Dining top from hardwood flooring

-- 0 --

I have a customer that just finished a kitchen remodel. They want a custom table 64 x 32 top, using the existing flooring. It's the usual 3" wide 3/4" thick tongue and groove style. Wondering if any one has ever done this before.

My plan is too glue up the pieces and mount to a 3/4" backer board. On the backer I was planing to route slots where screws could attach to the top and still allow movement. I have a skirt planned, that will hide the backer. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

mark

Better yet, just plunge-cut a slab (subfloor and all) out of that existing floor and stick it on some legs. No surprises then, they know exactly what it will be like... eating on the floor.

chad

Member

Good point. Why try and fake it, ha. Yea this is a classic job where the idea to use and save wood, ends up wasting more time an energy in the long run.

Rich

Even better yet, plunge cut out the slab, then mount to a lift. Hit the button, up comes the table! What kind of skirt are you going to use on the end grain that will let all that wood expand? Flooring for bars and tables comes up all the time. Never heard back from anyone how the customer feels about cleaning crud out of all those beveled edges.

mark

I'm not saying that I don't like my previous suggestion, but I'll try at a useful one.
Make a frame of 8/4 material. Rabbet or add a ledger so that the flooring sits flush with the top of the frame. Groove the frame to accept the t&g. Add cross supports at the same level as the ledger on 8"-10" centers. Install the flooring nailed like normal. Use a bevel where the flooring meets the frame. Use splines where you have g&g matches.
Obviously, you'll need to install one side of the frame last, or figure that part out some other way, but you get the idea.
No apron needed. Spills will pass through, but won't rot it from underneath.

Mike

Why go to all this trouble to save what $100.00 in material?

Another $100.00 and you could build a real tabletop.

chad

Member

Thanks all. I ripped off the tongue and groove so I can just do a glue up top. But we'll see. Ever few years I get some odd job like this where people try and use every bit of scrap and then wonder why it doesn't turn out perfect. At the start they even hoped I could use the extra flooring for the legs etc. ha.

Kilgore Trout

Member

chad - Try this the next time you are getting a cavity filled. Ask the dentist if he/she can't save the tooth dust and add it to the filling to 'save on material'. He/she is a professional and will politely refuse.

So should you.

Mark B

Member

Chad,
A good way to deal with this sort of stuff is to simply price it out of existence. If you are desperate for work that may or may not be easy to do but the headaches of a project like this would far outweigh any material savings.

We all get a customer on occasion that is either just stubborn, or conversely, so nice you are trying to accommodate them.

What I find most often is if you have a good working relationship with them, and they respect you, these type of ridiculous requests fall away fairly quickly.

chad

You're right, I usually do push this stuff off as I know where it will end up. And i'm busy doing good jobs now, that it's becoming a thorn in my side. Hopefully the last of these.

ThomasFR

Guys I don't see ANY issue here. 3/4 solid wood table tops have been made for hundreds of years. Glue & dress your boards (flooring planks, so what?) Attach it to apron allowing for cross-grain movement, done. Make apron from same stock & there is no reason not to make legs from same material. glued up legs are routine. ps You might apply bread board ends for the "traditional" completion of a planked table top.

Mark B

Member

I don't see any issue with the construction either.

My issue is its impractical when you factor in taking the flooring up from the floor, pulling all the nails, wiping out a set of knives or abrasives cutting the finish off, ripping off the profiles, gluing it all back together, and so on.

By the time you've completed all that labor for a 64"x32" table (that you'll likely be disappointed in and wish you'd never agreed to build in the first place forget about being profitable) I'd basically give you the 14.25 bd ft of material to save you the work.

4/4 FAS red Oak to me at the moment is 1.31/bd ft. We are talking about $18.66 here?!? Thats what, 15-20 minutes of shop time (labor only) allowed for getting that material glued up into a top? I could pull it off with new stock but I wouldnt have a chance with a pile of scrap flooring.

Chaim Gottesman

And I thought I was the only one who got Odd requests like this.
I would probably do what you did, rip off the T&G's glue up and add a baton on the bottom to keep the table top flat (with slotted holes for expansion and contraction)
Attach to a leg and rail assembly using buttons or figure eights.
Chaim

chad

This is all unused new flooring, just the extra after the new floor went in. I may be crazy but taking up old flooring and making something would have me at insane. Though I've seen full bowling alley floors made into huge tables and bar tops which were pretty cool.

JohnBarron

Member

If they want a custom table top using their existing flooring, then it is a good idea.

