Fastener Advice

[jackellis]

I'm about to start building a trestle table that I'll use as a desk. Very simple design because that's what we like. I'm planning to attach the legs to the top with either wood buttons or the metal equivalent. However, I'm not quite sure how to attach the stretcher, which will fit into mortises in the legs, so it looks nice and can be disassembled. Bolts through the legs into T-nuts at the ends of the stretcher won't work (been there, done that with some sawhorses). Threaded inserts at the ends of the stretcher with countersunk 1/4 or 5/16 inch machine screws seems like a better bet. any other ideas would be welcome.

A rough drawing using Sketchup (excuse the mess):

[LarryG]

Would you consider an exposed-wedge through-tenon? Or is that too Arts-y and Crafts-y for your tastes?

[cabinetman]

You could make a tenon long enough to protrude the outside of the legs. Make a hole in the end of the tenon (appropriately shaped) to tap in a wedge that would pull up tight.
.

[JR]

A cross dowel and connector bolt might do the trick.



JR

[pelligrini]

Like the others have said; a tusk tenon would work and show off some joinery craftsmanship.

The metal cross dowel connectors like JR shows are very strong. I dissembled an old mahogany end table that my boy was tossing for the wood and there were a few joints using those connectors. A couple of the hex heads were stripped out and corroded so I took a hammer to it, then a bigger hammer, then a larger sledge.

You can also do lag bolts into wood cross dowel. That makes for a pretty strong joint too. Depends on how often it will be dissembled.

[jackellis]

I've considered a through tenon (tusk tenon?) with some sort of wedge. I do like the way they look. Probably square to match the style of the table. The big question is, will I do a better job of drilling holes for screws and inserts, or am I skilled enough to make a nice-looking through tenon.

Maybe the answer is, tusk tenon. It's likely the (first attempt at) legs will be made from scrap cedar decking. I can afford to mess them up and start over. It'll give me a reason to prep and use my new Naritz chisels.

[phi1l]

There are also pegged tenon variations..

[herb fellows]

I've always referred to that as a 'pegged through tenon', which was going to be my suggestion also.
It' amazing we can communicate at all with the many different terms we use for the same things; I've never heard 'tusk tenon', but it's not too much of a stretch visually to realize we're talking about the same thing.

[cabinetman]

You might also consider this type of fastener. Might be easier, and nothing would show.
.

[Daryl]

My two cents:
How about a pocket screw? Probably take two per side, one at top and one at bottom.
I kind of like the bed rail solution.

[sscherin]

I was thinking of a long dovetail joint..

Route the slot vertically in the leg.
cut dovetail tendons on the ends of the cross piece.

It would slide in from the top. and the top locks it in.

My original thought was to make each leg in 2 pieces.. front half and back half
Do a traditional row of dovetails like you would for a drawer on the cross piece..

On each half of the leg would get a half depth dovetail(the cross piece would only seat half way in either side) so when they are put together they lock the cross piece together.

Just my odd thoughts..