Hall Table design question

[Dan Oliphant]

I"m in the process of designing a hall table with the following dimensions; L=40 inches, H=34 inches, W=15 inches. The legs will be attached to the table top using through tennons one inch square. No apron will be utilized under the table top, structural integrity will be achieved by the use of a lower shelf eight inches off the floor.
The table top and shelf will be constructed using a walnut perimeter that is 2 1/2 inches wide by 1 inch thick. The infields will be birdseye maple veneer applied to a baltic birch substrate.
Now for the question; because the infield is as described, what jointing methods (to the walnut) would be recommended? A ledger milled into the walnut comes to mind allowing the field to float, but I'm not too keen on that one.

[tod evans]

don, how about running the banding long and tennoning it into the legs?

[Dave Richards]

Would this work for you?

[Dan Oliphant]

Tod, Right now the design is for the legs to be two inches square at the top, the tennons will be offset so they come out centered in the walnut perimeter.
Dave, yes your suggestion will work, I think my only concern would be movement of the walnut allowing a gap to appear between the maple and the walnut. I think, worst case that gap could be about 1/32.

[Dave Richards]

Does the frame have to be flush with the field? Could it be higher by say 1/4"? You could then put the entire panel in a groove on the inside edge of the frame. Basically this would be typical frame and panel construction then.

I'm curious about your legs and the corners of the frame. Would the corners be mitered? The square tenon passing through right on the miter could be problematic as far as strength goes.

[Dave Richards]

Wait a minute. If you attach the frame to the plywood panel, where's the expansion going to take place? On the outside edge, right? The plywood won't be moving so why not just glue the walnut to the plywood?

[Dan Oliphant]

Dave, No the corners are not going to be mitered. I will use a slip joint exposing end grain on two sides for each corner. The leg tennon will then "pin" the slip joint.
I would like to keep the field flush at this point.

[tod evans]

don, dave is getting at what i was trying to say....if you`re going to band the shelf why not run the banding long and tennon it to the legs? the top should be fine as you discribe it providing it doesn`t sag over time?? tod

[Dave Richards]

Slip joint? Do you mean a bridle joint?

[tod evans]

oh-yeah.....gluing the baltic to the banding will be fine as the plywood is more stable than the banding itself and will actually increase the strength of the whole assembly..tod

[Dan Oliphant]

Dave, yes, one in the same from my point of view.
Tod, that is the approach that I mentioned in my original post. The legs will be tennoned through the slip/bridle joint in the walnut banding. My concern is only with the veneered portion of the top.