how to attach wooden table top tutorial 2024

How to attach a tabletop
Wooden tables tend to have fairly large tops and we need to make consideration for the natural material wood. Wood moves in its width across the grain, not with the grain. we have to be careful because timber that grows and then shrinks has considerable Force. This natural movement in the timber can damage itself and the leg frame.

Tools for Attaching the Tabletop

Allowing for movement of the tabletop is a good exercise.

There are two common methods of fixing a tabletop to a set of legs.
Method 1, screw the tabletop 2 the leg frame via slots in the direction across the grain of the tabletop.

Method 2, the button tabletop fix method is the most common and very much a traditional method. Wooden buttons or sometimes called toggles (especially if they twist), used like little brackets to hold the tabletop to the leg frame.
Why buttons?

As a point of recommendation, we would not advise that you use your tabletop as an ironing board.

These buttons are used in a way to allow the natural movement of the tabletop.

The concept of the tabletop buttons is simple in that free movement of the tabletop is allowed because the buttons travel in slots.

If you don't take care when fixing your tabletop to your leg frame the boards that make the tabletop could cut and bend. the reason for this is that there is no way for the tabletop to go as it is wrongly fixed solid. So if you do not want your tabletop Candelabra to fall over because it's wonky then you need to make provisions for the movement of the tabletop exercise.

It does not matter if your table has drawers in it you will still need to allow for movement

If your house has a managed humidity level you will probably be absolutely fine without any provision 4 movement.

Alternative to the slot!

There are alternative methods of using buttons other than is demonstrated in this video for instance: shallow mortices or the use of a Festool Domino joining system.

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Please be aware we have removed the guards from machines for the purpose of this video. We do not recommend you remove guards from your own machines it is your responsibility to use your own equipment safely.

Safety has to come first

[stevebaumann]

One thing,
The buttons on the long side should have a bit of space within the slot so there is room for the table to expand, rather than tight in the slot; filling the slot.

[brians]

Hi, good video! Making an entryway table from 8/4 alder. Using the buttons, would they provide enough strength to lift the table using the edge of the table?
Thanks!!!

[vietnamvet]

Would've been easier to set the frame on top of the tabletop.

[wgg]

Why put the buttons all way round when wood expands along the grain? The way you have done it means expansion is restricted

[wgg]

Apologies - in most instances wood expands across the grain. But I still don’t understand why you put the buttons all the way round.