Advice: Trestle table

[Gofor]

I am attempting to build a trestle table for our kitchen/dining area. The top will be about approx. 65" long by 40" wide. The trestle supports will be about 16" in from the ends.

My question concerns top thickness. I am using air dried 8/4 black walnut (purchased from Jeff in Jan 2007) and have flattened and squared the basic lumber. I would like to resaw it down to a finished thickness of about 1 3/8" (I now have varying thickness from 1 3/4 to 1 1/2). Do you think 1 3/8 will be sufficient to prevent drop warpage over time?

It will have 2" to 3" breadboard ends.

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[mshel]

IMHO, I think 1 3/8" would be a gracious plenty for top thickness.


Mike

[Gofor]

I was worried about the 16" overhang on the ends. Most tables have apron support close to the edge which I cannot provide and accomodate the armed chairs which need to slide beneath the top.

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[Dutchman]

Originally Posted by mshel

IMHO, I think 1 3/8" would be a gracious plenty for top thickness.


Mike

I agree that 1 3/8 thickness is plenty. Make sure you use costruction that will allow your top to expand and contract, especially using bread board ends with air dried lumber.

[Gofor]

Well, gettin' started:

The raw materials:


First milling:


Now, if I can just figure out what size these boards need to be and how to stick 'em together, I'll be on my way!!

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[Tarhead]

Mark,
Great ideas in this picture to assist with long, wide heavy stock while planing:


Do the feed rollers drop into your dog holes?
Is the board attached to the plywood sled? This is something I would normally do for small thin pieces but a lightbulb just came on as I looked at this and my feeble brain said: "This could be also used when you have a board too wide for your jointer to get the first face flat"

As far as the thickness question...you could always put a few cleats under the top to stiffen it if you're worried it will flex/warp. The Shaker tables I've seen have ~3/4" tops showing w/cleats.

Your shop is still too clean by the way.

Mark
(before the first molecule of caffeine starts circulating)

[Outa Square]

I have seen Bas use a planner sled for wide boards and now Gofor. I am out wrong for thinking that for a board that is less than 12 inches thick that i can use my 6 inch jointer with out the guard to flaten it. Of course the only time i have done this is where the issues is minor cupping and i focused on the cupped outside edges of the boards face as opposed to the oppisite side where it is raised in the center?

[Travis Porter]

I think you can use the jointer to do it, but the planer would be easier IMO.

Gofor, that is neat using that angle iron as a straight edge. A very elaborate setup for a complex problem. Impressive!

[Gotcha6]

Now you done it! My head is so full I gotta forget sumthin' t' make room for the new stuff you done learnt me today!
Great ideas. Necessity is the mother of invention & we got a lotta mothers on this here site!

[Gofor]

Originally Posted by Tarhead

Mark,
Great ideas in this picture to assist with long, wide heavy stock while planing:


Do the feed rollers drop into your dog holes?
Is the board attached to the plywood sled? This is something I would normally do for small thin pieces but a lightbulb just came on as I looked at this and my feeble brain said: "This could be also used when you have a board too wide for your jointer to get the first face flat"

As far as the thickness question...you could always put a few cleats under the top to stiffen it if you're worried it will flex/warp. The Shaker tables I've seen have ~3/4" tops showing w/cleats.

Your shop is still too clean by the way.

Mark
(before the first molecule of caffeine starts circulating)

1. The rollers are the ones that go on my Ridgid MSUV (Miter saw utility vehicle) that are just clamped into the face and shoulder of my end vise. However, as Gotcha said about mothers and necessitates, this may spawn some holes in the work bench to facilitate future use. I also use the MSUV (rollers reinserted) as an outfeed table for my tablesaw for heavy stock. Takes some 1" shims under the tablesaw legs
to get them level, but it works.

2. The board is not attached to the sled, however the shims are taped in place (blue painters' tape). The cleat on the front end of the board ensures it is pushed through as the rollers push the planed board though. I do try to square the leading edge as much as possible to keep it from cocking as it goes through. I think Bas' multi-layer sled is superior, but this is also my circular saw cutoff guide, and the only flat ply long enough that I had in the shop at this time, so I just removed the long cleat for the circular saw edge and stuck an end cleat on it (double side tape with a couple finish nails - easy to remove).

3. Travis, that is an old bed rail, of which I have several, but this is the one that is straight. Bed rails are harder steel than average angle iron, and these have the advantage of having a higher leg on one side which keeps it straighter. I stick a few 3" long pieces of double sided carpet tape about every 16" and it holds fine and is easy to remove. I was able to do 10 boards without changing the tape, although I was careful to knock off all the dust off the boards with a rat-tailed broom before sticking the angle to it.

Mark, one of my problems with the top thickness is keeping the overall height between 28" and 29", while being able to slide chairs under it that have 26" high arms (desires of SWMBO and the primary customer whom has definite clout in the contract arena). Cross cleats of any thickness within 16" of the ends won't play in her envisioned usage, so the top will have to support itself. A shaker table would be fine for me and leave me with beaucoup neat wood drop to play with, but if I keep her happy, who knows what future toyools are possible. She hates banging her legs into table legs, so its pedestal or trestle, and she feels trestle will give the least impedance to cleaning.

As for the clean shop, I will confess that I went back and took pictures after the actual task was done. I read every day that everyone loves pictures and I have goggled at the ones posted myself, so yesterday, with the wood having to acclimate after first planing, I dedicated the day to taking pictures, getting them posted, etc. What you see is actually how it was done, but not while I was doing it. Getting old and feeble in the mind, I forget to take the pics as I am working. For that I apologize. I do sweep up after the days work, tho, and no special cleaning was involved.

Got wordy again. Sorry

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[Gofor]

Small progress. Getting them down to size. I'm no bandsaw expert, but I was happy with the job mine did!




Thanx for lookin'

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