How To Attach A table Top To Frame Or Legs

What are traditional methods for attaching a Tabletop to the base? or is there a traditional way to attach a top to a frame?

Join this channel to get access to perks:

---Tools I Suggest---

---Find Antique tools near you---

Top Patreon Supporters:
Blair Svihra Jr
Aaron Fenn
John Jugler
Andrew Wilson
Travis Reese
Tom West
Brandon Lauer
Brian Suker
Bruce Rose

////Help this channel grow\\\\

////You Can find me:\\\\

Instagram: @udostehle

[orienv]

James: There are 1000's of different ways
Me: Got it! Velcro and zip ties it is!

[alans]

The other major method would be L-shaped blocks screwed to the underside of the top, that fit into grooves cut in the aprons. It's a lot like the figure 8 approach, but it's wood instead of metal and slides instead of twists.

[thomasafrica]

I love how excited you got at your antique pocket pole bit😅 My dad gets the same look an his face when talking about his bonsai

[signsofautumn]

You are the best for a diy person, female with a small budget and most experience came from looking at wood, thinking about what May or may not work. I had to go to the library several times before the internet became common. All the learning I taught myself. I never came across such a simple to understand lesson in wood expansion. I bolt a huge kitchen island to serve as my craft table, storage for my crafts as well as or kitchen table. We were in a narrow townhouse with a long narrow kitchen without storage. After I built it. I realized if we needed to move one day ( I wasn’t leaving my diy island) I had to replace the top with a removable option to fit trough a doorway. I put it on and put finish nails all around the top, wood putty and stained it natural pine, but a few months later. It kept cracking on the far edges. Now I know why! On my own I figured ot if I replace it with a huge piece of heavy thick maple. Gravity would work and it could be lifted off when I moved. My husband was never so happy when he had to move my monster size island and measured the top to tell me “ this has to stay! It won’t fit trough the doorway”
Surprise! I lifted the top up and said
“ it’s removable” he thought he’d leave my hard work behind😃 now I want to build a farmhouse kitchen island for my dining room and I find your channel and couldn’t be more happy. Yo make it simple, easy to understand and since I can’t afford huge deluxe table saws or the know how to use one. I can use your simple ways to work around my problems of diy wood building! You have no idea some of the ideas I came up with while learning to build cabinets without any internet. Not so good after a few years of use! Like nails with shims to attach🤔🫣cracked wood everywhere as well as sharp nails popping out everywhere! I’m so happy I came across your channel! Thank you
I’ll be learning a lot from you

[daveturnbull]

A few years ago I rescued an old solid wood wardrobe from being burned. It was in a really bad state having been left outside in the rain for a few weeks as well as having various holes cut in it but I wanted it mainly for the wood in the frames. As I started taking it apart I found that the top and bottom were joined to the frames with pocketholes exactly as you described. No 'special' screws, just regular big heavy slot head ones. Looking at the hardware etc I reckon it was probably about 60-70 years old.

[karl_alan]

I love figure 8s and z-clips in a slot for attaching table tops, or dowels.
Also, the wood on wood slides are great for drawers. I tend to go that route.

[karl_alan]

Sliding dovetails are one of my favorites; a lot of work, but worth the work.

[JarlSeamus]

Figure 8's are incredibly versatile. You can use them in a multitude of applications.

[Barrelu]

One of your best videos with a little more of your humor than usual. It is a given that any thing involving people will quickly evolve into a scattering of cliques, each with there own opinions as to what is proper. Woodworking is no different. I have used several of your suggestions, even a dovetail one but I agree it is a lot of work. I did try a segmented dovetail setup on a 48" wide table top that worked okay with good results.

[Slothpellet]

Another good way to attach tops to the base is by using wooden buttons fox dovetailed into the top. The "L" shape of the buttons firmly attach into the top but are given wiggle room in the aprons or sides.

[EricMeyerMaker]

One of the ones I used recently were dowels, unglued, drilled through the top at a slight angle, and driven into the top of the legs. Basically it turns the dowels into a set of nails. I saw Peter Follansbee use it on his joint stool. Also, Phil Lowe used it on a Queen Anne Low Boy replica. I figured it would work well enough the shop furniture I was making.

[kristophesankar]

I just made a desk and I thought long and hard about using pocket holes simply by how easy it is to do. Eventually I decided to use wooden cleats with a slotted hole instead. It's basically a small square block about the size of a table button with a slot that lets a screw slide around with wood movement. The wooden blocks are then glued to the aprons.

[fabiomerlin]

I built my first table and used screws to attach the top to the frame. I was in doubt about this until now. Thanks.

[jefferyt]

Last project I put a long screw through the frame into the top. I oversized the hole in the shank portion on the frame and the screw can move along with the movement of the wood.

[abingdonwoodworks]

For me, it’s relaxing to make wooden buttons and cut the mortises by hand, so I like this method. You do have to be mindful that those small buttons can split, so consider the material and size. Also, if you are likely to pick up the piece by it’s top, that puts a fair bit of stress in the buttons, so maybe avoid it for a big dining room table.

[jthadcast]

never had a problem with hardware until i lived long enough to see how it fails every single time, (even if you were flawless with installation and treat it like an heirloom.) over the 200+ year lifespan of solid wood, joinery repairs are easy but with hardware rot it becomes a "restoration" project that takes longer than the original full build. it's why i only find good lumber but hardware damaged curb wood and never a single joinery piece ... except the 120-year-old dovetail drawer boxes still solid and usable.

[ArronMcKoy]

Really liked the pragmatic approach. Cheers.

[nolanstevenson]

I did a Wiccan alter that required no metal other than gold silver or brass so I used side by side fowls near the center of the top width wise one each end so far about 3 months no issues but we’ll see

[MCsCreations]

Fantastic, James! Thanks a lot for all the tips! 😃
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[wannabefunnyman]

I don’t have anything against pocket holes aside from the looks. I’ve used them plenty and they serve their purpose well. I just prefer dowels where they might be seen to avoid the pocket hole scar on stain grade projects. On paint grade, a plug and some bondo and … voila! What pocket hole?