Don't glue the top on - this is bound to fail probably sooner than later.
The movement of the top from expansion/contraction will cause it to fail -
if normal use doesn't.

Use finger blocks or table-top clips (Rockler, Woodcraft, home-made) to
attach the top to the skirt of the table. If you have already assembled the
lower part of the table, you can still cut the finger-slots with a jointer
or a biscuit cutter. This type of attachment provides a very secure
attachment that will allow natural movement.

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 04:55:55 GMT, "toller" wrote:

Have you thought of "Figure 8's" or placing glue blocks on the inside
edges of the rails so that you can screw through them.
John

Yeh, gluing some blocks in so I have something to screw through is probably
the right thing, but it will look tacky.


If you securely attach the top to the base, do so only along the
center line. That way the top can move, otherwise it may crack,
split, or warp. Another method is to elongate the screw holes and
put a washer on the screw to allow it to move easily.

I have used shop-made "buttons" by cutting a rabbet across the end
grain, crosscutting to obtain a strip, then ripping off the small
buttons. Each button is about 1.25x1.25x0.5." Drill and countersink
a single hole in each button. You can make a lot of them easily this
way. You'll need to cut a groove in the apron of the table, using a
biscuit cutter or slot-cutting router bit.