# large table builders



## woodsmith (Mar 3, 2013)

[attachment=19632]

Morning folks

who has built large, heavy beamed, long (10 to 14ft) tables?

Any advice welcomed.

I have the table top put together, 3 pieces, 39 in wide, 12ft long, 2.25 in thick, ERC. when I flipped it, well not just me cause it's one heavy table top, I felt it bow a bit and am thinking long term, it may be needing what I am going to call a strong back on either side of the tables length, it will be elegant rustic, fully sanded and danish oil finished, but with live edges on the length. what do you folks think about leaving the ends open? Oh, 6x6 X pattern legs with the cross over several inches high on the X. 

Hope you folks have a grand day.


----------



## Brink (Mar 3, 2013)

I use the sagulator, http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm to help figuring how much a shelf, or table top will bow.

I think this table would be plenty sturdy. On one this long, maybe a third set of legs would be needed. If not, long runners would stiffen it up.


----------



## woodsmith (Mar 3, 2013)

Brink said:


> I use the sagulator, http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm to help figuring how much a shelf, or table top will bow.
> 
> I think this table would be plenty sturdy. On one this long, maybe a third set of legs would be needed. If not, long runners would stiffen it up.



thanks a bunch! :)


----------



## jimmyjames (Mar 3, 2013)

On long tables like this the legs are usually placed 1/4 the length of the table in from the ends, it keeps uniform pressure on the top, but it will still bow in the long run to some extent, i build a 12'x51" walnut table in 8/4 about 6 years ago, it doesnt have any runners and to this day it is still dead flat, the only problem i had with it is the owner set a hot dish on it and put a giant blush stain dead center in the middle of it.... now on the other hand i built another table thats 6'x38" and it bowed in about 2 months.... the problem was that the smaller table had super low mc and was fresh wood right out of the kiln, the other table was air dried lumber that sat for 20 years so the mc didnt change much after being built and was stable, if i were to do it again i would put one fat runner right down thhe middle between the legs, like 16/4 thick x 8-10" tall


----------



## woodsmith (Mar 3, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> On long tables like this the legs are usually placed 1/4 the length of the table in from the ends, it keeps uniform pressure on the top, but it will still bow in the long run to some extent, i build a 12'x51" walnut table in 8/4 about 6 years ago, it doesnt have any runners and to this day it is still dead flat, the only problem i had with it is the owner set a hot dish on it and put a giant blush stain dead center in the middle of it.... now on the other hand i built another table thats 6'x38" and it bowed in about 2 months.... the problem was that the smaller table had super low mc and was fresh wood right out of the kiln, the other table was air dried lumber that sat for 20 years so the mc didnt change much after being built and was stable, if i were to do it again i would put one fat runner right down thhe middle between the legs, like 16/4 thick x 8-10" tall



Thanks, will consider your design.


----------

