Table top fasteners

[keith micinski]

I made this coffee table and used a fastener I wasn't familiar with. I like the way they worked but there was one problem with them. The client wanted me to reuse the glass pieces from the old table we were replacing. The only problem with them is that at a certain angle you can see the clips and slots threw the glass. It wasn't a big deal because they are 99 percent invisible and it didn't bother the client at all but I would rather have not seen them at all. I usually use figure 8's for small tables but the place I usually get them from never seems to have them anymore. How else could I have attached the top so that you couldn't see the clips. I thought about drilling over size holes up threw the bottom of the aprons and then screwing the top down but for some reason I just didn't like that idea and I have no reason why.

[Steve Wurster]

I think Lee Valley sells those figure 8 fasteners. Rockler might as well. I used those same fasteners as you (bought from Rockler) to hold a leg/apron assembly onto the bottom of a solid wood bookcase, but of course there's no way to see the fasteners in that case.

Nice table.

[keith micinski]

My local store stocks Rockler stuff but never seems to have the figure 8's anymore. These were probably easier to use and 99 percent of the time wouldn't be an issue. I will probably go to these in the future for my table tops. I probably should have just waited and ordered the 8's but sometimes I get antsy.

[Mike OMelia]

Last project I attached tops with fender washers, use a dremel to cut slots. Of course, there was no glass to look through and see the approach.

Mike

[keith micinski]

Ya I think that is basically what I have going on here. Like I said, it is only noticeable from one spot in the room. I think I have read that older pieces actually used the long screw through an oversize hole in the apron but for some reason that just seemed like something I didn't want to do.

[Bob Coleman]

You could use the same concept, but with pieces of hardwood (a square with a rabbet that goes in the slot) but you would probably need a bigger slot. The hardwood might look better, like joinery that is displayed.

Reminds me of a time I forgot to cut the slots before I assembled the table base. Its real hard to swing a mallet in a 18" square space!

[Sam Murdoch]

Very nice table Keith. You are just nitpicking with your concerns about the fasteners :D, but that, of course, is how the next project gets even better. Be proud of that work no matter the hardware.

[keith micinski]

You could use the same concept, but with pieces of hardwood (a square with a rabbet that goes in the slot) but you would probably need a bigger slot. The hardwood might look better, like joinery that is displayed.

Reminds me of a time I forgot to cut the slots before I assembled the table base. Its real hard to swing a mallet in a 18" square space!

Funny you should mention that. I wasnt aware that I was going to use these fasteners until the base was put together. I ended up taking my biscuit jointer and cutting the slots that way. It worked out so well I'll probably do it that way in the future.

[Bob Lang]

With that design, there isn't any reason to use clips, buttons, or figure-8s. I would glue the frame to the rails between the legs.

Bob Lang

[keith micinski]

With that design, there isn't any reason to use clips, buttons, or figure-8s. I would glue the frame to the rails between the legs.

Bob Lang

I had to Clearence the opening for the glass before that piece even made it to the final glue up do to the top expanding. I can't Imigane trying to glue a solid wood top to a table base. Even if it would work at first I wouldn't trust that ten years of expansion and contraction would keep that top attached to the base.

[Gary Herrmann]

Nice job on the table. Lee Valley does still sell the figure 8s.

[Warren E. Johnson]

I had to Clearence the opening for the glass before that piece even made it to the final glue up do to the top expanding. I can't Imigane trying to glue a solid wood top to a table base. Even if it would work at first I wouldn't trust that ten years of expansion and contraction would keep that top attached to the base.

I think that Bob was trying to point out is that there are no cross grain connections between the table top and the apron/leg assembly in your design. For that reason there is no differential expansion or contraction between the top and the base. Therefor it is reasonable and probably desirable to rigidly fix the top to the base.

Warren

[keith micinski]

I think that Bob was trying to point out is that there are no cross grain connections between the table top and the apron/leg assembly in your design. For that reason there is no differential expansion or contraction between the top and the base. Therefor it is reasonable and probably desirable to rigidly fix the top to the base.

Warren

By that logic you would never need table top fasteners. The long top rails will expand and contract width wise to the aprons underneath of them just like they would if those glass panels were wood panels. Again so much so they grew a 32nd in two days when it got stupid hot here last week and started tightening up on the glass. I will admit those "Rails" aren't going to expand as much as a full top would but they are still going to expand and contract.