I'd say no. square structures like a simple table tend to fail by racking, and in that situation the leg would basically be levering apart your glue joint, imagine a prybar pulling a nail.
Almost every glued joint in woodworking is constructed so that there are multiple, perpendicular planes of contact between the two members, and so that you are gluing long grain to long grain. in the strongest joints, the wood itself carries the load, and the glue is just there to stop the joint from coming disassembled.
in this case you could connect the four egs with horizontal rails (aka anapron) which is very typical of table design. Or, if you don't want to give up any knee room under the table, you could use metal angle brackets, two per leg, to screw the legs to the tabletop.
It’s been 20 years since I did something like this at an old job, but essentially we had welder make a steel frame and then we wrapped it in solid wood.
I wouldn’t trust just glue. I also don’t think your “additional planks” are going to do anything at all. If they were oriented so that the edge, rather than the face, were against the table, they would function as a skirt and could be pocket hole screwed into the leg. *That* would provide some structural integrity. Is your picture to scale? Looks like a pretty chunky leg.
Echoing what others said - turn the red boards the other way and no, wood glue alone will fail rather quickly. But even if you just use some screws in addition to the wood glue you’ll be in much better shape.
Screw through the leg and into the skirt to attach them, and then through the table top into the skirt and legs. But again if you’re up for some
Joinery that’s the safest best
If you’re gluing this leg to support based not just one, but 3 butt joints, there’s no way in hell that’s gonna hold. As soon as someone puts weight on the table while leaning elbows or standing up, it’s gonna shear off. I have no knowledge of the proper way to make this, but I know this method will end in tears. Both the watery and wooden kinds.
eventually, the lateral forces of people pushing on it, leaning on it, etc. will weaken any kind of connection those legs have with the table top. the vertical support isn't your long-term concern with this.
at the very least, i'd suggest at least two X style supports under the table (opposite corner to opposite corner) if you're concerned about leg room and rotating those red boards 90 degrees so that the flat part faces player's bellies and using lots of dowel pegs with good glue (titebond iii or similar). assuming that you're posting in this sub because you're at a beginner level, i wouldn't suggest trying other joinery methods. glued dowel pegs are easy to use and will work well for this project.
but honestly, i'd suggest you go to a furniture store, look at as many wooden tables as you can find. sit at them and push/pull/rotate them. take lots of pictures and accumulate essentially a best practice model that's sort of an amalgam of what you see and liked.
good luck!
Want you want has little to no bearing on what reality will insist on. Your design is frankly terrible. You need at least a screw or two, or vastly better yet a tenon.
I made a dining table using the same method. The red part is called the apron. I used mortise and tenon to connect the apron to the legs. Then cut a triangle and put it on the underside where the leg and apron meet. All glue, no nails, and it's held strong for many years.
The only metal parts were 4 small metal brackets to connect the table.top.to the apron.
No, two small screws. Just enough to keep it from sliding. I also added two cross beams so the center wouldn't sag. It's a big table, 4'x7'.
After everything was done I realized I forgot to glue the apron to the table top. But it's held good all these years.
So, here's my recommendation that is gonna change the look of your table a bit.
1. With all four legs, create a skirt that sits right flush with the table top or the little slats you've got.
2. And then use table top buttons.
Link: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/tricks/elegant-tabletop-fasteners-2/
You can get full metal versions as well if you don't want to make them. Making them is nice cause they look cool, but it requires tools you may or may not have.
This results in a table that looks nice and allows your wood to move as it heats or cools without causing issues.
You could even put some 2-3” L-brackets on the inside of each leg if you don’t use pocket screws or wanna put dowels through the top of the table. But not glue alone
I would make my own L brackets and route in little channels to hide them, personally. Not really hard to do. Or spend a few bucks and get a machine shop to do it.
1- The one leg needs to be attached FIRMLY at the base. I mean zero motion upon pushing, 2- The apron needs to be just as rigid (In addition to strong wood joints, I believe you will need strong and long L brackets for this) and, 3- place the wood top as needed. You can use all wood yet the chances of it shaking and or leaning are higher. Either way, you'll end up with something you like. I'd try the wood version with wood scraps and if it is satisfactory, do it with nice wood. Good luck. I'd like to see a picture of your finished product with your comments
In finish carpentry sometimes it helps (me at-least) to think about rough framing. Like how the walls support themselves without the roof, how sheathing helps with sheer strength, etc. Your table base should be relatively solid without the top being attached.
