Table legs: how to attach?

[Matthew Cashman]

Hello all,

A friend and I are working on a table that is meant to be similar in form to this, out of black walnut:

https://www.article.com/product/1208/seno-walnut-dining-table-for-6
(switch to "Oak" to make the joinery more easily visible)

We're thinking through the best way to attach the legs. The table is meant to be fairly large (top dimensions 72 x 41"), so the legs will have to be removable in order to get it through doorways for inevitable moves.

The design doesn't lend itself to a chunky apron, IMHO. If you look at the 6th picture on the page linked above you'll see some detail on their attachment method; it looks like a hockey-puck sized piece of wood is attached to the leg itself, probably with a bolt, and then that hockey-puck sized piece is attached to the tabletop.

The legs are meant to splay out some, and are not meant to be circular in cross-section, so it seems using something like this:
http://www.leevalley.com/us/hardware/page.aspx?p=41854&cat=3,43586,43590
would be hard in that one would have to ensure the bolt holding the legs on bottoms out at the precise correct angle (given non-circular cross-section, and assuming 10* works for you), OR one would have to undo all of the little mounting screws, instead of the big bolt, for moves.

The stock on hand for the top is 6/4 rough, and the thought is to taper the underside to about 3/4" thick at the edge. In my mind, the ideal form would have little or no apron--but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on design as well. Does it need an apron or similar on the underside for strength?

Thanks much,
Matt

[Bill McDermott]

Matthew, Rather than little hockey pucks, how about using near full width pieces screwed to the bottom as cross grain cleats? Use slotted holes on the outside to attach the top. Then you can put the legs right into the cleats as if it were a Windsor chair seat - or push broom. The you would just have to either remove the legs (if built to accommodate that) or remove the cleats with two legs attached per. Your thick stock give you really cool options like http://www.finewoodworking.com/2010/06/03/better-way-to-attach-tabletops

[Lee Schierer]

What anbout attaching a 2 X4 x ? stretcher between the legs, one on each end of the table with a through bolt through the leg and into the 2 x 4 cross member.
378706
You could even add a third brace piece at the center of the 2 x 4 perpendicular to the 2 x 4 toward the middle of the table.

[Bill Houghton]

This is inelegant as can be, but you can get metal brackets - they're sold for straight up and down or angled legs - that you screw to the top:
378707
Amazon calls them "Angled Leg Mounting Plates," and other hardware sources probably use similar terminology. You then screw a hanger bolt into the top of the leg and into the bracket. If you're not familiar with hanger bolts:
378710
If the angle of the delivered brackets is not quite right, plane a tapered shim to make it work.

Not foine wooddorking, but good knockdown mechanism.

[Jim Koepke]

My parents owned a furniture and appliance store during most of my life. Guess who my first and continuing employer was even after having full employment on other jobs.

The metal bracket and hanger bolt system is nearly fool proof and is easy to just unscrew the legs for moving. The downside is it is somewhat weaker and less firm than other methods of attaching the legs.


In my mind, the ideal form would have little or no apron

If you can do with a minimal apron this type of fastening was always easy to set up and knock down:

378718

There are various makers and sizes. They also lend great stability to a table.

Another option would be to make a trestle table using wedged tenons so it could be disassembled.

jtk

[Jonathan Phillips]

Hi Bill, Bill and Lee, (I'm the friend Matt initially posted for, as my account wasn't approved yet).

Thanks so much for all these helpful suggestions - they been really useful for thinking about how to build the table. We've been slowly making progress on the boards for the table top, but another related set of questions have come about the size of the apron and how to attach it.

Does anyone know of general guidelines for the ratio between the size of the apron and the size of the table (top dimensions are 72 x 41", and is composed of six 6/4" boards that vary between 6 and 8"). As Matt said, we'd like to have a relatively minimal apron (just for aesthetic reasons), but I don't want to compromise the strength of the table either...

Any thoughts on how little of an apron we could get away with and how to attach it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
jsp

[John C Cox]

I actually prefer dining room tables and desks which can be easily dis-assembled and reassembled pretty quickly vs those which cannot.

My current dining room table - store bought - has a central "pedestal" with legs that bolts to the bottom of the table top via the top's bracing.. It breaks down into the 2 major pieces + removable leaves.. That means it can go in and out easily...

I have seen many tables done with the removable hardware Jim shows. They do work well enough and are easy to knock down. The main key to this is to ALWAYS disassemble it prior to moving.... Never ever ever let the moving guys move this type of table with the legs attached or they will destroy the hardware and the legs will be forever wobbly...

[Tom Bender]

JSP you are right to worry about strength. Since it is 29" tall it will easily go thru doors on it's side. Unless it will need to move more than a couple times a year it would be better to attach the legs permanently.

Lee is pointing to a good approach, strong, not too visible and easy joinery. I would make the lengthwise rib double and place them about 6" in from the sides. This makes the base into a separate structure to fasten the top to. Stiffen it by setting 1/2" plywood into dados top and bottom making a torsion box.

At this point it makes some sense to make the top detachable. In any case you will have to plan for wood movement.