Part 1 is available here
Make a tabletop
The second of several articles on using hand tools.
This article first appeared in The GMC Group's Publication Woodwork Craft Issue 2 July 2015
In last month’s article, we looked at making the base of a small table, attaching the legs to the skirt using mortise and tenon joints – one of the basic joints of a joiner – and securing the joint with the ancient technique of drawboring. In this article, we will finish the table by adding a handfinished top.
As I mentioned last time, your tool collection will grow as your experience and needs increase. Well, we have already reached the point where to continue with this project, we need to add a few more ‘necessary tools’, namely a ripsaw, a couple of 610mm bar clamps, a hand drill, a set of brad point bits, a countersink, a flat head screwdriver and a marking gauge.
Wood selection
To make a tabletop, we need the widest and most stable boards we can find. The most stable wood is quartersawn, where the wood is sawn radially out from the centre of the log, with annular rings running perpendicular to the board’s face.
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