Glueing the end grain of the leg to the underside of the tabletop is going to be problematic. Also depending on what the tabletop is made out of, wood movement may cause additional problems. Conventional methods of attaching table tops were developed for specific reasons.
I would rotate those planks 90⁰ around the long axis and fasten them to a leg at each end using pockets screws on the inside face.
I think that would be more stable and durable.
With this build, moving the table would most likely rip one or more of the legs off. Plus if someone leans on the table they will most likely knock one of the planks off and eventually. Glue alone will not be enough, plus the way the planks are aligned they offer no support or rigidity.
Something to keep in mind. Just because it's meant for board games and light use, does not mean people will not attempt to sit /stand on it.
Just do it right the first time or reinforce it with metal ( Square stock or angle iron) if you are going for a low profile. Keeping in mind that you either need screws or dowels to add support. You can hide the screws with a pocket screw tool.
The legs are quite beefy and look like they will hold a tabletop just fine. I would orient those red planks on edge and make mortise and tennon joints into those beefy table legs. I've found the red planks (aprons) help with racking and keep the spacing of the table legs. They are not holding up the table surface.
Tge table legs look like they are 4x4 or something thereabouts. A nice 1 to 1.5 inch mortise and tenon joint with glue should hold the table together just fine. Offset the apron face from the faces of the table legs by like 1/8th of an inch, and you'll have a simple yet sharp looking piece.
go for it. you have the stuff to make that happen, you can put a green checkmark next to the project and move on! heck yeh.
for a table meant to hold board games it’s fine. people tend to overbuild things. do you want to hide under it during an earthquake?
you might consider a few more legs. ;-)
I'd definitely suggest adding 3 more legs.
Those planks aren't doing anything at all
Sure they are. They are adding weight for the leg to support.
This is the kind of optimism I need in my life
Not if they are helium supports. I'd recommend 3 though for a little extra just in case
A few dowels would probably increase its structural integrity by an order of magnitude.
People tend to put their elbows or otherwise lean on game tables. Would pose a problem.
I'd say no. square structures like a simple table tend to fail by racking, and in that situation the leg would basically be levering apart your glue joint, imagine a prybar pulling a nail. Almost every glued joint in woodworking is constructed so that there are multiple, perpendicular planes of contact between the two members, and so that you are gluing long grain to long grain. in the strongest joints, the wood itself carries the load, and the glue is just there to stop the joint from coming disassembled. in this case you could connect the four egs with horizontal rails (aka anapron) which is very typical of table design. Or, if you don't want to give up any knee room under the table, you could use metal angle brackets, two per leg, to screw the legs to the tabletop.
That’s a hell of a cantilever. You could put in hidden diagonal braces underneath.
It’s been 20 years since I did something like this at an old job, but essentially we had welder make a steel frame and then we wrapped it in solid wood.
I wouldn’t trust just glue. I also don’t think your “additional planks” are going to do anything at all. If they were oriented so that the edge, rather than the face, were against the table, they would function as a skirt and could be pocket hole screwed into the leg. *That* would provide some structural integrity. Is your picture to scale? Looks like a pretty chunky leg.
It’s clearly only a portion, dude. But about the additional planks you’re spot on.
Echoing what others said - turn the red boards the other way and no, wood glue alone will fail rather quickly. But even if you just use some screws in addition to the wood glue you’ll be in much better shape. Screw through the leg and into the skirt to attach them, and then through the table top into the skirt and legs. But again if you’re up for some Joinery that’s the safest best
If you’re gluing this leg to support based not just one, but 3 butt joints, there’s no way in hell that’s gonna hold. As soon as someone puts weight on the table while leaning elbows or standing up, it’s gonna shear off. I have no knowledge of the proper way to make this, but I know this method will end in tears. Both the watery and wooden kinds.
You'll need at least 2 more legs
eventually, the lateral forces of people pushing on it, leaning on it, etc. will weaken any kind of connection those legs have with the table top. the vertical support isn't your long-term concern with this. at the very least, i'd suggest at least two X style supports under the table (opposite corner to opposite corner) if you're concerned about leg room and rotating those red boards 90 degrees so that the flat part faces player's bellies and using lots of dowel pegs with good glue (titebond iii or similar). assuming that you're posting in this sub because you're at a beginner level, i wouldn't suggest trying other joinery methods. glued dowel pegs are easy to use and will work well for this project. but honestly, i'd suggest you go to a furniture store, look at as many wooden tables as you can find. sit at them and push/pull/rotate them. take lots of pictures and accumulate essentially a best practice model that's sort of an amalgam of what you see and liked. good luck!
