Assembly Question

[Brad Wood]

Hey all,

This seems like a silly question to me, and I suspect a lot of the replies will be based on personal style more than anything else.

I'm about to start my first large project - large in scale, not necessarily in complexity. I will be making a dining table for our house. LOML normally stays out of my woodworking "process", but this time she is heavily involved and all the design elements are really hers... sort of like she is the customer.

Well, now she is starting to inject her opinions on "how" I should do things, like which part of the table should be done first. As it happens, her and I are exact opposite in how we would approach the actual construction/assembly. I'll not reveal which of the two options we side on.

This seems like a silly question to me, but now that she is trying to debate me on the merits of one way over the other, she has me questioning my logic/perspective (darn women)

Keep in mind, my shop is a multifunction garage with limited work space.

Would you assemble the top, set it out of the way and assemble the base. Or, would you assemble the base first and then the top

(The table is going to be your basic table with laminated boards for the top, basic mortise/tenon style base... if that makes a difference)

Thank you for your input :D

[Jamie Buxton]

If you're really cramped for space, it'd probably be easier to stash the top while you're working on the base, rather than vice versa. You might could even stash the top outside of the shop -- like in the dining room.

[Todd Burch]

Bringing the top into the dining room to acclimate is a good idea.

But, so is building the base first, because then you have a place to set the top while working in it.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

If the base has fixed legs it seems the top would take less space to make and set out of the way. If the legs are bolted on then it wouldn't make that much difference, except for the time to fit them. For finishing they're probably both going to be in the way a lot. :)

[John Coloccia]

Top first. It's just easier to store, and it'll also give it a chance to cup if it's going to cup. Then you can fine tune it if you want to, or even take it to the mill for a final belt sanding, or something.

[Jason Beam]

Okay - no fair hiding which of you advocated building the top first, now ... :D :D :D

[Brad Wood]

Okay - no fair hiding which of you advocated building the top first, now ... :D :D :D

Since a few people have replied now.... My perspective is to build the top and then set it aside. It is an easier piece to "hide" out of the way.

Since she brought up the other way around, I do see some merit to using the base to assemble the top, but I'm still in the stage of my woodworking where I make a lot of careless mistakes and I'm afraid I'll do something to the base if I'm constantly working on other parts of the project with it right at my feet.

I'm not too concerned about the top acclimating between inside and outside. My humidity variance between the two is within 5%

[Brad Wood]

Top first. It's just easier to store, and it'll also give it a chance to cup if it's going to cup. Then you can fine tune it if you want to, or even take it to the mill for a final belt sanding, or something.

you just had to bring up cupping didn't you... ok, if it cups, I'm blaming you :D

[glenn bradley]

+1 for top first; easier to stash where it won't get hurt.

[Ellen Benkin]

Despite always wanting to do the top first because (1) it's relatively easy to glue up and thickness and (2) it's the prettiest part of the project, I manage to restrain myself and do the top last. That prevents it from getting all the dings I would induce if it were lying around my shop and it also keeps me from constantly having to move it to get to something else.

[Steve Jenkins]

If you do the top first don't just leave it laying flat. find a place to store it as vertically as possible on end or on edge or if it is flat cover it with something to prevent moisture changes on the flat surface (plywood or a plastic drop cloth). If you have it on end put a couple sticks between it and a concrete floor.