Handmade Dining Tables

I built this "leg at corner" table in 1977.  It was the first object I made that featured woodworking beyond carpentry — a glued-up top, mortise and tenon joints, and oak instead of pine or fir.  It is as elementary a representation of the "leg at corner" form as I can imagine.  Each fundamental element — leg, apron, and top — is square, flat, and straight.  I did round over every sharp corner with a hand plane, but that was more a function of safety than of embellishment.  This table does not wobble, flex, give, or creak.  No joint has separated.  We use it today.

So I still build "leg at corner" handmade dining tables the same way.  The aprons are mortised into the legs.  There is a diagonal brace inside each corner for additional strength in case the leg bangs into a doorway when changing locations.

But I do now embellish each fundamental element:  leg, apron, and top.

		We catalog two "leg at corner" handmade dining tables — the Phillips and the Paschall, different only in the size and shape of the leg.  The aprons of each design are arched to lighten the superstructure.  The tops of each are 1" thick, solid wood.  The ends of the tops are curved to animate the outline.  The edges of the tops are shaped to a "thumbnail" — a friendly edge that fits right into the curve of your fingers.
Phillips Table				Paschall Table

We can design and build a custom table for you.  You may specify one, some, or all of the "leg at corner" elements.  (See Custom Furniture.)

Choices for "leg at corner" handmade dining tables:

• Kind of wood.  We stock and catalogue cherry, walnut, and maple, but we can build a dining set (table and chairs) of any available wood.
• Size of top.  We build the tables to suit the room and the number of places to set.
• Fixed or extension top.
• Preparation and finish of the top.  (See Options for Finishing Dining Tabletops.)

Extension Dining Tables

We can build any "leg at corner" table to suit the space and the seating — with or without leaves.  If the table has no leaves (fixed top), the top boards run with the long dimension.  If the table has leaves (extension top) the top boards run with the short dimension.  (See Our Dining Furniture for an explanation of how we select wood for a top.)  If an extension table is to be longer than 102" we add two legs in the center to prevent sagging.  These center legs are together when the table is set up without leaves.  They spread apart as the table is extended.

In extension dining tables, we most often build one of the three sizes labeled and drawn below.  Each of these "stock" sizes comes with two 18" wide leaves.