# First time here. How to attach steel legs to live edge table?



## valerieRS

Hi guys. I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm building my first table/bench.

I bought this beautiful piece of Claro walnut wood and had it milled. I'm working on sanding it now.

1. My first question is what is the best way to attach the legs? I bought these steel hairpin legs but I don't know if I should just screw them into the slab? The wood is about 1 inch thick. My concern is that there are cracks in the wood so i thought I would use something to reinforce the underside of the table while attaching the legs at the same time. Does that make sense?

2. I'm not sure how to finish it when I'm done sanding. I want to the wood to look natural, not too glossy/plastic looking but a little gloss is ok. Is there a certain product you recommend with this wood?

3. Do i need to put anything inside the cracks? ie. a wood glue?

Thanks for all the help! If this info is already posted somewhere please point me in the right direction.


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## Texcaster

The Godfather of this sort of work. George Nakashima. He rarely filled. Welcome Valerie.

http://www.nakashimawoodworker.com/


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## BinghamtonEd

If you want a smooth top, you could fill the cracks with epoxy. Black would look good. Are you looking into any sort of mechanical method to stabilize those cracks?


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## a1Jim

Welcome to Ljs Valerie
The hairpin legs I've seen have a place bolts that connect to the bottom of table tops. Bill's link is a good one to show the possiblities for you wonderful slab. Filling the cracks is optional unless you feel the crack in your slab will alow it to break off. Many times when people want to fill cracks in slabs the use Epoxy glue and ad color to it to make it closer to some of the woods color.

http://lumberjocks.com/PittsburghTim/blog/31618


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## Manitario

Welcome to LJ's! That is a wonderful slab; it is really your choice whether you fill the cracks or not. I made a dining table out of elm:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/78137
I chose to fill most of the cracks; I used Envirotech epoxy with black dye. It turned out nice but it was a tedious process filling the cracks and took many hours of sanding to level the epoxy smooth. The "bowties" or "butterfly" inlays on the end are partly for looks and partly to keep the crack from expanding. 
I used 7 coats minwax tung oil on the table; it provides a bit of gloss and a bit of protection to the wood but also brings out some of the grain without looking plastic.


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## SWCPres

For the finish that will not look plastic…Waterlox Original. It's a very beautiful and complimentary finish to bring out the grain and still look natural. I would attribute it to a look similar to wiping some pure mineral spirits to the grain before the spirits evaporate. It will not significantly change the color of the wood either, maybe just a very slight browning effect. It's really easy to apply; rag and wipe on and let sit 24 hours between coats 2-3 should get your look. If you desire a smoother finish 2 or 3 coats (with appropriate curing periods) then LIGHTLY sand by hand with 320 or 400 grit sandpaper. Clean up the resulting sawdust and apply another coat. You can repeat this process to continue to build a finer finish. After 2 go rounds with this process I recommend waiting 48 hours between coats. Also, always make sure you clean off any dust that has settled just prior to applying the next coat and secure all dust producing sources and anything that could create a breeze around the project to keep of the small particulates that can settle on the surface while curing. Waterlox is my go to finish.


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## gfadvm

I would probably glue blocks to the underside of that tabletop and then screw/bolt the legs to the blocks. This will allow the use of bigger/longer screws without risk of penetrating/splitting the table top.

West System epoxy is my choice for filling cracks and knots.


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## mojapitt

It is beautiful. You might consider putting butterflies across the cracks to stabilize it. I would pour epoxy to finish. I like Andys (gfadvm) idea to attach legs.

Welcome to Lumberjocks


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## valerieRS

Perfect! Thanks, guys.

I don't mind the look or texture of the cracks at all. I'm just concerned about the table breaking because there are 2 long cracks that almost run the whole length of the slab. I'm thinking of doing something like this (see pic) but prettier. : ) I figured that would solve 2 problems - prevent the wood from breaking and give more depth for the leg screws since the wood is only 1 inch thick. The butterflies seem a little advanced. haha.

I'll check out your recommendations on finishes. Thanks!


