# Attaching a thick border to a round table top



## wmerritt76 (Dec 15, 2015)

Hey there, I need some help.

I have been commissioned to build a table like the one in the images below. It will be 60" in diameter and I am intimidated about that border on the table top. Do any of you have ideas of how I should go about adding that border on there? It will be about 2" thick and need to be about 3-4" inches wide. I should also mention I am a bit perplexed as to how to do the 4 quadrants also on the top. Bit off more than I can chew at this point, but hey thats why I have you guys right!


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## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

The last picture is poorly stained Pine. You can just cut your pieces out of 2 by lumber. As for the four quadrants…edge glue 2 by boards and cut it round. Then just cut it into quarters. Add in the spacers and edges. Seal the wood good before staining to prevent the blotchy finish.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

If you want to do it right the quadrants should
be floating panels. I'd be tempted to make the
cross, assemble the border around it and rout
a deep rabbet for the quadrants. Rout a
corresponding rabbet on the quadrants and 
drop them in… use washers or something to
stop them falling out.

The border circle can be laid-out by building 
an octagon around the cross. I suppose you
could glue it up like that and jig saw the 
curves. Either that or draw the circles, take
it apart and band saw the curves then put it
back together. Either way you'll have saw
marks to smooth out.

You could also do something like inset the 
cross into the quadrant.


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## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

Do you have a bandsaw, what size and make ?

The project shown is pretty basic stuff

lets assume your gonna use a 4 inch wide band ,,,,,,That leaves you 52 inches for ply, template or whatever

that means the axis will be set for a 26 in radius

The same 26 R will do for your inside band cut

30 in to axis for the outside band edge.

The rest is too easy to try and explain

Enjoy the journey !JB


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

If this is a commissioned piece I have to differ with the previous statement about using 2×4s many people would think that you use construction grade material but it would have way too high of moisture content and create a big wood moving problem. Depending what kind of material your customer is expecting you may want to use poplar or thick pine either one needs to be kiln dried You will need to have joinery for the perimeter if just glued together it won't hold up because end grain makes for a week joint by itself. 
You could just boards glued together for the solid top with a number of cut the whole top with a trammel and router and then just make another groove for the inside diameter then you won't have to deal with a separate outer edge.
The inside "X" could be made with a router also.






Edit
looks Like I was typing the same time as some of the others.


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## wmerritt76 (Dec 15, 2015)

Sounds like I should have mentioned that I will be using kiln-dried Cypress. There is a possibility that I use some Basswood but it is kiln-dried also. I was also thinking about doing the floating panels but that is something I have never done either. I am interested to know how I should go about doing the trim around the edge. I have seen people use the octagon and then cut it out however it seems like there could be too much margin for error by having to cut the inside diameter first and making it match exactly the round table top portion. Also would the floating panels need a corresponding mortise that they fit inside of on the outer band? I do have a bandsaw an old Rockwell with a 2 horsepower motor.


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## jonah (May 15, 2009)

I would inset the cross. A clamped on straight edge, a straight bit, and a plunge router will do the trick.

Cut the outer circle in sections and attach it like you would a breadboard end. You'll want to make it a teensy bit large and use a hand plane to fine tune the joints.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

*


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

If you want to do it with floating panels, do it just like Jbays drawing.
Looks great J wish I could do drawings like that,or the drawing that was there.?


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

> If you want to do it with floating panels, do it just like Jbays drawing.
> Looks great J wish I could do drawings like that,or the drawing that was there.?
> 
> - a1Jim


I removed it because I figured I would get slack about wood movement.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

It's up to you "J" but there shouldn't be that big of an issue with wood movement with floating panels.
I for one thought it was a great aid for Will and or anyone else that want's to make this style of table the right way.


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## wmerritt76 (Dec 15, 2015)

Edit:

Jbay great illustration. Thanks a million. Now to work out the circle stuff…..scary


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## wmerritt76 (Dec 15, 2015)

Jbay,
1. I am thinking the easiest route for me would be to glue up enough boards to get the full.table from. 2.Then using a circle jig cut the circle out of the glued top.
3. Using math (having my engineer buddy do it) figure out the measurements for the octagon. Cut them al out.
4. Lay the circle top on top of the octagon and trace.the.circle out. Then using my plunge router cut the inside circle out of the octagon.
5. Then extend.the jig and cut the circle on the outside of the octagon.
6. Take individual pieces and create a tounge on the inside edge.
7. Using router cut the matching groove all the way around the table top.
8. Fit the pieces in and glue all round. Throw a ratchet straps on for good measure.

How exactly would you go about getting the circles established.

On the cross piece. To be done before making the border
1.use router to cut away a dado 4"wide and 1/2" deep for the crossing boards to lay in.
2. Clean up miters with chisel and gule down the boards.


The cross piece will be old dry heart pine glued down to Cypress. Will there be any issues with that you forsee.?

Thought?


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> Thank you for sharing this useful post
> animeyt | kissanime
> 
> - jennietodd141


What are these links to, is it spam?


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## Mikesawdust (Jan 29, 2010)

I think I would use veneered ply for the panels and frame it with the rest, this would minimize any movement and allow you to have a flush top without places to collect dust and dirt. The panels could be trimmed with a router and inset in slots for a flush top. The outer rime, I would recommend at 18 pieces with joints on the long faces creating 20 degrees between; this would be a painstaking glueup but would leave no end grain on the edges and should be stable in all directions


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## RRBOU (Feb 15, 2012)

I built one of those tables back in high school. I used Walnut for the main table then used 1/8" x 2" strips of curly maple. I glued them on 1 strip at a time to make glue up easier. The table is still in use by my mother after 30+ years.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

I agree with veneer/plywood.

On the edge, bending would obviously be most aesthetic, but adds a whole nother layer of work.

I would do it like a wagon wheel, ie. segments and splines. I think they are referred to as "fellows".


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Being that the table is 60" diameter, I would get a 3/4" sheet of Baltic Birch (60'x60'); cut a circle say, 58" diameter. For the outer edge, make a ring by gluing up 4" wide x 2" thick segments using stop blind spline joints. I would try to make it in 8 to 12 segments. After the ring is complete, using a router, route a rabbet 3/4" deep (or the thickness of the plywood) and in a circle 58" diameter. Glue the plywood in the recess in the ring. You can then drop the cross pieces and the quarter segments into the 58" diameter recess. The base is self evident. I hope the explanation is clear.

I didn't realize this thread was almost 2 years old, so I guess the project is already completed, but I would be interested in how it turned out.


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