How to Make a SOLID WOOD TABLE Top WITHOUT Stress

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Trust me. It's not another "Domino vs Biscuit Shootout!" vid 😉

[@banjerlegs3051]

Even though domino is better…haha

[@dogsbd]

So you have a Domino but not a track saw.... ;)

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

@@banjerlegs3051 😇

[@andrei.8375]

​@@WoodworkersSourcecom Nice job ! Could you please tell me how long did you let that epoxy filling to dry , before you started to sand it ? Thank you

[@theprodigalbum]

This vid creates a compelling argument for the obsoleteness of biscuit jointers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnariailipJ2gq8

[@milosmanic6937]

The gluing bridges are really the star of the show...

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

The simplest "jig" that comes in handy more times than I can count

[@donovanallen]

Have watched a ton of videos on this topic and you don't waste time, mince words, and explain sufficiently. Great stuff!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@DaneBryantFrazier]

Dude I'm not even a woodsman and you're totally making me want to be one. Who knows, could be a new hobby of mine. Good stuff, keep it up!

[@WoodworkingTop535]

thanks you for sharing

[@mondujar279]

I’m just a beginner hobbyist learning in my retirement, it’s great watching your methods and picking up tips how to approach this type of project. Hopefully I will improve my skills

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad to help 👍

[@JeffRevell]

Since I surface all of my rough cut stock myself, I always try to glue my panels into widths that will fit in my planer. Once I have all the 12" panels glued up I plane them to the same thickness and then do a final panel glue-up to make the full tabletop. Having S2S or S4S lumber at the beginning would certainly make the process a bit faster, if not a lot more expensive. Thanks for another great video. Love watching your content.

[@howardsmith5474]

I’m 3 minutes in and was like man this is solid advise. I didn’t even realize who was producing this video, keep up the content

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thanks, man! But the shirt didn’t give it away?? 🤣

[@howardsmith5474]

@@WoodworkersSourcecom 😂😂 you guys started sponsoring at least one channel I watch, didn’t think twice about it.

[@forbolden]

Thanks Mark, always love your builds and the great lumber you guys sell.

[@Cp0455]

AZ baby!

[@gordeneden]

Great job!! I watched this for second time as I begin making another table.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@SeatoSky1111]

Thanks so much, this was so great. I'm just a gal that has never done wood-working and trying to figure out how to make a table top. Cool you have so many skills, wow! Will check out your online shop. Take Care.

[@MustangFastback]

What a gorgeous piece of wood

[@shawnreilly7891]

Another great video and way of showing how to do the work in a small shop. I use a biscuit joiner and have not ever had a problem.

[@lj1616]

Thanks for all the great content. I learn something every time I watch one of your videos. Since I discovered your channel, I have begun purchasing material from your store via mail order and I've been very pleased with the entire experience.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Great to hear!

[@mefirst4266]

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT TO MAKE A EDGE ALIGNER LIKE YOU DID !!! I LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY .. 😇😇😇😀😀😀

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

at your service!

[@harrydavis6903]

Great video, Mark. I am personally always pleased with my Woodworkers Source lumber purchases. Always, period.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Right on!

[@stephantrottier5121]

Easy too fallow ,, thank’s from Montreal Canada

[@anitamontgomery5360]

Thank you for this video. I bought a trailer load of walnut from an auction. I have decided to build countertops for my kitchen with part of the load. This will help me immensely.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kylem4269]

I am so glad I saw your video, yes I am looking for lumber a lot of the time. I will definitely keep you in mind!

[@joshuacalabro8886]

Work in a body shop seriously looking to get into wood working. One thing that worried me was planing without having a machine to do it. I didn’t realize you can use similar methods used to straighten body work on large wooden projects. Thanks

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Likewise, had no idea about body work!

[@allan5721]

Walrus Oil FTW!

[@beanieweenie9543]

Man great video, awesome that you show this can be done by anyone with out having to have thousands and thousands of dollars worth of green and black tools.

[@drunowakowski4880]

Great tip on using the router with the straight edge to get the finished edge.

[@88Frank]

This video is full of gold dust! Thank you my man

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Happy to help!

[@arturos.3973]

Inspired me to do something like this

[@schmerer1]

Another great, informative video, Mark. Thanks again.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad you enjoyed it, Hal!

[@mdbbox5660]

Good to see another video from Mark.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@clearwaterwoodworkllc]

Love the practical techniques for a larger project like this. Picked up a few tips I will be using in my next tabletop build.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad it was helpful!

