Kitchen Table Construction

[dchallender]

Well I'm designing a large farmhouse kitchen table for my house, it will be of traditional style with a thick pine top with drawers underneath for cutlery etc. and I need a bit of advise on the construction. As I see it I have two options available to me.

The first is do I go down the traditional route of mortise and tenon joints with dowels (which appeals to my inner wood worker!! ) or I should I use a mechanical fixing (which the engineer in me tells me to use :? )such as the below link

http://www.bkservicesonline.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=11656

As I know a lot of you guys do this professionally I thought I would ask what is the best method of construction before I jump in and start cutting wood.

Which ever way I eventually go down I will remember to photograph it this time as I always forget !!

Any advise greatly appreciated as always

rgds

Darren

 

[OPJ]

In my opinion, you can never beat a good old-fashioned mortise and tenon joint. Especially if it's been draw-bored as well! Those types of corner brackets are mainly used with 'cheap' manufactured furniture. We've got an old desk which uses them and it's as wobbly as heck! :?

Assuming the frame will be quite large, you only need a couple of stretcher rails to prevent any racking or movement. You say your adding drawers below - the framework for that should do the same thing.

 

[jasonB]

Those brackets really only hold the rails to the legs so that flatpack tables can be assembled at home, you still need M&T construction to actually locate the parts.

Also if you are having draws the full width then the upper draw rail will want to be dovetailed into the top of the leg and there will be nowhere for those brackets to fit.

Jason

 

[dchallender]

Would I still need to dovetail the rail in if I was having drawers at the ends and used mortise and tenons to build a solid construction with cross braces etc to hang the drawer rails off as per Olly's suggestion?

Darren

 

[xy mosian]

Knock Down can be useful if the table is large .... compared to the door for example.

xy

 

[jasonB]

You will still need the draw runners, kickers etc whichever way you do it.

The reason for dovetailing the top draw rail is that it would give a very small weak tennon, if someone kicked the leg inwards it may snap. This is the typical joint used

If your draws are set in at least 6" from the leg at each side you can get away with tennons but at the cost of loosing draw width

Jason

 

[Mr T]

Hi Darren

Having drawers in the apron can lead to it being a bit deeper than comfortable for getting legs under. There was a thread about apron depth recently.

Chris

 

[dchallender]

Thanks for the information guys it has been extremely useful, I'll dovetail the joints and use mortise & tenons as well.

I'll also have a look for the thread on apron depth as well, I must admit I was looking at the design today when I drew it up and didn't think I could get away with more than 125mm in depth for the apron with a drawer about 80mm so it would be quite a shallow......I'll have a rethink :?

Thanks again for your help

Have a good weekend

Darren