Simple Joint Adice

[webrits]

I'm thinking of making a simple oak corner TV stand since I can't find one I want anywhere.
I'm not a carpenter and therefore don't have access to specialist tools etc so I really need some advice on some the best type of very simple joints, especially for joining the legs to the top but I would probably also need a way of joining at least 2 widths of wood side by side to make the top as I doubt I could buy wood in large enough widths (could be wrong though!!)

I've attached some images of the stand - I would like the ends of the legs to come flush with the top so the end grain is visible, although if this proves tricky I could change that.

Your help & advice is greatly appreciated...

Paul[/img]

Untitled

• webrits
• 25 Apr 2009
• 1

Untitled

• webrits
• 25 Apr 2009
• 1

Untitled

• webrits
• 25 Apr 2009
• 1

 

[xerxes]

You could construct this using glue and screws, with matching wooden plugs covering the screws. The exposed end grain at the top of the legs would look fine, if nicely finished.

However, the design doesn't look as if it has any rigidity. What stops the legs splaying apart, and allowing the glass shelves to fall out?

 

[joe-90]

Don't mean to be rude but that is a P**s poor design. It looks like a knock together temporary job. The end grain looks daft and has been said the whole thing will be wonky. I'd check out the price of toughened glass shelves if I were you - you might need to mortgage your house.

 

[webrits]

You could construct this using glue and screws, with matching wooden plugs covering the screws. The exposed end grain at the top of the legs would look fine, if nicely finished.

However, the design doesn't look as if it has any rigidity. What stops the legs splaying apart, and allowing the glass shelves to fall out?

Do you mean screwing from the front of the legs? How about if I screwed some batons to the underside of the top then screwed the baton to the hidden face (inside) of the legs? Would that be stronger?

I must admit the lack of ridgity did cross my mind but I was hoping a strong enough joint with the legs would negate this

 

[webrits]

Don't mean to be rude but that is a P**s poor design. It looks like a knock together temporary job. The end grain looks daft and has been said the whole thing will be wonky. I'd check out the price of toughened glass shelves if I were you - you might need to mortgage your house.

That's OK I don't think you're rude....You're an idiot and I can forgive that !

End grain doesn't look 'daft' and is actually a 'feature' of many pieces of furniture these days...and a remortgage for toughened glass - slight exhaggeration?

 

[xerxes]

Oak battens screwed and glued underneath would increase the bearing, and the gluing, area for the tops of the legs and thus would make the joints stronger; they would also make the table a bit (but not much) more rigid.

(Batons, by the way, are used for conducting orchestras, in relay races, etc. Strips of wood with square or rectangular section are called battens.)

However, this leaves you with the difficulty of how to resolve the visual problem of extra bits of batten fixed underneath the top.

A different approach would be to replace the lower glass shelf with a wooden shelf, which could be screwed to the legs in the same way as the top.

 

[dextrous]

Bit difficult to see how you are going to make this without some proper tools unless you don't mind it being a bit "clunky" for want of a better word.

To avoid plugged drill holes, or battens, you'd need to use hidden compression fittings (like those used on IKEA furniture) which can be bought, but you may require a router.

To join planks of wood to make the top surface I'd use a biscuit joiner and clamp together whilst the glue dries, and a belt sander to make a perfectly flat finish afterwards.

To increase rigidity and prevent buckling, you could fit metal cross braces between the legs placed diagonally.

On the other hand, you could fix a triangular bit of ply onto battens fixed to the wall, put some oak laminate flooring on top and a piece of oak along the front diagonal to cover the edges. Safety glass shelves could be placed into vertically fixed (to wall) oak battens with grooves cut out as in your pictures; and holes drilled through the top surface to allow for cables.

 

[webrits]

(Batons, by the way, are used for conducting orchestras, in relay races, etc. Strips of wood with square or rectangular section are called battens.)

A different approach would be to replace the lower glass shelf with a wooden shelf, which could be screwed to the legs in the same way as the top.

Yeah I thought ´Batons' didn't look quite right!
I think the wooden shelf idea might be the way to go to cure the rigidity issues.

Thanks for the help.