[@nimajnebrm]

High quality and informative video... very nice.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

thank you

[@ReclaimDesign]

Very clear walkthrough Mark 👏

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thank you, so glad it was helpful!

[@hansangb]

@5:17 "dent your Tesla or college fund" That had me cracking up. Every order I placed with you all has been FANTASTIC! And the hexagon wine rack project was a big hit (gave it as a gift)

[@SarahKane247]

best video i've come across for this topic! thank you so much!!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad it was helpful!

[@AnupamOO]

Beautiful

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@mikeamboy7292]

Marc Great process! I have been using this process for years. Don’t worry about each board being exactly the same width, or needless worry about the annual rings. As an alternative, I generally glue the first two boards together and then add to it with the other boards one at a time. Reason finding that is I one time glued in halves, but one half had a slight bow. It was then way too big for the jointer. I appreciate showing the belt sander, but I know you have a wide belt sander in your Chandler store. Been there many times…😅

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

You've got a point there! The fact that the panel in this vid worked out to be two halves was pretty much incidental. The bigger point was to tackle a big glue-up in bite sized steps. Hear ya about the big wide belt sander 😎 That bad boy saves you some time for sure!

[@TomChampion-d4h]

Great personality it makes me want to grab some wood & start a project.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

That’s the spirit! 👍👍

[@madcyborg]

Great video... after a fire...roofers are replacing the whole roof... like the HMS Resolute... I want to salvage enough raw material to make a few meaningful pieces of furniture like a desk and dining table.... the ideas here are amazing! The jigsaw rough-cut, and finish with a router...Dang. Thanks for such good ideas.

[@ccollins4455]

Looks great. Awesome video dude. Very well done 👊😎👍

[@bradleytuckwell4881]

Great tutorial with a brilliant teaching method thanks

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you

[@lifegpt]

You can also use dowels if you you don't want to buy a biscuit jointer.

[@dropndeal]

Exactly! Dowels have been around forever, but everyone just “has” to buy a domino and let it collect dust🤣.

[@40redfox40]

Absolutely beautiful.

[@MH-qq3kj]

What a beautiful top!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thank you! 😊

[@sergegodbout1874]

Great job and great tips!

[@CraigularjJoeWoodworks]

Amazing video

[@reb4898]

Beautiful results…

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@arturoaguirre3609]

very nice,I made my table and other projects, thanks for the info👍👊

[@cindyhammack68]

I source some of my hardwood from you guys.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thank you!

[@cindyhammack68]

I buy a lot of different species just to see how well I can work with it. Great variety, nice packaged set of whichever species I want in what size I want. None of the boards have ever come twisted or bowed. I love you guys!

[@maximusprime8546]

Can you say what epoxy you used to fill in the cracks in the grain? Or do you have another video where you detail that process?

[@johnlee7085]

An alternative to the biscuits is to stand the boards on edge and rip a slot in the middle of the board. Alternatively, you can also cut a slot with a slot bit and router. The table saw is less setup but does show the slot in the end. I dream of having your limited shop/tools. Your dust collector is more $ than all mine combined 🤪

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Haha! I get it. Didn’t have a dust collector for a long time, and now I fully appreciate how much it helps keep things tidy

[@michaelpayne8102]

The traditional method for marking for joinery is to draw a Triangle, leads to less confusion.

[@michaelpayne8102]

@@dropndeal BS, a big X creates a book face/mirror image leading to confusion when laying them up again, a triangle can only be put together one way. Hence it’s the tried and proven traditional method.

[@JeffBostick222]

Wondering if using a router table with the appropriate bit would accomplish what the table saw does wrt straightening the board edges before glue up?

[@ronn773]

How about using dowel pins for alignment?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

It’ll work, they just require more precision

[@carolyndetroittigerfan191]

The author does like to from scratch, kzbin.infoUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. As another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us don’t have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we won’t be able to practise the full stack project, is still great.

[@DKWalser]

You have a Festool Domino, but not a track saw? That's an interesting tool choice. I'm NOT saying its wrong. I'm just having a hard time imagining what combination of types of work would cause me to acquire a Domino before a track saw.

[@drumpriest]

For me it was because I bought a domino when they came out and I didn't even know track saws were a thing. I didn't even get a track saw until last year. I honestly still don't use the track saw very much but will be doing so in a closet build coming up.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

yeah! interesting that's what you noticed! The scoop is I can't fit full sheets in my car anyway, so I have them cut down at the shop so I can haul them home. Had more use for the tenon cutter than for the saw, so here we are.

