Extending a table top

[chabin76]

I have a old oak table that my dad gave to me. It is pretty beat up but with some sanding a stripping it should come out nice. The table is currently 30" x 48". I have some walnut that I would like to add around the edges of the table. I was thinking of adding 8" all around and make it into a dining room table. The oak table top is 2" thick, the walnut is 1". I was hoping for any ideas on how to attach the walnut. Do you think that just gluing would be sufficient? some sort of jointing? possible bracketing underneath? I would appreciate any help/advice you can give me.

Thanks
Matt

[gjat]

I would use biscuits or dowels, whichever you're more comfotable installing. Just gluing the edge of disimilar wood isn't recommended.

[cabinetman]

Depending on the orientation of the Oak, it will expand and contract across the grain. This also holds for the Walnut. If you glue the Walnut long grain to the edge of the Oak edge grain, you may experience separation or splitting.

The way the Oak is configured may dictate the best orientation for the Walnut. The wider the lumber is the more likely there will be E & C. It may be a better application to rip the Walnut into approximately 4" pieces and use them that way.

If you have a clean square flat edge on the Oak, the Walnut can be just glued and clamped. Using a spline would be a better method than biscuits, pocket screws, or dowels.
.

[just started]

If you are going to be serving dinners to a bunch of people sitting around the table with all of the plates and stuff mostly sitting on the added 8" (not to mention people leaning their forearms or elbows on the edge) I don't thing I would trust anything less than brackets of some kind.