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dpb dpb is offline
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Default Screw recommendation for fastening table top? (Stage props again)

On 4/10/2013 2:18 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
On 4/10/2013 2:53 PM, dadiOH wrote:
Plus I wouldn't need to drill out recesses for the figure-eights.

Nor if you just screwed/nailed the top to the aprons. Best way IMO.


In addition to having a little fun helping out some friends, I'm trying
to learn a few things in the process. I think these tables will be used
for future productions as well. I'd rather they don't split at some
point down the road. Now I have absolutely no experience with such
things; I can only go by what I've heard and the advice I get here.
These will be narrow tables made of cheap 1x6 pine and the "finishing"
will likely be about the same quality as the wood. I'd be perfectly
happy to assemble the entire works with screws, but if damage due to
seasonal changes is likely, I'm willing to go the extra, well, /few
yards/ to prevent it.


Well, that's quite a lot different objective than that given in your
initial posting....

But, w/ lumber-yard wunbasix/four pine, it'll be soft enough that the
what movement there is will be very unlikely to cause a split. What's
more likely to happen is you'll work and work to get a nice smooth top
w/ a solid table surface and after the first few nights w/ the hot stage
lights on them at once you'll notice the 1x6 instead of being ~5-1/2"
wide is closer to 5-3/8" and you've got some nice little cracks
beginning to show between them. And, unless you've tied 'em down pretty
well, they'll also probably start to bow a little. That's 'cuz while
dried, that lumber isn't dried to furniture-grade quality levels and
it's going to shrink some in all likelihood.

Do as you wish but realistically for the purpose even as rudimentary as
you're making them, they're being over-built. Now the self-education on
woodworking technique is a whole different issue--as the last sentence
starts off, on that front do as much as you want and use as many
different ideas as you want.

Just don't ask the question of how to build props...

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