[@DKWalser]

@@WoodworkersSourcecom Well, in fairness, it's not the ONLY thing I noticed. It's just the only thing I chose to comment about. Since I got my track saw, I almost never use my table saw. Just shows there are many ways to accomplish the same task in woodworking. (None of the methods are necessarily wrong. But, mine are better, or something like that. I forget how the saying goes.) I'm sitting at a desktop I made out of solid ash over 40 years ago. I used many of the methods you outlined in the video (biscuits, not dominos) and the desk has served me very well. I hope you get as many years out of yours.

[@drumpriest]

@@WoodworkersSourcecom Another good point. I generally don't transport full 4x8 sheets for furniture projects. To be honest I was on the fence when I bought the domino (at 800$ at the time)...I was routing mortises quite regularly with my Bosch plunge router, a spiral bit, and an edge guide with micro-adjust (and some mdf slapped together for a jig). I'm still on the fence about whether or not that was a good purchase.

[@brainhunter1000]

Great video. Be watching again when I make my table. Do you have a video regarding those steel c channels? Not quite sure how those allow the table to expand and contact so must be thinking about it wrong.

[@wesgardner23]

Just curious, what thickness wood did you buy for your desktop?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

4/4

[@Indywar]

I am struggling to get glue ready edges on long boards. And advice? I didn't see you use a jointer, just the table saw.

[@luliluli1471]

ARIZONA❤❤❤❤

[@washroomillustration5431]

Thanks so much for the video, quick question, how many hours would this typically take without recording everything?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Honestly: 1 hour: Selecting boards 2 hours: Arguing over grain arrangement 1 hour: prepping edges 1 hour: clearing sh*t off the workbench 1 hour: second guessing grain arrangement 1 hour: clamping and admiring a job well done 72 hours: procrastinating 3 hours: smoothing joints and flattening 3 hours: beer break 5 hours: trimming to size, edge routing & finish sanding 96 hours: procrastinating 10 mins: applying finish coat #1 24 hours: waiting to apply coat #2 72 hours: procrastinating 10 mins: applying coat #2 24 hours: waiting 1 hour: buffing and admiring and buffing and admiring 😎😎😎

[@BiGPappI-bu6fn]

You ship to Canada?

[@jordanrichley7275]

What was the original thickness of your boards and the final thickness of the table top?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

13/16” after surfacing

[@techguy3424]

I've seen people doing this without using biscuits. It's been awhile since woodshop but I can't imagine those tables being durable long term but maybe I'm wrong.

[@brandonterpstra3338]

The biscuits add no to minimal strength. Think of it as a layout tool. Just makes it easier to get them to fit together well when assembling and gluing together

[@88rushrocks]

You have a price list for your wood martial stuff?

[@MrAbYounes]

I am working on 96x31x2 desktop table with maple wood and was wandering if i need C channel?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Probably not. Depends on the base, how you intend to attach it, and the other unknowns about the wood you’re using.

[@MrAbYounes]

It’s apex pro from deskhaus, and not sure how to know about the wood, I’m told it’s sourced from north California and Oregon

[@xkitchick]

What did you use for the finish?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Furniture butter by Walrus Oil

[@Methxdz]

Where do you get the wood bridges???!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Made em

[@mrcastro8740]

What’s the price of that particular lumber you used mark. Price per board foot. As of March 2023 ????$$$$?????

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

thought you'd never ask 😎 that's our "character walnut" comes at $11.99

[@isaacbarnett7341]

Tell Eddie to hurry up please 😂😂😂😂😂

[@utubein2024]

dominos over dowels?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Whatever makes you happy is the way to go

[@naminders1172]

It's more lecture than practical

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Let us know what you need

[@robertfontaine3650]

of you could just use dowel and not spend money on useless tables.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Um what lol

[@northcackalacky4694]

I liked your personal opinion on laying out your grain patterns! It's fun doing artwork with imperfect hardwood

[@TheHeadman55]

Downsizing to a much smaller space after some life changes. Just the video I need for a custom table!

[@gordeneden]

Mark, A special shout out to you, Cory and the dedicated professionals at Woodworkers Source. I deeply appreciated your hospitality during my visit to Tempe last year. Great video and thank you for supporting the woodworking community.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Those guys!? YEAH! They're a little on the hairy side, but they're definitely a class act who make Woodworkers Source what it is. We'll save you a first-class shady parking space anytime you're here. Thank you.