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## coachmancuso

I would fill the voids with epoxy also, you want this to last a lifetime. Also the blocks for adding the legs are a good idea seeing the slab is 1 inch thick. Maybe add 4 boards 1"x 3"each, all glued together to go around the metal legs so it will add more beauty to the legs. Just a thought. That is a beautiful slab. What did you pay for a piece like that?


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## Loren

Like gfadvm, I might glue blocks and then attach the hairpin
legs to the blocks. I think hairpin legs are kind of weak
aesthetically and with this approach you could chisel
off the blocks later and not have holes in the slab.

I'm not saying no to hairpin legs, just that you might
reconsider at a later time.

In terms of finish, I tend to use gloss film finishes and
rub them out to whatever sheen I want. A gloss finish
has a lot of toughness because less-glossy finishes have
"flatteners" in them and in the case of some finishes
these flatteners can introduce cloudiness.

I've recently done some chairs by padding on oil-modified
gloss waterborne polyurethane with excellent results. I
like a little more amber color than I got so I think in the
future I'll lay down a coat of orange shellac followed by
the padded-on poly. The finish done this way is so thin
it it almost imperceptible and runs and build-ups can
be cleaned up or smoothed out with a fingertip or 
fingernail and gloves are not needed. The finish gets rubbed
out with synthetic steel wool and top-coated with 
paste wax. Looks gorgeous with a mild, glowing sheen.


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## valerieRS

yeah, I had no idea wood was so expensive! i'm in los angeles so i did my research and found a family-owned place that is supposed to have the best deals (Bohnhoff Lumber Co). this piece was $192 before tax.


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## Loren

I buy there too.


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## Randy_ATX

That is a beautiful piece of walnut and IMO a decent price for it. Please post a follow-up once you get it as a finished project. For the price you paid, not much more for the hairpin legs, some labor and finish, you've got a fairly expensive table!


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## bigblockyeti

You mentioned it was going to be a table/bench. I think you're on the right track for an underside reinforcement if it's to be used as a table. My concern is whether or not it will be used as a bench someone might sit on? If that's the case I would lean more toward a traditional apron underneath to better support the flaws in the wood and give the legs more to mount to. The apron could certainly be set in from the edge a ways as to not detract from the natural beauty of the edge. The crack filling is purely preference, I will say that if I was making something that would regularly see food crumbs and/or condensation and spills from drink glasses, I would fill the cracks to prevent something from getting down in there that I couldn't get out.


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## valerieRS

I have a few more beginner questions & I can't send a private email until I have 5 posts so I'm hoping someone sees this.

A couple of you mentioned that you would "glue" blocks to the underside of the table. I'm assuming this is better than drilling the blocks in to the slab, so I'm going to go with glue. Which glue should I use? I don't know if something like Gorilla Glue is strong enough.

I've sanded the slab up to 220 for now (see updated pic) and just want to make sure I have the order of the next steps right. I don't want to screw it up. Does this order sound right?
1. fill cracks w epoxy
2. more sanding, 220
3. finish w waterlox or tung / let cure
4. glue blocks underneath (these blocks will already be sanded/finished)
5. drill legs to blocks
6. polish
Am I missing anything?

THANKS!


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## Manitario

I'd glue the blocks on before you finish them or the table; otherwise it will be hard to get them to stick to the finish! As well, when filling the cracks with epoxy, tape around the cracks first with an easily removed painters tape, when you fill the cracks the epoxy will spill over onto the wood…if you tape around the cracks you have less sanding to do afterwards…


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## mantwi

How thick is the slab? That will have a lot to do with which technique you use to attach the legs and add some form of cross grain support to keep the checking in check. I made a funny. If it's beefy enough a sliding dovetail
would be a great and very doable solution. Just fasten one end of it to allow for seasonal movement of the top. A slab that wide is going to move more than a bit. If it's not thick enough to machine in a shallow sliding dovetail screw cleats with slotted holes for the screws to allow for the expansion. That is a beautiful piece of lumber and i know it will be a beautiful table. Nakashima was the man but now his daughter is, she runs the shop.


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## valerieRS

Thanks, Manitario! I'll glue first. Any suggestions on what type of glue to get?

Mantwi, I have no idea what you just said, but thanks. Haha. The slab is about 1" thick.


