I'm making a Red Oak sofa server similar to the attached picture. My top will be 24" X 14 3/4" X 3/4" made up of edged glued boards. Top will be attached to the skirt boards with table top clips. The legs will be 1 3/4" X 1 3/4". I am planning on attaching the legs to the base with screws driven up through the bottom of the base. The screw heads will be recessed and the screw holes elongated to allow for wood movement. Any other methods to attach the legs to the base?
Attach legs to table base
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Whenever I pin something down that has to allow for movement I make one of the holes with no allowance for movement. In this case I would make the back attachment solid and the ones going forward to allow movement. This keeps the back edge flush. If I were pinning a breadboard end on a table I would make the center attachment solid and let the rest move from the center going outward either way. That way if the end was shorter or longer because of seasonal movement at least it would be equal on both sides instead of possibly being all on one side.
Should I just make the top and base from cabinet grade red oak plywood and edge them with solid wood to eliminate potential movement? Note: I installed solid hardwood floors throughout the house a few years ago and monitor/maintain recommended humidity levels year round via central a/c (summer) and whole house humidifier (winter).
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You could Jim but plywood doesn't have the same look as solid wood as a rule. There's nothing wrong with that design you just have to allow certain parts to move. The area where you will need to allow movement are:
-The bottom and top rails that the slats attach to. They are cross grain with the top and bottom. Z clips work well for those.
-The braces that hold the legs upright. The bottom edge of those is cross grain and they will be attached to long grain so over time that may cause them to split. I think I would pin the cross rail down with elongated holes and then only attach the "toes" of the braces to the bottom panel. Those braces are mostly there to resist the tipping force of the top.
Everything else is long grain lined up with long grain so there won't be problems with those.
-The bottom and top rails that the slats attach to. They are cross grain with the top and bottom. Z clips work well for those.
-The braces that hold the legs upright. The bottom edge of those is cross grain and they will be attached to long grain so over time that may cause them to split. I think I would pin the cross rail down with elongated holes and then only attach the "toes" of the braces to the bottom panel. Those braces are mostly there to resist the tipping force of the top.
Everything else is long grain lined up with long grain so there won't be problems with those.
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