"Swingman" wrote in message
...
"toller" wrote in message

A design which calls for "screwing the shelf to the legs", unless I am
missing something in your description, does not appear to be taking the
dimensional instability of the solid wood into account.

Maybe I am not understanding the problem here. If I am, I would be
grateful
for an explanation.

The two legs are held together by:
1) the top, which is parallel to the leg grain (pocket screwed, glue?)
2) the side panels, parallel to the leg grain (glued)
3) the shelf, parallel to the leg grain (pocket screwed)

(Thinking about it now, I could probably have avoided the problem by
simply
making the shelf 1/16" narrower everything else. Does that make sense?)

Using a more conventional method of table construction I would say that
would be one way to deal with it ... but since the shelf is apparently
what
is holding the legs together?

Primarily the sides are holding the legs together, though the top could
probably adequate also. Was my 1,2, 3 ambiguous?

The shelf adds a little rigidity probably, but the legs couldn't possibly
come apart if the shelf were removed.

So, where is the wood movement that I am not considering?
(I haven't put the top on yet, and am undecided about gluing it.)

From what you've described thus far, you might want to consider floating
the
top.

The top and the sides have paralllel grain. The top and the front and rear
aprons have parallel grain. Why would I want to float it? With all the
grain running the same, why would anything move?

BTW, went to look at the picture again to try and better answer your
questions, but it appears to have been removed.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~toller/table.jpg