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Woodworking

A Better Way of Attaching the Tabletop

Here’s a better way of attaching the tabletop for the Farmhouse table.  Most of the instructions you’ll find on the internet don’t go into detail on the tabletop, but when working with construction grade wood (which most people do for this plan), it can have a tendency to move.  This can be a problem, particularly in environments where there are seasonal changes in humidity causing the wood to expand and shift.

 

My rustic farmhouse table - the finished product
My rustic farmhouse table – the finished product!

Generally, the plans online will instruct you to screw the tabletop to the table base securing it and you might be inclined to thing that this will lock it in place, but there is a chance that your table will buckle over time.  There are a number of factors that cause this and they may or may not affect your table depending on your wood and on the environment.

Wood shifts “width-wise” as the relative humidity in the air changes (not “length-wise”) so I recommend building your tabletop as a unit with wood glue and dowels, as I show in my plan, or biscuits, and then clamping it to the table base using tabletop fasteners instead of screws.  This will give your table a little extra “play” as the environment changes.

Use tabletop fasteners to attach your tabletop to the table base.
Use tabletop fasteners to attach your tabletop to the table base.

For the Farmhouse Table, you will want to cut grooves the width of a saw blade in the 2×4’s around the insider perimeter of the apron.

Cut grooves for tabletop attachment

That way, when you have the table base fully assembled, you’ll be able to attache the tabletop without having to use a series of screws.

Table Base Constructed

5 replies on “A Better Way of Attaching the Tabletop”

Ed,

I’m struggling to find a good way to attach breadboard ends without using complex techniques like mortise and tenon joints. With your design how do you keep the breadboard ends from counteracting the benefit of the z fasteners by “locking” together widthwise? I’m to the point with my search I’m ready to just ditch the breadboard end idea!

Thanks!

John

Hey John, thanks for the comment! Ok, so you’re right about the breadboard joint being the most susceptible place for problems due to wood movement. The bad news first. There’s really no way to avoid the issue with a construction method that’s relatively simple. Even with a more complicated mortise & tenon joint, if the wood is moving due to shifts in relative humidity, it’s going to move in some way, maybe a twist or warp. But you have a few options. First, if you buy dry lumber, let it acclimate and can control the relative humidity in the environment where you’ll have your table, you are likely not to have issues. I know numerous folks who’ve built this particular model and haven’t had a problem. One option would be to secure the breadboard at one end with pocket hole joinery and then cut pocket hole slots giving the wood some room to shift (1/8″ – 1/4″) where you secure the additional pocket holes. Since the apron is providing some support, you can employ the same method and secure it to the apron support – fast on one end and with a hole big enough to accommodate some shift at the other fastening points. Thought that would work to counteract the expansion or contraction, you could experience some cracking in the joint between the bread board and the planks. Or if you feel comfortable controlling the humidity, then you can just go with it. Of course you can leave the breadboards off, but they do lend a very nice aesthetic to the table. I hope that helps.
Cheers,
Ed

Hi,
I apologize in advance. I am a beginner.
What are the boards called that go horizontally from one apron to the other ? It looks like there are 9 of them.
I would like,to know how to decide how many of them to use. I am thinking a 7 ft. Table after I do a practice small one.
Also, I would like to make the legs removable. Would the metal corner bracket rocker has for 5.99 work.
And last. I would like to use turned legs.. will that impact anything ?

Thanks
Be well
And Happy Thanksgiving
Jane

Hi Jane & thanks for the comment. I’ve been traveling so I apologize for the late reply. I’d recommend spacing them 6″ to 8″, so for a 7′ table, that would be around 12 supports. Removable legs would be a good idea if you need to move the table through small doorways or up and down stairs. I’m not familiar with the Rockler corner brackets, but as a general rule Rockler makes good quality components. Make sure you get heavy duty brackets as the table is very heavy. I would think turned legs would be fine, but if you use my Rustic Farmhouse Table plans, you may have to think creatively about how to provide a center support and get tight joints. Good luck with your project and I’d love to see pictures when you’re done!

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