# Table top from oak flooring



## moneymgmt (May 7, 2008)

I need to make a table top roughly 24"x36". Recently I found some 60+ year old solid oak tongue and groove flooring in a house my family owns and had a thought to try making it out of that just for fun. Probably use a couple of test pieces just gluing them together. I'd likely have to put a diagonal brace on the bottom side to firm everything up, but just thought the aged oak could look really nice. Without using biscuits do you think this would work? Any ideas?


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

Hi moneymgmt

I assume that the oak flooring you are referring to is plank type, or tongue and groove fitted. This should make a very nice table top, with lots of character. You could try laminating the planks to a piece of 3/4 plywood to give it strength, and trimming the edges to hide the plywood.

Gerry


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## moneymgmt (May 7, 2008)

Gerry KIERNAN said:


> You could try laminating the planks to a piece of 3/4 plywood to give it strength, and trimming the edges to hide the plywood.


That beats a "diagonal brace", I like it, and the edges would clean up nice. I'm great with wood glue but can't say that I've heard "laminating" as a term with thick boards; what is involved?

Yes, they are 3" wide tongue and groove.


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

I'm not sure if laminating is the totally correct term, but it amounts to the same thing. 3 inch t and g should be very easy to work with. If the flooring has the grooves in the underside you may want to nail through the tongue, as though you were applying it as flooring. If there is no groove you should be able to glue it directly to the plywood. You can sand it all out once assembled, and then attach your edging, which you should be able to rip from some of the flooring pieces. As oak has a very open, and porous grain you will want to use a filler to fill the pores, before you apply your finish to it. There are some good suggestions for finishinng open pored woods, such as oak, in the threads in finishing.

Have fun.

If you have mastered posting pictures, which I have not, post some as you go along.

Gerry


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Another choice would be to cut off the T&G, and joint (straightedge) the mating edges of the pieces. Lay out the pieces to be clamped up and select for color and grain to create the overall look for the top.

You can just edge glue and clamp up. No need for splines or biscuits. You could do half the top at a time and then glue up both halves. It may be easier for you to control the pieces staying flush that way.


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## moneymgmt (May 7, 2008)

Gerry KIERNAN said:


> 3 inch t and g should be very easy to work with.


Last night I used 2 pieces for test gluing, here's the thinking: I'll glue no more than 3 at a time, then glue those bigger sections together, hoping to avoid too much bowing under clamps; this old t/g doesn't lock up tight. The clamp doesn't push evenly on the tongue side so I'm already going to rip off the groove from another piece to give me a flat clamping surface. Any other advice on clamping procedures to keep this as flush as possible? The joints want to bow up on me.



Gerry KIERNAN said:


> You can sand it all out once assembled, and then attach your edging, which you should be able to rip from some of the flooring pieces.


I was thinking just veneer, are you talking about making a 3/4" border around the outside, probably mitred on the corners? That's a good idea also.


EDIT: cabinetman pretty much answered this while I was posting it! Unfortunately I don't have a jointer, so I don't know how I'd keep the edges straight enough if cutting off the t/g? Great idea though.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

moneymgmt said:


> EDIT: cabinetman pretty much answered this while I was posting it! Unfortunately I don't have a jointer, so I don't know how I'd keep the edges straight enough if cutting off the t/g? Great idea though.



If you have a table saw, you could attach the pieces to a straightedge and cut them that way.

Or, you could use a handheld router, or table router and straightedge that way.


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

moneymgmt said:


> Last night I used 2 pieces for test gluing, here's the thinking: I'll glue no more than 3 at a time, then glue those bigger sections together, hoping to avoid too much bowing under clamps; this old t/g doesn't lock up tight. The clamp doesn't push evenly on the tongue side so I'm already going to rip off the groove from another piece to give me a flat clamping surface. Any other advice on clamping procedures to keep this as flush as possible? The joints want to bow up on me.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If you have some good straight 2 by 4, or 2 by 6 you could lay them on edge, lay your oak on top, and lightly clamp the oak. Then place more 2 by material on edge, on top of the oak and clamp vertically. Once these are secure cinch up the clamps on the oak. This would immitate a panel clamp.

Gerry:thumbsup:


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## gary696 (Apr 10, 2008)

*Solid wood applied to plywood*



Gerry KIERNAN said:


> Hi moneymgmt
> 
> I assume that the oak flooring you are referring to is plank type, or tongue and groove fitted. This should make a very nice table top, with lots of character. You could try laminating the planks to a piece of 3/4 plywood to give it strength, and trimming the edges to hide the plywood.
> 
> Gerry


If the solid oak is applied to plywood, be sure to allow for seasonal movement.


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## TS3660 (Mar 4, 2008)

> The joints want to bow up on me.


T & G is made with the lower part of both the T and the G a little shorter than the upper part. This is probably why they are bowing up. I think the plywood backing is probably your best bet. Glued and/or nailed to the plywood should work good.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

Sorry for bringing up such an old thread. I also have an old Youtube video to go along with it:smile:

My wife saw this video:





and said she would like that someday. I am not going to attempt this soon but want to start thinking about. I figured out how he did most of it but I am clueless on how the edges (trim is done). That is to say from where the diaganol boards end I am at a loss. 

How do you build up the the edges? The gentleman who made this said he built it up with oak.

After a few projects under my belt I want this to be my own final exam:laughing:

On a scale of 1-20, how hard is this? The actual top looks relatively easy. No clue on the edges or legs.

Thanks!


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> Another choice would be to cut off the T&G, and joint (straightedge) the mating edges of the pieces. Lay out the pieces to be clamped up and select for color and grain to create the overall look for the top.
> 
> You can just edge glue and clamp up. No need for splines or biscuits. You could do half the top at a time and then glue up both halves. It may be easier for you to control the pieces staying flush that way.


This is a very good suggestion. Personally I would not want grooves in a table top.

George


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