[mwood343]

Hi everyone, I am starting my first ever woodworking project, and I may now know less than when I started!! the short version is I have two big pieces of Mesquite wood and 4 pieces of walnut to put in the center and along the end's to make the table longer and wider. I am trying to come up with the best way to join the pices together for strength. have looked at pocket holse with a kreg joint, have thought about butterfly joints, but feel that would make it too busy, am not convinced gluing would be strong enough for a table top, especially as it would be difficult to clamp!! I have attached (hopefully) a rough picture to illustrate what I am trying to do! any advice would be awesome! thanks.

Matt

 

[Treeoflifestairs.com]

You'd be surprised how strong a good glue joint can be. I use biscuits along with wood glue. I use the biscuits primarily just the keep the boards more flush while they are drying in the pipe clamps. Also be sure to incorporate an apron on the table to help keep it nice and flat.

 

[RMK Designs]

Hi,

You could try splines to join pieces. Cut the slots on the edge 1/2" deep and 1/4" wide and use a piece of wood 1/4" thick by 1" wide to spline pieces together. You will want the spline grain running perpendicular to the joint for strength. Also remember if the wood grain of the top runs in different directions you will need to allow for wood movement. Your end pieces look to be perpendicular to the top. You can spline those but glue only one side into the groove (the side that is in long grain) and screw the other side with elongated screw holes. This will allow movement of the top.

 

[mwood343]

awesome thanks fr the help! there are several articles on motise and tenon joinery (using a loose tennon) that look remarkbly like the biscuits, there are jogs you could get at about $140 (beadlock) would this be the same type of thing you guys have talked about with the spines, and with the biscuits? any advantages to any of the options? thanks again, you guys are aweosme!

 

[Chris Curl]

How thick is the wood?

To me, that looks like a good candidate for a tongue and groove joint. That would give the structural strength as well as ensuring the pieces stay where you put them, and it provides a lot of good gluing surface.