Building a Table Top

January 8, 2009 on 1:06 pm | By | In bluefreesky.com | Building a Table Top

I am planning to build a new dining room table. The top will be approximately 42"x72" and made out of Oak. I do not plan on having a leaf in the table. I am wondering what the best width boards I should use to glue up the top. I am concerned about the stabilithy of the top and want to minimize warping.

Also I was wondering if I would be better off using quarter sawn oak. Is quarter sawn oak more stable or is the reason to use it only for the additional grain look.

Thanks for any help in Advance.

Chris

For what it's worth:

I just finished doing a little refurbishing (NOT refinishing) to an 8' oak round table that was made by a family member and passed down. Approximate age as 135 years. The top was assembled from quarter sawn oak, 15/16" X 6 (I think). There is NO visible waviness as you scan across the top. The really cool thing is that the original hand written and drawn plans were perserved as well as the receipt from the mill for the lumber. I also have an old scrub plan and a jack plan that are thought to have belonged to the builder but I've gotten mixed reports on that point. Nothing fancy about the design but solid as a rock.

Good Luck!!!
Wood Dog

Make sure that you alternate your grain patterns to avoid warp. Bisquits help too smile.gif

Quartersawn is more stable. Wide boards are not more stable (and I'm more than happy to get heated discussing it ;)).

A properly designed table (or anything), made of quality wood that is treated correctly, should not give you warping problems.

A couple unfortunately common examples of not treating wood properly are laying it on a concrete floor, and laying it flat on a workbench so that air can get to only one side.

Dave

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