joinery for a tool deficient amateur

[oetti]

I would like to join the top and the leaves of an antique (though not fine antique) oak, drop leaf table. My tools are a circular saw, drill, square and "C" clamps, in other words, no advanced wood working tools. With these tools we have cut dados and made strong joints for book cases. Yesterday, a furniture restorer gave me an estimate of $625 to join and refinish the table. The table is not worth it. I read on the internet that modern glues can join boards without biscuts, M&T, or dowels. I do not have bar clamps either and have used ropes to clamp in the past. Another problem, the top consisting of three M&T boards is cupped. I tried flattening it with the "wet one side and dry the other method" but it isn't completely corrected. I already rebuilt the table by adding a two skirt boards and attaching the legs and new skirt boards with metal parts purchased from a home store. I attached the top to the leaves using 3 1x2 boards underneath the newly expanded top. Now, in winter, the top part and the former leaf parts are 3/16" separated. I know that table tops should be allowed to move, but I was hoping to keep the top from cupping again. I have put off varnishing the top because of the cupping and joining problem. Consequently, I now have some water spots. I use the table as a computer table with the computer and monitor resting on one of the former leaves. The rebluilt top is not attached to the legs. It seems that the pieces that I bought for joining the legs should have had a slot for screwing on the top.

Please advise on better joining the top, joining the legs to the top, and flattening the top. The table has been rebuilt for about 10 years. (I have had many other projects.) Since the table is old and rustic anyway, it could stay as is and just be varnished. I am concerned that the major sanding that would be necessary to flatten the board would change the color and patina on the top and would look worse. On this issue, I have sanded down the top of another old oak table and put a oil based poly varnish on it. Now, that the finish has yellowed some it looks the table's age.

Thanks for any help, Judy

[wleingang]

Where do I start?

With some practice, your circular saw and a 40+ tooth finishing blade should be able to cut an edge clean enough to glue up the panels. Honestly I would consider buying the cheapest kreg pocket drill guide and use a c-clamp to join everything together. You could glue or not glue, but with that $20 tool alone you should be able to get that table looking like new.

Now cupping and warping is another story. Is your house like 200% humidity? I recommend trying to let it dry and stabilize before doing anything otherwise it's just going to give you trouble forever (think firewood).

So in short,

Buy a cheap piece of mdf molding from Home depot, a kreg pocket hole jig and a fine finish blade for your circular saw (total less than $40 for everything).

Use the trim as a straight edge for the circular saw and just cut a fine edge off the table top pieces. Drill your pocket holes, glue or don't glue, screw them together.

Use pocket hole screws for the legs to the table top.

Using a variation of these methods would yield the cheapest and most usable solution, In my opinion.

Good luck!

[oetti]

Thank you so very much for the advice. I just viewed a video on YouTube that showed how to do it. We built some cabinets and contracted out the pocket holes because we didn't think that we had the capability to do it. The video was from the askthebuilder site. He used a 1 1/4 inch dry wall screw but the drill bit seemed a lot thicker. Is that correct? Since I need to join old, hard oak boards, will I have a problem screwing into the undrilled board? It seems that I will have to brace the board aginst a veritcal surface. The pieces will be about 2 ft. wide. I'm now opposed to buying some tools but I didn't want to buy a router for the few times we would need it.

In answer to how the top became so cupped - My father had it in our Cincinnati basement and then in our garage, both not air condiditoned. The top had lost all of its finish but not the leaves therefore only the top was affected. The table is well over 100 years old. Our family never gets rid of anything. We just repurpose.

Now, my biggest problem is removing the cupping. Since the top has been in its present state for years, I would think that it is stable. Right? Should I just sand it as level as possible and then attach the jig to the level leaves for the best result? With all the wetting that I did to the top, it is almost 1/8 thicker. Any clever tools to help with sanding flat? I do have an orbital sander. I was hoping to find a shop that would do this but was only able to find the antique restorer who said that he would sand it.

Should I finish both sides of the top to keep it stable?

Again, I love nternet forums. I used to think that I could get advice from a home store but now I have more experience than most of the sales people.

Should I use pocket holes to attach the top to the skirt boards or would this not allow enough movement? Actually, I am okay with leaving the top unattached.

