Help with determination of joint to use

[Kyle Stiefel]

Hello,

I was hoping for some input from the experts here. I am in the process of sketching out a trestle table. I have decided to make the trestle base in a flowing letter Y form to the floor.

I have been looking at many examples with some having the bottom portion of the Y one piece across and the supporting member coming perpendicular to it (joint with end grain to face grain).

I find more esthetic appeal with 2 angled pieces meeting the supporting member so it will be end to end grain joins at an angle (which I do believe to have quite a bit less structural integrity).

The top will be fairly heavy 8/4 limba and purpleheart approx 46" x 80" or so.
Any thoughts on this would be great on how to approach this?

Thanks,
Kyle

[Don Baer]

Kyle,
I would cut all three pieces where they are to join at a 45 and fasten them with dowels like Sam Maloof does. This is illistrated in this thread when I built my pedestal table.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=26546&highlight=maloof

[Charlie Mastro]

If you could show us a sketch it might help get the ball rolling. I was never any good at reading explainations. A few lines on a paper would help.:)

[Dan Oliphant]

Kyle, my recomendation is to use sliding dovetails. This will be much stronger than any other joint. With the joints machined to fit snugly, no glues or mechanical fasteners will be required.

[Kyle Stiefel]

Kyle,
I would cut all three pieces where they are to join at a 45 and fasten them with dowels like Sam Maloof does. This is illistrated in this thread when I built my pedestal table.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=26546&highlight=maloof

Don,

Thanks. I had actually searched and saw your posting prior to writing this. I was concerned because this table will be supporting more mass. I had watched your progress as you had made your table, fine work. I was thinking along the lines of what Dan had posted with sliding dovetails.

Thanks,
Kyle

[Kyle Stiefel]

Kyle, my recomendation is to use sliding dovetails. This will be much stronger than any other joint. With the joints machined to fit snugly, no glues or mechanical fasteners will be required.

Dan,

Thanks for the input, that kind of along the lines I was thinking. This is actually how I was planning to attach the top so that the table could be easily taken down.

Thanks,
Kyle

[Jamie Buxton]

Everybody has their own favorite joint, so I apologize in advance for stepping on any toes. Me, I don't like dowel joints. It is too difficult for me to get the holes to line up. Furthermore, there really isn't a lot of facegrain-to-facegrain gluing area, and that's mostly what counts. I'd use what might be called a mortise and tenon, with a floating tenon. It is easy to register the mortises against an outside face, so they easily line up. And there is lots of good gluing face.