Table top button question

[Timothy Shouldice]

I'm making a dining room table and the top is solid wood. I plan on attaching it to the aprons with shop-made buttons to allow for wood movement.

If the buttons are 3/4" thick, should I use 1" or 1 1/4" screws? My top is walnut and is 1" thick. From what I've seen, most are screwed directly to the table bottom without a hole being pre-drilled and I want sufficient grab without risking splitting up the wood.

[Jim Becker]

Given the supplied information, I'd use the 1.25" screws so you have .5" into the table top for decent holding power on that 1" thick top.

[John Gornall]

It's a little worrying screwing into a table top. Do some trials into a scrap of the same wood. Adjust pilot hole size until screw and wood agree. Try #6 and #8 screws. As you have a pilot hole you don't need the point on the screw so file or cut it off for a little more clearance. After trials you should be confident going into the table top but be deliberate and careful with each hole and screw.

[Al Launier]

If you drill the pilot holes using a portable drill I'd suggest using a drill stop on the drill bit to prevent an "accidental" surge while drilling. As for the drill depth starting off at 1/2" of penetration into the table top that is a safe way to go, although if you don't plan on any additional stock removal on the table top surface I think you could go to 3/4" drill depth if it should ever loosen up, particularly with larger screws having a coarser thread.

[Tom Bender]

Timothy
You definitely need to predrill, and as Al says, use a drill stop. Since tables sometimes get moved and almost always by lifting by the top, 1/2" penetration is not enough, As John says, grind off the screw points and go for 3/4" penetration.

I'd want to glue on a bit more thickness in spots for the buttons.

[Wayne Lomman]

Too much complication here. What Jim says is simple, straight forward, correct and low risk. 1 1/4" screws through a 3/4" block is adequate and secure. They will not pull out if the table is lifted from the top. It is not a single screw being relied on, but rather something like a dozen. This job can be done in about 5 minutes with buttons, screws and a cordless drill/driver set to a low torque.

The risk of splitting is negligible. The screws are penetrating halfway into a large timber mass. Pre-drill by all means but there is little danger of damage if you don't. Grinding off the points of the screws is unnecessary. There is still 1/2" between the screw point and the table top surface. This is plenty of tolerance and a good base for being confident that the job will go well. Cheers

[Timothy Shouldice]

Too much complication here. What Jim says is simple, straight forward, correct and low risk. 1 1/4" screws through a 3/4" block is adequate and secure. They will not pull out if the table is lifted from the top. It is not a single screw being relied on, but rather something like a dozen. This job can be done in about 5 minutes with buttons, screws and a cordless drill/driver set to a low torque.

The risk of splitting is negligible. The screws are penetrating halfway into a large timber mass. Pre-drill by all means but there is little danger of damage if you don't. Grinding off the points of the screws is unnecessary. There is still 1/2" between the screw point and the table top surface. This is plenty of tolerance and a good base for being confident that the job will go well. Cheers

Awesome, thanks!