# How to join the legs of this table



## Mcpowell (Dec 19, 2015)

Hello, it's my first post, so please go easy on me.

I would like to make a table similar to the one below, from solid walnut. I have the rough lumber already cut and dried in 8/4. I think I have a good plan for the top, but the joining of those curved legs has me scratching.

My thoughts:
1) Would glue be enough to hold the legs together? Specifically, where the two legs meet in the vertical, straight line. 
2) Or…should I use dowels?
3) I'm not sure I could pull off a mortise and tenon. I have a Leigh D4R Pro jig, but the 8/4 thickness is too much for it (I think). 
4) Would some sort of sliding dovetail work? Something I could manage with a table saw?

Thank you in advance for any ideas.


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

Glue would be fine if with the curve you can clamp it well enough, with that said, I would use dowels also just to be safe, they would not be that hard, so dowels and glue edge for the legs. Nice design.


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## AandCstyle (Mar 21, 2012)

Mcpowell, I have found dowels to be finicky to align. You might consider using a spline between the two pieces. However, I think that glue would be sufficient if the pieces fit together well and you can adequately clamp them. FWIW


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Glue will be stronger than the surrounding wood, it's been proven over and over; so just glue will be fine.


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

I'd say glue is fine, then mortise them into the horizontal feet pieces… maybe with a breadboard end to allow for expansion.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Glue. Curved clamping cauls.


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## Mcpowell (Dec 19, 2015)

Thank you for the advice. I have a couple of months before I start this project, but I like to cipher on them before I get rolling and then come screeching to a halt. I hadn't thought about the curved cauls I will need. I'm sure I'll come up with something.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

I think Art hit the easiest and best method to go with a spline, it'd never really be visible under the table and you could groove both sides with a router bit and then fit the spline to the groove, + side you'd have a lot a support in the joint while you've got in in clamps. There is also a timber screw & plug thought that could do the trick, but it's lacking panache! LOL


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## drcodfish (Oct 17, 2015)

+1 for the spline, ... because it is easy and invisible. But … I see butterfly keys on the table top, you might consider a couple of these to repeat the pattern even though they would probably not be necessary from a structural point of view. But with that stretcher in there, it might look a little cluttered.

Really a pretty piece, are you going to have to take a second on the house to finance the wood?


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## Ub1chris (Aug 15, 2014)

I really like this table and more importantly, so does the boss. Could I ask where the design came from?


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Glue should be fine. I really like the design.

Welcome to Lumberjocks


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## Mcpowell (Dec 19, 2015)

> I really like this table and more importantly, so does the boss. Could I ask where the design came from?
> 
> - Ub1chris


I found it when I googled "live edge table". Harden manufactures it.


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## Mcpowell (Dec 19, 2015)

> +1 for the spline, ... because it is easy and invisible. But … I see butterfly keys on the table top, you might consider a couple of these to repeat the pattern even though they would probably not be necessary from a structural point of view. But with that stretcher in there, it might look a little cluttered.
> 
> Really a pretty piece, are you going to have to take a second on the house to finance the wood?
> 
> - drcodfish


Dr. C,
The wood is the best part of the story. About two years ago I was scrounging Craigslist for any walnut I could find, with little success. One day my mother was talking to my daughter about ancestral dining sets (spoons mostly). I was so bored I went for a walk and found 2 walnut trees just off the edge of my mothers property. I had lived the first 23 years of my life there, but never noticed the trees. My parents have lived there since 1950. I suspect the trees were about 80 years old. They were both 20+ inches at chest height and about 35'-40' tall before the first branch. The area was planned for development, so they weren't going to last much longer. I got permission from the landowner, and my brother and I harvested them, and had them cut into lumber.

It's air dried now and ready to be made into a table.


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## Mcpowell (Dec 19, 2015)

Just a follow up to show my finished table. Overall I was very pleased with it. It's heavy! I designed it so that 8 bolts hold the table to the legs. It's too wide to go thru doorways when assembled.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Nice.

Can you show a pic of how you bolted it?


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## Mcpowell (Dec 19, 2015)

This is an upside down pic of the assembled table. We disassembled it to move it. Also, the finish was wet here.

The metal supports are u-channels with slots (to allow for wood movement). All bolts screw into metal inserts.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Great job. That thing will last a long time.


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## AandCstyle (Mar 21, 2012)

Mcpowell, you did a great job with the table. I'm curious how you chose to join the legs?


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## Mcpowell (Dec 19, 2015)

> Mcpowell, you did a great job with the table. I m curious how you chose to join the legs?
> 
> - AandCstyle


Thank you!

It's glue only. But the arched kicker, that connects the two sets of legs, fits into the legs like Lincoln logs. They are all glued together. The glue definitely helped, but I almost could have gone without it. It all locked in pretty tightly.

I should add, the legs are also locked into place by bolts in the top plate and that arched foot.


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## Ripper70 (Nov 30, 2015)

Beautiful work. I see you modified the design somewhat. I like yours better. Very substantial in appearance.


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

1/4" groove cut with a table saw and a strip of plywood used as a floating tenon. Plenty of glue. If you really want to be anal about it you could drill and put a dowel through the leg/tenon.


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## Mcpowell (Dec 19, 2015)

> Beautiful work. I see you modified the design somewhat. I like yours better. Very substantial in appearance.
> 
> - Ripper70


Thank you. I really couldn't use the long narrow design. My dining room needed "wider and shorter". And you are right, I thought the feet needed to be more substantial. The top alone probably weighs close to 200 lbs. the bottom is not too bad (maybe 75 lbs).

My plan was for the table to last 200+ years. All the hardware is stainless steel. Other than an occasional refinish of the top, I feel like it's pretty bulletproof.


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## TungOil (Jan 16, 2017)

Beautiful table, you should post the finished piece in the projects section.


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