[@Inferno77665]

Im sure someone asked already, but what kind of wood did you use for this project?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

American black walnut, bud. The one and only!!

[@wolflahti412]

"Wood has a mind of its own." True dat.

[@horseshoemountainprojects8144]

Was that Rush Working Man that you washed out at 10:35-10:53?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

No, just some stock sounds . . . but you've got a good ear and downright exceptional taste in tunes.

[@MixingGBP]

I like the plywood alignment jig you made. I'll use that idea for my table top. Question: is that walrus oil suitable for a dining room table? Does it make the surface durable enough for a dining table?

[@Shim0nn]

is tere anyone who tried this in practice with the beginner skill? I wonder if to give it a try

[@rustydegeorge5726]

Great video…perfect timing as I am about to start a new project that includes two 25” panels (with hardwood lumber purchased online from y’all!!). Thanks for continuing to produce these videos with such outstanding content!!!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thank you 👍

[@rayvin357]

You have a very informative video. SO i made a table top for my wifes laundry room last week. I messed up so much. i forgot to use the biscuits. THIS is a lesson -when you are 85 you have to THINK. THINK and remember to --think

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Sorry about that, but I bet it still came out beautifully

[@debandmike3380]

i've made dozens of table tops over the years with my biscuit joiner before I ever got a domino. but now that I have a domino I would only use that knowing how tight the tolerances are compared to the looser biscuits. depends on the project. I don't understand your end clamps for alignment why do you have a circle cut out there that just introduces room for more play. use solid blocks with blue tape if you're concerned about sticking. I also find Kreg clamps to be very handy for flattening down adjoining boards

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Didn’t want them to get glued to the work, and didn’t think to use tape! Oops. Where were you when I needed you ? 🤣🤣

[@trashtbyghosts]

thanks bro rock solid!

[@TurkeyHollow]

Liked the small arches you made and used on the end of the boards to align them. Good info video, thanks!💯

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

No problem 👍

[@CNCSTUDIO1]

Where did you get the adaptor for your festool hose to fit other tools. I need one.

[@FFT-J]

I bought the $50 Wen biscuit joiner a 1/2 year ago and I have no complaints. Saves so much time on sanding and clamping. I do this for my career and although the festool feels and looks cooler, the same job is being done at the same level.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

agreed, it's a bargain at $50

[@jimDouglas-yi1ls]

Nice video. I'm curious, why wouldn't you put biscuits or dominos closer to the edge to prevent that misalignment?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

At the time we weren’t 100% sure of the exact length we were going to cut to

[@c.retana-holguin8318]

You have a great video! I learned alot.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ChasingTone666]

Fantastic tip about gluing two at a time then adding the two halves. I would have tried all four and been rushed and frustrated. great tip

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheKnightArgent]

Hey friend! Can you fit a 4x8 sheet in your Bronco?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

not a chance 😕

[@swo0p70]

The end was Exactly what I was looking for. Everyone seems to be using C-channels but my table is going to have a really sturdy base and was trying to figure out if it was necessary. Thanks!

[@Dunc2222]

I always thought that a good glue-up requires hand planing after ripping down the edges.

[@aaronjosephtecson5639]

what type of clamp did you use?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Parallel clamps are what we used.

[@michelleleeginger5225]

Awesome, I'm new to woodworking, and you make learning so stress free !! Thank you ❣️❣️❣️

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Wonderful! Welcome to the adventure!

[@MacG467_]

Fantastic build! I built my desk from a butcher block countertop. I followed all the instructions (get it sealed or oiled ASAP), but after 6 months I still got stress cracks. I've since fixed them, but it was still a huge annoyance.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Agreed, that'd be annoying. Hard to say what the culprit was or if there was anything else you could've done.

[@CallOfDuty4Fr3ak]

Great video. Thank you

[@traviswilliams2771]

Great video. Do you have a video or information on the base that you built/used? It looks pretty interesting also. Take care...

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

You bet! Check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4iXep5pgZyNjck

[@robertmillstein8916]

Thanks so much for this video! Very helpful and practice tips which make it less frightening to tackle a project like this.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad it was helpful!

[@barrycoveney]

Thanks Mark, some useful tips in there I'll be using.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Awesome

[@8ightJ]

Love the way you kept it clear. Thanks for the many tips you provided

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad it was helpful!