Edgejoining 2x8 material

[Jennifer]

Hi everyone,

I am new to the Kreg Jig community, but I have built about half a dozen pieces from Ana White's website (love that place!).  I am building a new kitchen table this week, mimicing the design of her Tryde coffee table.  Her website is having difficulty at the moment, so I cannot hyperlink to it properly.  I'll post a link to the plan later.  Here's a photo I found in an image search.  :)  So picture this 36" tall, 52" long (beadboard to breadboard) and 36.25" deep.

 

So using this design, I'm making a counter-height kitchen table.  I wanted it to be a bit beefier looking, so I bought 2x8 boards and making the frame longer so there is less breadboard overhang.  Then I came here and realized it's recommended to use 6" or smaller for edge joining.  Oops!  Can I make it work with 2x8's if I use extra screws in my edge joins?

Her plan doesn't call for making the table top separately, but rather making the frame and then screwing each table top board down, one at a time...  I want the tabletop to be removable (rare as that will be, it's a nice feature)...  Am I crazy for wanting to make an edge joined tabletop out of boards this big?  Once FULLY assembled, the tabletop will be completely supported from the aprons, 4x4 legs and 2x2 support structure... 

Thoughts?

PS:  BTW, I am using cheap hemlock... ONLY because I was too nervous to make this out of a more expensive wood.  I've never worked with expensive hardwoods before.  I'm sure they're fantastic, but I wanted to "experiment" with cheaper wood first.  I'll use it for a while, then turn it into a workbench in the garage shop...  then do it again with a much nicer hardwood.  :-D

 

Updated:  Finished! (More photos in the comments below)

[Jennifer]

Hmmm...  Another thought would be to do the table top as the plan recommends, but not glue the 2x8 boards down.  That would mean taking each table top board off individually if I ever needed to transport it... 

Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[Bob Farmer]

Welcome to the community Jennifer! I wouldn't be too worried about the 8" workpieces... it's not optimal (due to workpiece cupping/bowing) but if you're indoors there probably won't be too much of a problem. If you're concerned about it, I'm sure you can switch out those 2x8's for some 2x6s at the store. 

 

I think you're making the right decision to make the tabletop separately. How do you plan on holding it to the table if you don't screw it though? If you dont' use glue, you could actually still use pocket holes... just unscrew a few select screws if you want/need to remove the top.

[Jennifer]

Thank you for your thoughts!  I was planning on drilling pocket holes through the aprons (like the videos show in the Kreg Jig media section for attaching tabletops to table frames).  I will also have 2x2 supports spaced evenly across the table frame (parallel to the short aprons).  I can either screw right up through the center of the 2x2's into the table top pieces or use pocket holes there too.  Not sure if I need that many screws along the 2x2's though since I'll be mainly attaching the top through the aprons.  Although some screws through them would probably help with cupping/bowing. 

[Jay Boutwell]

Hello jennifer and welcome to the community.  I just saw your post about edge jointing 2" x 6" x 8" hemlock for a table top.  You were wondering about where or not you should do this.  It will be fine provided your stock is kiln dried and the growth rings are not excessive from a fast growing tree.  Large growth rings the wood is soft and will allow more chance for cupping to occur, where the smaller growth rings will mean a harder and more dense wood with less change of cupping. 

If I was doing this, I would definately pay attention to the way the grown rings run and alternate every other board so one is running up and the next down.  This will be added insurance against cupping in the table top and allow you to acheive a flat top that will have a better survival agains the wet area you live in.  Another thing I would do is to add a spline down each length, then use the pocket screw to pull the joints together. The spline will not only add strength but will also help fight against twisting of the material.  The added bonus is that it will aid you in alinement of the long thich lumber.  I would also add a spline to the bread board end.  If the lumber is somewhat cupped when I went to build the table I would consider saw kerfing the under side of each board.  You will see this alot on wood decking material especially out here in the Pacific North west, It is done to help guard against cupping and splitting.  A 8" wide x 2" thich piece of lumber is alot of wood to control and when changing from one extream to another it can have alot of movement.  You need all the insurance you can get in the manner you build your table.

 Sounds like a fun job that will be rewarding in the end and although challenging, I'm sure you can handle it just fine.

[Jennifer]

Thank you to everyone for all of your help - cut corner braces to reinforce each corner - worked great!  I finally finished my table and have it in my kitchen now!  I absolutely LOVE it!  I just posted all of the details on Ana White's website.  http://ana-white.com/2011/12/tryde-counter-height-kitchen-table  The whole table was built ALMOST exclusive using Kreg joins.  Hmmm...  I also used my Kreg multi-mark, Kreg face clamp, Kreg right angle clamp and the Kreg square-cut.  :)

 

[Jay Boutwell]

Jennifer, That is absolutely stunning and I am impressed.  You have accomplished a very nice project and the results are better that what you could have ever bought.  This is one you have every right to be proud of and will be another special project created by  kreg jig member.  I'm sure many of your guests over the Holidays will be equally impressed.  Thank you for sharing your work. 

[KregRep]

Very impressive Jennifer! Well done, and thanks for posting. Glad you got some great use out of MULTIPLE Kreg products! The finished result is rustic and beautiful!

[Johnny]

Jennifer,

  Nice job looks great. Another approach would be to do away with edgebanding and do it mission style by leaving a gap between the boards. I've done this on smaller tables and it worked well.

Johnny

[William Lattanzio]

Your table looks nice. If I were to make any suggestions I would say that while I generally wouldn't use construction lumber for furniture the wider stuff is usually the clearest and most stable. Construction lumber is usually a little damp and tends to be knotty. You can find decent stock if you search, however. I once made a table top from douglas fir 2x stock. I used 2x12's and planed them to 1 1/8" and ripped them to width. It turned out nice though it did shrink a little. As much as I thought that I had let it dry it still had a little ways to go. I think that you will find working with hardwoods much easier, not to mention enjoying  the natural beauty that comes through when finishing. I understand being hesitant to use hardwoods simply for the expense. I save the expensive wood for just one or two projects a year. Good job.

[Damon Bird]

I did this same table from Ana White's plans.  The Kreg Jig made is so easy.  I also built the table top separatly and attached it to the frame with jig holes in the apron and 2x2 supports.  Also, I used 2x6s for table top then planed and sanded to get it even (probably the longest part of the project).  Final table size was 8' x 44".  Yours turned out great!

[Jennifer]

Oh wow Damon, your table turned out beautiful! I would love to have planed mine.

[Damon Bird]

Thanks, it was a house warming gift for my daughter and son-in-law.  I saw your post as a link in most recent e-mail from Kreg Jig and thought "Hey, I recognize that table!" so I had to share mine.  The inlayed tiles was my wife's idea, the colors matched the freshly painted walls in their dining room.  I'll tell you I have lost many hours of the day looking at plans on Ana-White.com, she has so many great projects with easy to follow instructions.  Your pub table looks great, love pub tables!