How would you build this?

[Tullie Templet]

I want to build this table for our house and I was wondering what is the best way. I would like to do plywood with all the corners mitered with corner locking router bit (could I even do this?), solid wood with all corners mitered or plywood box then veneer. I am thinking the veneer would be easiest. I am thinking 3 different boxes (top and two legs)and then attack them together is the way to go. Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but I am in the learning phase. Thanks !!! http://www.westelm.com/products/p015/http://www.westelm.com/products/p015/

[Lee Ludden]

Build a frame. Attach plywood to the faces of the frame with mitered corners. Repeat for each box. If you don't want visible joints, you can build the 3 frames, attach them together, and they put the facings sized to cover the entire face.

Just my $0.02 but I am kind of new at this too.

[Tullie Templet]

I was thinking about the frame idea also. I do want the joints showing like in the picture.

[Jamie Buxton]

I've looked pretty carefully at the pics. I think they built it in the following way. They built it as three boxes, and fastened the boxes together to form the table. They used something like 3/4" hardwood-veneered plywood. To make one box, they mitered all four edges of each piece of plywood, and then glued the pieces together. Then they used something like a router with an edge guide to cut a 1/4"x1/4" rabbet along all the edges. Then they made strips of hardwood slightly larger than 1/4"x1/4" in cross section, and glued them into rabbets. Then they planed (or scraped, or sanded) the strips down flush to the veneer surfaces. The result is a box whose faces are mostly veneer, but the edges of the box are solid lumber, so they much better take the dings that happen in real life.

[Tullie Templet]

I thought of the thin strips along the edges also. I saw it on eaglelakewoodworking on the pool table build. This is the way I would like to go unless I get better ideas.

[Bill Bixby]

I built a bed using this technique of miter locked corners. Takes a while to set that bit up correctly. I used a hardwood so I'm not sure if plywood could survive going through the miter lock bit. Baltic birch might...

[Tony Bilello]

The one in the photo looks like 3 pieces.
In the 1980's, I had built hundreds of these "Parsons" tables. Back then, Formica was the covering of choice. If you build it of MDF, it will be quite heavy. I would make it out of plywood and cover it with plastic laminate or veneer when finished. Al of the pieces can simply be butt joined, glued and screwed. You cam use rabbet joints if you want to get radical but it is not necessary. This will be a solid structure by design.
Anyway, after assembly, use automobile Bondo to fill in any defects and belt sand to flush up all joint areas.
In the sketch, I didnt show all parts because you can figure it out. Also a small 'silverware' drawer would be a nice addition.
This is a simple design and all parts can be cut on a table saw.
Should be built in well under a day even by a hobbyist.

[Tony Shea]

I would think that veneer plywood mitered in all corners would be sufficiant as long as you splined all the miters. The spline would be essential though as this is where your strength would come from. Any type of locking joint with plywood can be tough. I've had poor experience with locking joints using plywoods.

[Chris Padilla]

I would think that veneer plywood mitered in all corners would be sufficiant as long as you splined all the miters. The spline would be essential though as this is where your strength would come from. Any type of locking joint with plywood can be tough. I've had poor experience with locking joints using plywoods.

Yes, the lock miter joints need a good plywood. It is easy to cut the plywood on the router table running it flat on the table but the second piece needs to stand up against the router fence and the plys of the plywood are being cut/exposed in their weak direction and can easily detach. I've had mixed results...actually had to glue some of the ply pieces that came off before gluing the joint.

[Ellen Benkin]

I am in the process of building something similar to this for a friend. I'm making torsion boxes out of poplar covered with 1/2" (could have been 1/4") plywood which may or may not be veneered (depending on what the "client" chooses to do). The poplar frame for the torsion box makes it relatively light but extremely strong once it has the plywood skin. The poplar frames are glued together and the final sizes and squaring up done on a tablesaw. I make the plywood skins slightly large and then trim them with a router. The boxes will be glued and screwed together before the top skin is applied, which will hide the fasteners. Once you figure out the cuts for the frame pieces it all goes together fairly quickly.

[David Thompson 27577]

I want to build this table for our house and I was wondering what is the best way. ............

The best way would be to use methods that produce a better product than the one pictured. Looks to me like the fit and finish are sophomoric at best.

[Tullie Templet]

Ellen, I don't think i quite understand what you mean by making the skin bigger and trimming with a router. Could someone explain a little better for me Excuse me for my ignorance. I also noticed the fit and finish looks pretty bad and shouldn't be hard to do a better job. Thanks !!!