Table just joints no nails/ screws or glue if possible

timeout

I'm hoping to build a table with just good tight joints. I know I could slap one togehter in 20 min if I was using screws to hold it all together, but i'm trying to avoid that! More of a challange and better experience.

Its a computer desk and will incorporate some metal work but will not be anything over fancy. I am not turning the legs they will be just nice sturdy square blocks.Its going to be kinda like the first picture see attachment.

The top i have worked out and can be seen in the second attached photo, apoligies for the poor quality but 10mins and paint aren't much but it should give a gist as to what I'm planning. The 2 shelfs will hang from the cross bars with a the bolt sunken on the top so the top will be flush.

My main concern is the legs. With screws you just screw a corner block in place and it becomes nice and solid. What joints should I use and any other recomendations will be welcomed. Also I'm trying to keep it so it will come apart easily if I need to move it to a different room/ house. So you could consider the top as a single piece, shelfs seperate and the legs also.

Much Thanks in advance of any help
Timeout

karltimber

the only joints that may work for you is mortice & tenon

A friend made a high end table in solid maple and used ebony pegs about 10mm in diameter to secure the two tenons at each corner.
You could use this system but not too sure about removing these too often as they will loossen over time.

karl.

cormie

Hi,
you could probably use a halving joint for the top bit?

timeout

Yes halving joint is what I had in mind for the top part. I think it will keep the table steady and the weight of the computer suspended from and it should hold it in place quite nicely. Where did you get the nice 3d image?

I don't plan to be moving this table around alot but it would be handy if it was easy to dismantled when I do need to move it as the door to the room is slightly smaller then the planned / required width of the table. So the legs section and the top can be split into 3 easy to transport pieces but don't themselves have to dismantled.

cormie

Got the image off google, just type in a word click images and click search, handy:) I'm not going to try and give advice on anything else as I'm not sure how good it would be at this stage:o

timeout

Had a spark idea about the legs suddenly, see attached image. Just the image of the 3d halving joint kinda set it off. Its a crud drawing but it gives the idea I hope. Just wondering now about supports for the legs to stop them from shaking and the like. I know they have very little from the drawing I have provided.

charlesanto

Pretty picture

timeout

Well thats a much more impressive drawing then mine anyday and down the lines I want

Still fell its going to need some angeled support for the legs, to stop them sprawling. But yes this is what I kinda want. Will need to start getting materials and fabricate the top since I'm certain thats how i'm doing that part!

cormie

Would a mortise and tennon joint work better than the halving on the leg braces do you reckon? I'm not sure but my gut says it would. I'm not sure if you'd need more support for the legs, looking at some desks, you wonder how they don't topple over. I'm actually doing a course on furniture design, I should be helping you out a lot more than I am but I've been mainly concentrating on carving and woodturning in my course so far:o

charlesanto

prettier

JohnBoy

umm forgive my ignorance, but if there's no glue/fixings, whats to stop a shove at one end of the table from collapsing it?

timeout

JohnBoy wrote:

umm forgive my ignorance, but if there's no glue/fixings, whats to stop a shove at one end of the table from collapsing it?

Good craftmanship!

I am thinking now that there would be no harm in some glue being used. Just to keep the top and legs joints in place but not the joints at the taple top and legs meeting as these would need to be easily disassembled if I ever need to move it as mentioned above.

charlesanto wrote:

prettier

Yes it is. It needs a fourth cross beam as I want to suspend 2 shelfs from it. Not sure about that finger joint at the ends where the table and legs meet, unless I put a couple of dowels in it as suggested above by karltimber. The beam across the legs is higher up and should add better support and reduce the legs spreading, yes i like where this is going indeed.

Timeout

charlesanto

extra cross bar:D

legologic

I remember seeing a coffee table like this and It was, as you described, just pure joinery. I was so impressed by it and loved it because of it's apparent siplicity. It was real obvious joinery but clearly quite skilled to a trained eye.

Now the table I seen was made of much chunkier wood so i'm not sure if these joints will suit your project. There was a glass panel sitting on top. Excuse the drawing, I only have paintbrush in work.

The joints did overlap as shown but all corners were gently rounded. If you can picture it piece 2 and 3 simply make a normal finger joint but then piece 1 has a tenon which goes through that joint. I think this would solve the problem of the legs spreading but may require a lot of quite precision cuts (precision for my level of joinery anyway).