Side Table Class: Assembling the base frame

The best approach to assemble a table base frame with fixed legs

Here we provide a blueprint including a video showing how you can assemble a table base frame. You will need a very flat table and dead blow mallets and wood glue. You do NOT need heavy and expensive standard wood clamps.

Our unique and very fast method of assembling a table base joined with dominos or mortise and tenon joints saves you the struggle of using heavy and bulky wood clamps. We deploy a very common and inexpensive packing and shipping material to apply the clamping pressure very quickly.

Many people who read this article may also want to learn our fast and simple way of gluing up an edge joined solid wood table top..

Please check out our structured online learning page or our classes reference for related teaching articles. Everything is on our blog if you just want to look around.

Side Table Class: Gluing up the table top

This is IsGood Woodworks own method of quickly edge gluing solid wood to create table tops, door panels, or any other wide solid wood panel you might need. Our edge laminating method produces flat wood panels free of twist with little effort or practice..

To use this method you need:

  • A very flat table that is paste waxed to keep the glue from sticking

  • Curved clamping cauls

  • Glue in a roller bucket (optional)

  • Clamps.

Quick bullet point recap:

  • Lay the boards on the table as they will be glued, with the edges running left to right.

  • Stand all of them up on edge except the one farthest away from you.

  • Roll ample wood glue onto the up facing edges and drop them back down on the table

  • Push the edges together to prevent the glue from drying from exposure

  • Place the cauls on the boards (across the joints), about one every two feet, curved side down

  • Clamp the cauls down just until they are bent flat to the surface

  • Clamp across the joints with enough pressure to squeeze out a bead of glue.

  • Give them at least a half an hour (for yellow glue), then unclamp

For related issues check out our structured online learning page or our classes reference for related teaching articles. Everything is on our blog if you just want to look around.