Never heard of Doug. Fir being on East coast that early. Does Canada have it ?
Never thought about that...I'll have to research what else it might be that was more local at the time. It definitely looks and acts like Douglas Fir, but it makes no sense, if it wasn't native. I'll do more research and report back.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
How are the blocks held to the apron. Are they glued or do they have a tongue that goes into a slot on the apron. The slot on the apron method allows for wood movement. If glued solid then you need slots for the screws.
Bil lD
Maybe start search here? maybe hemlock or pine?
https://www.admoyer.com/blog/history...ia-bpid_9.aspx
Hemlock would be my first guess for Pennsylvania frontier softwood lumber.
Loose tenons versus mortise and tenon? - For me, this is really a question about which you feel most comfortable doing. From a joint strength standpoint, mortise and tenon may be stronger, but not much really. Do whichever you feel you do the best or, if you want to try something new, try the one you haven't done before.
As for top expansion/contraction, you should expect some, and maybe a lot, if you live in a climate where there are significant humidity variations between seasons. An easy way to attach a table top is with "table clips" which fit into a slot cut in the side of the table apron and are screwed to the top. Because the clips are not screwed into the sides (only the top), they top can expand and contract with no cracking. Clips are sold at Rockler and Woodcraft and probably other places. Very inexpensive and easy to install.