best way to mitre table top????

[nickson71]

I'm going to be making a panelled table top in the very near future and I want to mitre the corners but I'm not sure how to glue the two mitres together ..... would a double biscuit joint be strong enough or do I need to start thinking of something better


oh.. frame to be mitred is american hard maple and panels are native walnut


Ian

 

[gidon]

Hi Ian
Depends how thick the timber will be. But you could use biscuits (doubled up if thick enough to allow it), splines (you could make a nice feature of these - maybe using the walnut)), dowels and I'm sure a few others. You're right - you'll definitely need some reinforcement.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[GEPPETTO]

I'll do a T&M joint with the upper side mitered at 45° ( Excuse me but I don't know if I used right WW terms)

 

[Aragorn]

I know what you mean Geppetto!

45º bridle joint would be my choice.
I'd avoid the biscuits unless it's a small table and mitres aren't very wide.

 

[nickson71]

Thanks for the advice all


I guess there will be no biscuits on this table

however

I like the idea of the bridle joint BUT the timber I'm using is only 20mm thick and 100mm wide so cutting a 6-7mm section out of the middle of it is going to be a problem as I don't have a band saw (new to this game .... maybe being to fussy on looks of the table but thats me I guess)

would a 45 degree half lap joint work?? or does anybody have any tip on cutting the 6-7mm center out ...... or should I just attack with a tenon saw


Thanks

Ian

 

[GEPPETTO]

...
would a 45 degree half lap joint work?? or does anybody have any tip on cutting the 6-7mm center out ...... or should I just attack with a tenon saw


Thanks

Ian

Hi Nick,

I think to know what you say.. Do you mean an half Tenon & Mortise that is a tenon flush to one face and a mortise without a pin ? If it's, it's the same I do with picture frame.. surely for a table top I'd reinforce it with through pins even with another essence for contrast.

 

[johnelliott]

the timber I'm using is only 20mm thick and 100mm wide

If that joint is plain mitred then it's almost bound to open as the wood expands and contracts across the grain due to seasonal variations in moisture content

John

 

[nickson71]

I'll definitely be attempting the 45 degree bridle joint ...... Thanks again for the advice


I'll try and take a few picture along the way and I post them here

looking forward to getting started this weekend

hoping not to make to many mistakes and the timber cost a good few pounds ..... I'll be doing lots of test joints with the scraps so it may take a while to complete

Ian

 

[Scrit]

Surely biscuits are just the modern equivalent of the traditional splined joint? This can be "jazzed up" by using an extra deep spline and draw boring it then pinning with contrasting (?) hardwood or brass dowels. Also what about the possibility of using a mitre joint tied by a contrasting (?) butterfly across the joint. A bridled halving joint will show up as the wood moves and I would have thought it difficult to get a glue joint in.

If you do spline or biscuit, make sure that the joint is allowed to dry thoroughly (2 to 3 days) before sanding, planing or scraping. If you are not careful and sand, etc. too soon the joint may dry hollow and telegraph through as very noticeable hollwos where the biscuit or glues splines are.

Scrit