Tabletop recess

[Rick Johnston]

I'd like to recess a 1/4" glass piece in an existing top. Material is 1" maple.
Top is 14" x 28" and the glass would be 12" x 26".

It may be easier to start from scratch.

Saw it up and glue back after planing out the center section.
Access to a software driven planer machine. (No access to a machine like that)

[Keith Weber]

Is the center of the table still going to be solid, or will you be able to look through the glass like a window? If you saw it up, you're going to have a smaller top when you glue it back together.

[Myk Rian]

Planing out the center section. I don't understand that at all.
Use a router to cut it out. A little at a time.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Router with end-mill bit.

Make a special-purpose base for this job: 1/2" ply or MDF, 6" wide x 24" - 26" long.

Go back-and-forth. the "wings" of the base will always span the entire opening, and will always be on one solid side as you move through the 26" length, 1/2" at a time.

In fact, if you make the base the correct size, it could have stops on the bottom side of the ends, to set your 12" width as you go. YOu may want to use that to make a "first pass" to outline the 26" length - a nice, clean cut and edge - then start milling out the field.

[Sorry, you can see I was thinking this through as I was typing - much as I make my special router bases - get started, and make it up as I go.... :p]

Block plane, ROS, chisels, whatever, to clean up the bottom and the corners.

EDIT: I type slower than Myk. Sorry for the duplication.

[Bill Adamsen]

Framing the glass would of course be easiest. I would think "carving" it out would be fraught with possible issues and end up with a not very satisfactory surface under the glass. If you cut the edges and folded up (flipped over in place) ... the edge grain would match.

[Rick Johnston]

It would not be a window, but rather 1/4" depression in the top. If I sawed it out then I'd plane 1/4" off the center section.

[Sam Murdoch]

Why not add a frame to the table top to surround the glass?

[Mike Schuch]

A picture of the table you are trying to put the glass piece in would probably help people come up with ideas on how to accomplish the task.

[Rick Johnston]

Sam, your idea seems best after rethinking the solution. Thanks to all.