Planktop Table- Joinery

The base on this table features rectangular legs 45° to the skirt. Because of the odd joinery, I used the Leigh jig.

The mortises were cut in the legs. Because the table tilts up to 30°, I had to attach a 25° wedge to get the 45° angle I needed to cut the tenons.





The long skirts were a challenge.





However, the tenons proved to be to weak to work, the extreme angle made them all short grain. I cut them all off and went to a loose tenon join.



The change in plan meant a change for the mortise location in the legs, as well.



A set of stops is positioned and the legs are given a first shaping.



Levelers are drilled for with the drill press, an f-clamp braced against the column prevents the leg from grabbing and spinning in your hand.



A dowel is used to pound them home.

Planktop Table- Top

A planktop table poses challenges unique to working with long boards. The biggest is maintaining thickness, so only the straightest rough stock is used. The top is glued up in two halves, so that it not only fits in the clamp rack, but also through the thickness sander.



The top is glued up one joint at a time, alternating between the two halves.



This allows me to get a flat glue-up, maximizing thickness. Straighter boards pull ones that have moved slightly back to flat.



Each half is left to dry, then ran through the thickness sander. The inside is jointed.



The halves are glued up with long clamps. Care is taken for a flush glue up.



The joint has cured, and the stroke sander cleans it up as well as any other surface flaws.



The top is now ready to be cut from the slab.