Octagonal table - advice on type of joint to use?

[Mattty]

I restore a fair bit of antique furniture, and this type of table in Edwardian times would have had a spigot turned on the legs, a hole drilled in the cross pieces and then glued and wedged. This lasts for a hundred years, so is pretty tough and easy to make.

It will probably last, but at that thickness it will leave scope for the shoulders to open over time, which is unsightly if nothing else. Most antique furniture (and I speak as a fan) was built to fairly indifferent standards, same as today, and for the same reasons — cabinet makers wanted to make money, and most customers had other things to spend their money on and were more interested in being fashionable than in quality. Everyday antique furniture in no way represents some sort of golden age of quality.

So yes, it will probably stay together like that (as it would if it were a single tenon), and that may be fine for your purposes, but if you want to do the best quality job, double tenons are the way to go....

Looking forward to seeing the pics...

I've never seen a drawbored double tenon- The original link showed the legs with pegs through the joint.
I've never seen a double tenon being used for this purpose either, and i don't agree that there is going to be enough structural movement in good seasoned timber that a double tenon is necessary. It's just a waste of time, although good practice for joint cutting if that's what you want.
As goes a turned tenon- on a square section as the original link, then a turned tenon would very rarely have been used, it would have been a wedged through Mortice and Tenon and sometimes pegged/drawbored depending on the period. Had the legs have been a turned section then yes, they may well have had turned tenons.

 

[marcus]

I've never seen a double tenon being used for this purpose

I have, though not a draw-bored one — they're usually wedged. And I've also seen many examples of single tenons in thick stock where the shoulders have opened....

 

[Col]

... The original link showed the legs with pegs through the joint.
...

well spotted - I hadn't noticed that! From the position of the peg would you have thought that the original didn't use through tenons either? I'm not planning to copy the construction details (I'll be using through tenons and no pegs) but just interested.

From what I've read, pegs don't necessarily add strength to a glued joint?

 

[Col]

Some pictures showing progress as promised ...

first the stock , laminated and sized ...

8 double tenons and 2 half laps later, dry assembled ...

Add a bit of shape ...

Need to round off some of the square edges, lots of sanding, and so now over to the 'finishing' forum for some more advice

 

[Steve Maskery]

Excellent, well done.

 

[marcros]

... The original link showed the legs with pegs through the joint.
...

well spotted - I hadn't noticed that! From the position of the peg would you have thought that the original didn't use through tenons either? I'm not planning to copy the construction details (I'll be using through tenons and no pegs) but just interested.

From what I've read, pegs don't necessarily add strength to a glued joint?

Dowels may not, but on draw bored joints, the dowel will nip them up tight.

 

[marcus]

Lovely job!!! That's going to be a very nice table.

 

[nanscombe]

That does look like a nice table but wouldn't that be "8 double tenons and 2 cross halving joints later"? :wink:

 

[Col]

That does look like a nice table but wouldn't that be "8 double tenons and 2 cross halving joints later"? :wink:

Nigel - thanks for pointing that out. I just assumed it was a variation of half-lap :roll: ... Colin

 

[nanscombe]

I've only used a cross halving joint few times myself. Although, from what I've since read, the naming could depend on whether the two pieces of wood are joined by the faces or by the edges. But since I tend to use square stock who knows? :lol:

Most of the DIY projects I've built are based on frames so I use half lap joints most of the time.

 

[Mattty]

Nice Job Col. That's really come on well.

 

[Col]

Appreciate all the comments on the progress, so, to close out the thread a final picture of the finished table:

Many thanks to everyone who has helped on the way.

Col

 

[marcus]

Very nice! Great job . Hope you're pleased with it!

 

[Col]

Very nice! Great job . Hope you're pleased with it!

Really pleased - thank you. Even more important, SWMBO who commissioned the table ( and in doing so funded some extra tools ) says that it is just what she wanted (and is thinking about what to ask for next )

 

[Steve Maskery]

RESULT!!!
S

 

[speeder1987]

Really nice, and a fantastic finish!

John