# Drilling through a table



## ifishwhenican (Dec 23, 2011)

Okay what I'd like to do is drill 2 or three holes from one side of a table to the other aprox 30" and put a threaded rod through it and place a nut on each end and tighten it. I need to join a bunch of tables in a hurry and thought this would be a good way to do it. Looking for two options. A creative way with maybe the tools around the shop and another way if I had the cash to go out and buy the right machines to do it right.

THANKS!!


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

ifishwhenican said:


> Okay what I'd like to do is drill 2 or three holes from one side of a table to the other aprox 30" and put a threaded rod through it and place a nut on each end and tighten it. I need to join a bunch of tables in a hurry and thought this would be a good way to do it. Looking for two options. A creative way with maybe the tools around the shop and another way if I had the cash to go out and buy the right machines to do it right. THANKS!!


What about routing a groove in the bottom for the rod. If necessary you could glue blocks back in it to make sure the rod did not come out. Or route all but an inch or two from each end and drill the small amount of wood left.
Tom


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*best idea for this!*



TomC said:


> What about routing a groove in the bottom for the rod. If necessary you could glue blocks back in it to make sure the rod did not come out. Or route all but an inch or two from each end and drill the small amount of wood left.
> Tom


Make grooves/dados all the way across and then locate the rods and then fill on top of them with blocks glued in. You will never be able to control a 30" long drill accurately enough to get the hole centered on the opposite edge..... on the back side of course so they won't show....
You can counter bore for the nuts before routing the grooves. :yes:

EDIT: when you say "joining" are you gluing or not? Will the rods act like clamps or are they just holding planks together?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I've put threaded rods through a 36" wide door but I drilled the holes through each 6" wide plank before it was glued together. I agree with woodenthings if you tried to drill through 30" the drill would follow the grain and come through one side or the other.


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## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

What type of table? Seems like rods through the apron on each would work. Or blocks with rods. Or counter top connectors


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## ifishwhenican (Dec 23, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> Make grooves/dados all the way across and then locate the rods and then fill on top of them with blocks glued in. You will never be able to control a 30" long drill accurately enough to get the hole centered on the opposite edge..... on the back side of course so they won't show....
> You can counter bore for the nuts before routing the grooves. :yes:
> 
> EDIT: when you say "joining" are you gluing or not? Will the rods act like clamps or are they just holding planks together?


I'll be gluing and the threaded rod will act as clamps and prevent gaps over time. I should mention that the tops are true 2" thick.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I must not be reading this right or missing something. 

I do not understand why the long rod is necessary. If you want to join two (or more) tables why not just bolt each two tables together at the point that they join? Or, if there is no opening in the apron, just use a plate underneath and screw to each table.

George


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## bladeburner (Jun 8, 2013)

pocket screws, counter-top connector bolts?


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

It sounds like you don't realize that you can not run metal rods across the grain of solid wood. Wood expands and contracts with changes in relative humidity and must not have anything that will try to stop that movement. If you use threaded rod, and install it during the summer (when the boards have expanded) during the winter the wood will shrink and the rods will be loose. If you then tighten them up, next summer when the wood will again swell, the ends of the rods will be drawn into the wood. At some point during the year, the glued up and rodded panels will warp, split or in some way fail.

A basic woodworking rule is that you should never create a cross grain joint.

If you glue and clamp correctly, your panels should be and remain flat.


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## builder64 (Jan 1, 2014)

How many tops? Are they removable so you can work them freely?

EDIT: Are you talking about one table? I would definitely not use all-thread. Clamp and glue.

If you are connecting multiple tables temporarily, then just use straps.

If you are joining multiple tables, gluing and clamping (long grain to long grain) is still the way to go.


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