table top as well? If there is, you could use that as a secondary member to strengthen the legs/joints. As far as movement of the top, you might consider a dovetail in the top cross member that engages a dovetail slot across the top while being secured at one end. I would also use ash as opposed to poplar for the legs.

-- Sam

I was thinking of something along that line for my glass top table. Now I see it’s already been done :-((

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0

I agree with using ash rather then poplar. My choice would be oak. Thirty x 40 inches should be pretty stable. I would use several #14 screws with fender washers from underneath and slot the holes away from the center.

-- keeping myself entertained

Unique design well done

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Mike,

Yes. A slotted hole for a screw will work fine. But Sam’s idea is interesting. Cross cutting a dovetail mortise in the table top and a sliding dove tail tenon in your support pieces would remove the metal from the table and let the top move with the seasons. That might just be an extra slick idea there.

One more thought. If you wanted to use screws (I probably would… easy/fast/strong) you could cut the slotted holes in the table top. You could cut a stepped slot so that you could fit a screw and maybe a washer completely inside the slot and screw it to the support piece. Then when the assembly is finished the screws are completely hidden from all possible angles.

Spaids

-- Wipe the blood stains from your blade before coming in.--