[wleingang]

I can't recommend a particular screw because my guess would be as good as yours but I would use a drywall screw as a last resort. There are better wood screws that would be less likely to split the wood. Just assemble the top on the flatesr surface you can find and it should stay still enough. Unless you have access to some long pipe clamps. Kreg has some demo videos on panel joinery.

The top should probably be planed or belt sanded flat. You might be able to find a local woodshop with a drum sander, planer, or jointer. Other than those using a belt sander would be your best option. An orbital sander and 80 grit would take forever and yield uneven results. There are probably 100 different ways to flatten boards.

Finishing the whole thing with some oil or ammonia would look best. I wouldn't bother doing all sides unless you are going to spend a lot of time under the table

If you want to keep the top floating you can get some hardware to attach it to the skirt boards. But the nice thing about pocket screws is that you can disassemble the whole thing when you want to store it or move it. I would just pocket hole the whole thing together.

[Pete Bennett]

I can't recommend a particular screw because my guess would be as good as yours but I would use a drywall screw as a last resort. There are better wood screws that would be less likely to split the wood. Just assemble the top on the flatesr surface you can find and it should stay still enough. Unless you have access to some long pipe clamps. Kreg has some demo videos on panel joinery.

The top should probably be planed or belt sanded flat. You might be able to find a local woodshop with a drum sander, planer, or jointer. Other than those using a belt sander would be your best option. An orbital sander and 80 grit would take forever and yield uneven results. There are probably 100 different ways to flatten boards.

Finishing the whole thing with some oil or ammonia would look best. I wouldn't bother doing all sides unless you are going to spend a lot of time under the table

If you want to keep the top floating you can get some hardware to attach it to the skirt boards. But the nice thing about pocket screws is that you can disassemble the whole thing when you want to store it or move it. I would just pocket hole the whole thing together.

If you simply screw the top to the skirt it will split. Especially one that has been wetted to make it swell. Take my word for it. I've been making tables for a lifetime. As you don't have many tools the easiest way to do this is to fix a half inch by half inch batten around the inside of the skirt flush with the top edge. If you wish you can glue and screw this in place. Make some buttons by cutting a piece of two by one inch to form a half inch by half inch tongue on the end, then cut this off at about 2 inch length. Make as many as you think you will need and hook the tongue under the half inch batten and screw into the top making sure you don't use a screw that is too long. Do this all the way around. this will pull the top tight to the skirt and allow for movement. Which if you've soaked the top trying to flatten it will mean shrinkage. Once you've done this plane, scrape and sand the top. If it's too cupped you'll just have to accept that it won't be completely flat. But on an old table is this really critical?

[oetti]

Thanks. The top cups about 3/8" over 20" on one side with the other side much flatter. Currently, it's pretty big drop off.

Another question/problem: Are the legs and the skirt enough support for the new top. The top is 3/4" thick. I extended the legs to make a 36" x 40" base. Now I have more support because I have the top screwed to the 1x2s.

My main quest now is to find a shop that will plane or sand the top. There was not a single listing in the yellow pages in my city only 35 miles away. I was referred to the antique restorers instead. Should I expect to find a machine that will do this or will it be a manual plane? I actually have a manual plane but I doubt that I am strong enough to plane well old oak. If I can't find a precision operation, I may just try some sanding and be done with it.

[wleingang]

Try working your connections to see if you can get into a highschool or junior high wood shop... They probably have what you need otherwise stop hunting and start sanding

[PaulMarcel]

Some full-service hardwood dealers have the equipment you need to flatten that top. Woodworkers Source here in Phoenix has that type of equipment and flatten tops as a service. Certainly something is available up there (are you still in Cincinnati?) Otherwise, call a cabinet shop. They definitely could do it. Out here, there's a huge drawer manufacturer. He has a massive belt sander/UV coater that does a whole table at once. That thing could definitely do it so don't limit your search to cabinet shops either; look for wholesale drawer manufacturers.

Actually, if you are in Cincinnati, maybe PM "Allen in Ohio" a member here. He works in a Cincinnati Woodcraft store. He would know of better local resources.

[oetti]

I am in Savannah, GA now, even more humidity than Cincinnati. Thanks for the ideas. I will get on the phone tomorrow.