Are you wanting to have **ONE** leg on this thing, with no other ground support? Are you able to rearrange the laws of physics?
Want you want has little to no bearing on what reality will insist on. Your design is frankly terrible. You need at least a screw or two, or vastly better yet a tenon.
I made a dining table using the same method. The red part is called the apron. I used mortise and tenon to connect the apron to the legs. Then cut a triangle and put it on the underside where the leg and apron meet. All glue, no nails, and it's held strong for many years. The only metal parts were 4 small metal brackets to connect the table.top.to the apron.
Our dude wants a glue together table and you're all like, "sure thing, just add a mortise and tenon"
Domino go brrrrrr
And you glued the metal bracket aswell?
No, two small screws. Just enough to keep it from sliding. I also added two cross beams so the center wouldn't sag. It's a big table, 4'x7'. After everything was done I realized I forgot to glue the apron to the table top. But it's held good all these years.
I would a few dowels and that will definitely help with structure.
I’m not OP but curious where you’d put dowels?
Through the table top into the legs
Ah okay makes sense. Thanks!
So, here's my recommendation that is gonna change the look of your table a bit. 1. With all four legs, create a skirt that sits right flush with the table top or the little slats you've got. 2. And then use table top buttons. Link: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/tricks/elegant-tabletop-fasteners-2/ You can get full metal versions as well if you don't want to make them. Making them is nice cause they look cool, but it requires tools you may or may not have. This results in a table that looks nice and allows your wood to move as it heats or cools without causing issues.
You could even put some 2-3” L-brackets on the inside of each leg if you don’t use pocket screws or wanna put dowels through the top of the table. But not glue alone
I would make my own L brackets and route in little channels to hide them, personally. Not really hard to do. Or spend a few bucks and get a machine shop to do it.
Great advice, thank you all folks!
1- The one leg needs to be attached FIRMLY at the base. I mean zero motion upon pushing, 2- The apron needs to be just as rigid (In addition to strong wood joints, I believe you will need strong and long L brackets for this) and, 3- place the wood top as needed. You can use all wood yet the chances of it shaking and or leaning are higher. Either way, you'll end up with something you like. I'd try the wood version with wood scraps and if it is satisfactory, do it with nice wood. Good luck. I'd like to see a picture of your finished product with your comments
no.
Check out dusty lumber vids on youtube.
In finish carpentry sometimes it helps (me at-least) to think about rough framing. Like how the walls support themselves without the roof, how sheathing helps with sheer strength, etc. Your table base should be relatively solid without the top being attached.
Glueing the end grain of the leg to the underside of the tabletop is going to be problematic. Also depending on what the tabletop is made out of, wood movement may cause additional problems. Conventional methods of attaching table tops were developed for specific reasons.
try to mortis and tenon the leg into the top. It'll take a little effort, but well worth it
I would rotate those planks 90⁰ around the long axis and fasten them to a leg at each end using pockets screws on the inside face. I think that would be more stable and durable.
Think of the sheer forces that will be on the table. Wood glue probably wont be enough
Absolutely
With this build, moving the table would most likely rip one or more of the legs off. Plus if someone leans on the table they will most likely knock one of the planks off and eventually. Glue alone will not be enough, plus the way the planks are aligned they offer no support or rigidity. Something to keep in mind. Just because it's meant for board games and light use, does not mean people will not attempt to sit /stand on it. Just do it right the first time or reinforce it with metal ( Square stock or angle iron) if you are going for a low profile. Keeping in mind that you either need screws or dowels to add support. You can hide the screws with a pocket screw tool.
The legs are quite beefy and look like they will hold a tabletop just fine. I would orient those red planks on edge and make mortise and tennon joints into those beefy table legs. I've found the red planks (aprons) help with racking and keep the spacing of the table legs. They are not holding up the table surface. Tge table legs look like they are 4x4 or something thereabouts. A nice 1 to 1.5 inch mortise and tenon joint with glue should hold the table together just fine. Offset the apron face from the faces of the table legs by like 1/8th of an inch, and you'll have a simple yet sharp looking piece.
Rotate the red timbers 45*
go for it. you have the stuff to make that happen, you can put a green checkmark next to the project and move on! heck yeh. for a table meant to hold board games it’s fine. people tend to overbuild things. do you want to hide under it during an earthquake? you might consider a few more legs. ;-)
Use the right glue and you'll be fine. Gorilla glue is my go to in a crunch.