Table Base Question

Bill Arnold

1974
Staff member
Messages
8,622
Location
Thomasville, GA
I've gone through a handful of iterations on specifics of the base for my walnut slab and have a question about the leg structure. The legs will be 12.5" long. The upper part of the base adds 1.5" and the slab finished up at 1.75". The overall height of the finished coffee table will be 15.75" - slightly higher than our current table.

On previous drawings, I had incorporated stretchers between the pairs of legs on each end. In a couple of cases, I had a long stretcher running between the shorter ones between the legs. Now I'm thinking I don't really need stretchers.

I'll cut 0.75" by 1.5" mortises 1.5" deep into the tops of the legs. The mating mortises will extend through both layers of the upper structure, making the tenons 3" long overall. That'll make for a cleaner looking base and I think the mortise-and-tenon assembly will keep the legs solid.

So, whaddaya think, folks?

Table_Slab_base.jpg
 
I'm no expert on joint strength, so I'm not much help there. But I do like the way you handled the placement of the legs for the asymmetrical shape of the walnut slab. I'll add that to the pile o' ideas for mine. :thumb:
 
I like it. Looks like it ought to work quite well.

Thanks, Jim!


... I do like the way you handled the placement of the legs for the asymmetrical shape of the walnut slab. I'll add that to the pile o' ideas for mine. :thumb:

Thanks, Vaughn. When I first drew up a base for my slab, I aligned it symmetrically along the centerline. After further thought, I suggested to LOML that I add drawers under it. The design you see is the result of setting up one side of the slab to align with our sofa and support the drawer assembly.
 
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