Table Base Assembly

[Terrance Shout]

Curious on how people assemble the bases of a tables, desks, etc... Assemble in stages. I assemble the ends of the piece first, so for example I attach the front legs to the back legs using the side skirt and bottom rail. The next day, I bring the ends together by attaching the left and right assemblies using the front / back skirts and rails. Thoughts on your preferences?

[John Kananis]

Depends on how much of a hurry you're in I suppose. I like doing it in stages if possible.

[Jim Becker]

For many tables that use aprons and legs like you describe, I will typically use the same order you mention...narrow assemblies first and then add the front and back aprons, generally with the whole thing upside down on the assembly surface. The overall design can sometimes affect this decision however.

[Lee Schierer]

Always dry assemble your parts first, when facing a complex glue up. This will tell you if all your pieces fit properly, where you need clamps and how many pieces you can put together with or without sub-assembly. It wil also show you whether you need an extra set of hands to get it done.

[glenn bradley]

I'm another narrow ends first and then join them with the longer parts.