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## bigblockyeti

Gorilla glue is very strong and waterproof when cured I use it for several indoor projects and all of my outdoor projects. One surface gets the glue, the other surface gets slightly moistened, not saturated or the glue won't creep into the grain as far as could have before setting begins. If you haven't used it before, it's messy! Thin disposable gloves are a good idea.


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## azal

Are the cracks on one side or all the way through? If so you will have to tape them closed so the epoxy won't leek out.


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## mojapitt

If the cracks look like they might get worse, you may want to reinforce them. Either a butterfly cut in the top or steel strap underneath. I use epoxy to fill cracks and holes. Yes you have to put tape underneath if they go Al the way through. I try to use epoxy that sets up in a very short time so it minimizes leakage.

I would glue blocks on before finish. Some glue will not stick to the finish.


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## mojapitt

That really is a beautiful slab. Wish I had the rest of the tree it came from.


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## gfadvm

Any Titebond (I,II,orIII) should work to glue on the blocks. As you have already learned, glue the blocks first as glue doesn't work well at all over finish. The main reason I chimed in was to remind/warn you that you need to finish both sides of that slab, not just the visable top surface. The underside doesn't need to be sanded like the top but I would do the same number of finish coats on both surfaces.


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## Bearpaw

If you decide to fill the cracks with epoxy do this first. Take spray lacquer and spray around the area to be filled. Then rub that area with paraffin wax. Make sure you over fill the area for it will shrink some when cured. After it has cured (24 Hours) take a sharp chisel to remove the protruding epoxy and then sand. Do not use water base ink in the epoxy. Go to an office supply for the ink, but not water based.

Looking to see the finished project.

Welcome to LJ's


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## JFred

If you are going to put any kind of finish on the "underside" glue your blocks on first before you finish w waterlox or tung oil . You have to glue bare wood to bare wood, so switch your steps #3 and #4 around, when filling the cracks be sure and put some tape on the underside of the table to keep epoxy from pouring through.
Good luck


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## SWCPres

I am going to be the naysayer here with respect to the glue blocks. Whatever you do, I would glue separate blocks for a set of legs. Wood expands across the grain exponentially more than with the grain. I would recommend a book called "Understanding Wood" that will open your mind to the structure of wood grain and why it does some of the things it does. Two major factors contribute to wood movement. First and foremost moisture. Moisture will cause swelling within the wood cellular structure. This is transferred through humidity in the environment the piece will be kept in. Applying finish will slow the process of this transfer thereby lessening the chances to experience additional cracking and warp. The second is temperature. Temperature affects the wood similarly as moisture, but in a much less extreme way. Temperature movement is negligible in indoor furniture for the most part. So, to bring this into your application, if you glue a block across the entire grain of the wood, you run a higher risk of the joint parting or inducing unnecessary stress in the slab itself. The would be exaggerated if fastened to a completely different type of material like metal which expands and contracts with solely temperature and at vastly different rates than wood. You can mitigate this issue by allowing for movement. Instead of one long block across the grain, two separate blocks could be used and proper hardware (as such is used in fastening table tops to aprons) would all but eliminate any issues you would experience. You can even make up your own mechanism as long as you keep in mind the above described method of wood movement. I would imagine, a complete guess of course, movement between 1/8" to 3/8", on that piece but I couldn't be for sure.


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## valerieRS

update: I filled the cracks on side A of the table with epoxy. no major disasters! hi five. the tape worked so there were no leaking problems. a couple of the cracks still have tiny holes though, so i will need to do a second round of epoxy on this side. also, i used black dye because i like the look and overall i like the results. however, there are some cracks where the color of the wood is really light and now i think the black looks funny. what do you guys think? will this look better when i do the finishing? i haven't started filling the cracks on side B so if i need to use less black dye i wanted to find out now.

in the pics below, i wiped the slab with a barely damp cloth (water) so you can see the coloring. it will have plenty of time to dry fully before next steps.

here's a pic of the area where the black/wood contrast looks the worst: 









here are some cracks that blended nicely:









another area where the black epoxy blended well


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## valerieRS

and here's side B, where i haven't started the epoxy. you can see the cracks are big so im not sure if i should use the same amount of black.


