One of the most popular pieces I've ever built is this Mahogany table. Many people comment about the legs, in this case, the legs have Oak "socks" on them. It's an interesting little detail, and well worth the trouble.

Gluing end-grain to end-grain (like this) is often risky. End grain doesn't hold glue very well, instead it soaks the adhesive up the pores of the wood, and starves the joint. With this kind of lamination, I use a polyurethane glue, and pre-treat the wood for better adhesion.



Polyurethane glue is moisture activated, so dampening the surfaces that will be joined ensures a better bond. Notice the spray bottle on the left. A quick spritz of water dampens the wood, and later, when they're surfaced and trimmed to length, I'll strengthen that joint even further with a long screw.




I finished the top yesterday, using one of the tiles that is shown below in the last blog post. This photo of the top shows it installed in the top, as well as the additional carving that I did around the perimeter.

Once the legs are finished, I'll make the aprons and assemble the base. This particular table will have wider than normal aprons, as I am planning on installing a secret compartment in this table. I guess it's not so secret any more!