Are there any golden rules for making solid and stable tables?

[paulrbarnard]

One additional thought is to use square section metal tubing for the legs and mitre your wood as a skin around the tubing. That would make very rigid legs. Welding a large steel plate to the top of the tube would give a good ability to fix to the table top. You could even make a frame out of the box section and route slots in the underside of the top to recess it in.

 

[Pineapple]

There's a reason why traditional tables are built as they are. Stepping this far from the traditional will require ingenuity and probably some steel reinforcement. Strong enough for dining is fine, but tables get dragged, leant-on and much more.

Especially After a good meal, with wine, & music, and especially delightful company.....if you follow my train of thought !

 

[Sgian Dubh]

What about X shaped stretchers?

Unfortunately that configuration has a strong tendency to be unstable. The problem with it is there is just one connection between a leg and a rail with the result that the rail experiences torsional stress transferred into it if there's sideways pressure on a table edge. The backwards and forwards sideways pressure results in the legs pivoting with the feet locked on the ground.

In this instance I think I would knock out a full scale mock-up of a stretcher free version, if that's a must have requirement to test the stability prior to committing to the actual piece. It could save a lot of anguish later. Slainte.

 

[rafezetter]

One additional thought is to use square section metal tubing for the legs and mitre your wood as a skin around the tubing. That would make very rigid legs. Welding a large steel plate to the top of the tube would give a good ability to fix to the table top. You could even make a frame out of the box section and route slots in the underside of the top to recess it in.

In a similar vein, instead of wrapping box section, make the legs in 4 sections with mitres along the length; if you have a really accurate table saw should be do-able (or make a really accurate jig), but instead of making triangles, cut the pyramid tips off so when the 4 pieces are rolled together with tape, there is a void through the middle for steel bar. Remember not to take the bar all the way through to the bottom as you'll ideally want a wooden plug at least an inch thick for trimming and levelling - once the plug is glued in, stand vertically, fill the void halfway with epoxy (and use tape to seal all the mitres just in case) then slide down the rod. Voila, solid as a rock.

I saw a similar idea done with a cheap wooden core, but wrapped in oak so all the grain was face grain.

 

[ol_london]

Recently made this bench. Legs are 45mm diameter tapered to 35mm, into 41mm diameter epoxied and wedged through mortices, top is 44mm thick. Bench is 350mm deep, 440mm tall, and 1800mm long. I epoxied them to ensue zero movement of legs in the mortices.

The bench flexes along its length ever so slightly when two people sit close together in the middle. You can deflect the legs somewhat under reasonable pressure. I did quiet a lot of experimenting when building it and although thinner legs and smaller mortices would have, I think, been strong enough the flex would have made me concerned each time I sat on it. With legs twice the length on a table I think it’ll wobble and shake no end with even light use.
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Very interesting. What do you think the minimum height apron would be that would stop a dining size version shaking? If I mad an apron that was 4cm high it may not be too visible of set back? Would that hold it tight do you think?

 

[ol_london]

One additional thought is to use square section metal tubing for the legs and mitre your wood as a skin around the tubing. That would make very rigid legs. Welding a large steel plate to the top of the tube would give a good ability to fix to the table top. You could even make a frame out of the box section and route slots in the underside of the top to recess it in.

The wood legs he wants are round tapered 45mm top to 35mm bottom so feel it would be tricky to box them in like that. Maybe a short threaded rod going right into a 50mm top block with epoxy and through some of the leg may work.

 

[Stevekane]

How about suggesting a really radical take on their table design, have the lovely thin legs on top of the table and hang by them from the ceiling, sure it will swing about like your on a boat but you will never bark your shins and it will be a breeze to hoover round!

 

[Cabinetman]

How about suggesting a really radical take on their table design, have the lovely thin legs on top of the table and hang by them from the ceiling, sure it will swing about like your on a boat but you will never bark your shins and it will be a breeze to hoover round!

I do love a bit of lateral thinking!
You mentioned that you could put 1 inch blocks under a 1 inch tabletop, i’m presuming that means you are able to buy inch and a quarter oak? Otherwise it’s likely to end up at the most 22/23 mm thick from inch boards.Ian

 

[ol_london]

I do love a bit of lateral thinking!
You mentioned that you could put 1 inch blocks under a 1 inch tabletop, i’m presuming that means you are able to buy inch and a quarter oak? Otherwise it’s likely to end up at the most 22/23 mm thick from inch boards.Ian

Hi. Sorry I’m not good at inches. The top is 25mm. I could easily cut 25mm blocks say 70mm square to glue under each of the leg positions. I could then ‘mortise’ the leg through that combined 50mm forming a tight 360 degree grip around the top of the leg. Glue/epoxy for extra tightness. Legs should be quite well embedded to prevent flex.

 

[recipio]

I wasn’t going to use those angled metal mounting plates that take a threaded rod because I have seen them wobble when used any higher than a coffee table.

They are actually quite rigid. Although you only have about 10 mm of thread inserted in the bracket the face of the leg sits on a metal plate , a bit like a mortise and tenon. Any flexing will come from the legs themselves. They are really only designed for round legs. I think using square legs would look very odd.