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## bigblockyeti

I personally think it looks great with the contrast of the dyed epoxy, through the lighter and darker colored wood. I'm too cheap to buy any dye so I mix in black ink from a BIC or similar pen with the epoxy and so far it's done very well for me. I too sometimes have to do multiple applications as sometimes the epoxy doesn't flow as I had planned, or it sinks too much. Overall, much better than not having it IMO.


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## SCOTSMAN

I once saw I am sure it was NOrm Abram filling in voids in wood with great success. Using If I remember correctly , a mixture of liquid two part epoxy thickened and filled with old black toner used catridge, or black liquid stain for epoxy would also do. I use that in a variety of colours but the old toner while being messy once mixed looks really striking when hardened and sanded down the black really looks very natural and sets the piece of wonderfully Though I urge you to try this methon on some scrap until you perfect it ,and see if you become as impressed as I am or was at the time .Alistair


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## gfadvm

I think your epoxy looks good! The black works well with the walnut and the contrast won't be quite as "stark" when the walnut is finished. Carry on….....

Edit: What did you use to dye the epoxy?


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## valerieRS

ha.. i shall carry on!!

i used black oil-based paint that i had in my art drawer.

i found this good article on using and coloring epoxy by Lynne Yamaguchi if anyone wants to check it out. probably on the basic side for some of you. http://www.lynneyamaguchi.com/filling_cracks_rev.pdf


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## gfadvm

Thanks for the reply and the link. I learned something there: add the pigment, mix well, THEN add the hardener.


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## bigblockyeti

Any update on your project?


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## bondogaposis

Hi guys. I have no idea what I'm doing.

Well you know how pick out a piece of wood, I'll tell you that.


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## valerieRS

hiiii guys!

it's been a year and i finally have an update. ha. and a few questions. all of the cracks have been filled with epoxy and the legs have been attached. i've also done a ton of sanding up to 220 grit.

i started the finishing process yesterday. i sanded up to about 500 but probably wasn't thorough enough. then i added one coat of Formby's Tung Oil Finish. i didn't do any sanding or buffing after that. i just let it sit overnight.

i plan to do a couple of more coats of Tung, however, the first layer appears to have absorbed unevenly. there are big spots where it looks like the wood didn't absorb the oil. see pics below.

so, i'm wondering …

- how do i make the oil appear even? (i love the natural variations of the wood so i'm not talking about that. in the 1st pic below you can really see how much lighter the bottom half is, caused by the oil not the grain.)

- should i try wet sanding? i read online that you apply the oil and then sand before it dries with 500+ grit, then clean and repeat. if there's a better way to do this, please let me know.

- can you dry sand with 600, 1000, 1200? i really want a smooth finish and some areas feel a tiny bit rougher than others.

thanks so much!


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## bigblockyeti

Looks like it's coming along great, that walnut really looks beautiful! I've had the same problem with uneven finish absorption especially dealing with spalted maple where some of it is quite dense and other areas are like a sponge. Building the finish in just those areas that seem particularly thirsty has worked well for me. It does result in even more sanding which no one is a fan of. Sometimes the uneven finish look can be used to accentuate the piece & other times it just looks like a mistake, in my experience there's little rhyme or reason other than the look of the wood itself. I have dry sanded to 1000 grit and it results in a very nice finish, but it's very slow going once you get over 300 grit or so, especially on harder woods.


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## valerieRS

thanks, bigblockyeti! sounds like i'm on the right track just need to keep going.


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## CFP

Hi Valerie. Congratulations, your table looks beautiful. It's an eye-catching conversation-starter, I'm sure.

During construction, did you run into any unexpected issues from a functional standpoint?

I'm considering undertaking a similar project. It would be my first run at something like this and do not want to ruin a nice piece.


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## TinWhiskers

This w


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## shovel77dc

You table is a stunner! I only wish I could get my hands on a similar slab. Also, there's a really good book on finishing by Bob Flexner you might want to check out, especially if folks will be putting drinks on that beautiful piece.


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## JKMDETAIL

shovel77dc, Where you located? There are lots of folks out there that can hook you up with a slab.


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