Last month, my neighbor also had recycled there hardwood floor piece to make a dining table top. As they had started by measuring and cutting the plywood to size and starting point from the center of the table.
Then they had nailed the first row of flooring on my marks, and building outward from there making sure the sides lined up.
Once everything was sanded then they had stained the center and outside row with espresso color stain.
Then they had used hardwood spline to join three sides of the outside so they could still nail through the tongue of the hardwood flooring.
Then nailed the maple from outside and put a miter on all the corners to picture frame the center of the table.

Hardwood Flooring

0 --

Post a Response to this thread notify me of responses to this topic

To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread, enter your name and email address, and then click the "Keep Me Posted" button below. Please Note: If you have posted a message or response, do not submit this request ... you are already signed up to receive notification!
Your Name:
E-Mail Address:
Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
Date of your Birth:	Return to top of page

Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Other Resources | Site Map Buy and Sell Exchanges Job Opportunities and Services Exchange Employment opportunities and services within the woodworking industry Lumber Exchange A worldwide buy/sell exchange for lumber and wood products Machinery Exchange A worldwide buyer and seller exchange for woodworking machinery and equipment. Classified Ad Exchange Classified advertising for the woodworking industry (for advertisements that do not include machinery, lumber products and employment listings) Forums Adhesives Forum Discussing topics related to adhesives within the woodworking industry Architectural Woodworking Forum Discussing quality standards and production of architectural wood products Business and Management Forum A forum for the discussion of business topics: from sales and marketing to dealing with difficult customers. Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum Discussing all aspects of installation issues encountered by cabinet and millwork installers. Cabinetmaking Forum Discussing 32mm and face frame cabinet construction including fabrication, casegoods design, and installation. CAD Forum Shedding light on the all-too-often shadowy world of CAD. CNC Forum Discussing CNC (computer numerically controlled) woodworking equipment, software, and automated product manufacturing. Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation Forum Discussing topics related to maintaining a safe and productive working environment. Professional Finishing Forum Finishing issues for the production environment Forestry Forum The science and art of forest cultivation and timber management, planting, surveying, tree diseases, silviculture and timber harvesting Professional Furniture Making Forum Helping professional furniture makers improve quality, save time, and increase profits Laminating and Solid Surfacing Forum Issues related to laminating and solid surface materials and processes Commercial Kiln Drying Forum Discussions covering issues faced be commercial drying operations that process at least 750,000 bd. ft. of lumber per year Sawing and Drying Forum Discussing topics related to primary processing and drying of lumber Solid Wood Machining Forum Discussing topics related to the machining of solid wood Value Added Wood Products Forum Learn how to improve your output, find new markets, and boost sales of your lumber products Veneer Forum Discussing topics related to veneer processing, manufacturing, and fabrication WOODnetWORK An electronic discussion group for woodworkers throughout the world Galleries Project Gallery Where professional woodworkers can post examples of their work Sawmill Gallery Professional primary processing companies display and describe their sawmill facilities Shop Gallery Professional woodworkers display and describe their shop facilities, products and equipment Shopbuilt Equipment Gallery Professional woodworker's jigs, rigs, and shopbuilt equipment Other Resources Industry News Late-breaking news from all sectors of the wood industry Video Library Index of industrial woodworking related digital videos on the web Auctions, Sales and Special Offers Advertisers offering woodworkers discounted prices on good and services, and announcements of upcoming auctions FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top) WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate. Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question. A valid email return address must be included with each message. Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully. Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity. "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only. Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services. Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims. Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey. Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers. Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed. Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion. Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator (return to top). Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent. You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly. WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums. Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top). Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous. Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top). Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top). Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages. There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top). The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top) Forum Posting Form Guidelines Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form). Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form) E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form) Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form) Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form) Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .FLV .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form) Refer a Friend || Read This Important Information || Site Map || Privacy Policy || Site User Agreement Letters, questions or comments? E-Mail us and let us know what you think. Be sure to review our Frequently Asked Questions page. Contact us to discuss advertising or to report problems with this site. To report a problem, send an e-mail to our Webmaster Copyright © 1996-2019 - WOODWEB ® Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without permission of the Editor. Review WOODWEB's Copyright Policy. The editors, writers, and staff at WOODWEB try to promote safe practices. What is safe for one woodworker under certain conditions may not be safe for others in different circumstances. Readers should undertake the use of materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB, Inc. 335 Bedell Road Montrose, PA 18801 Contact WOODWEB