Turnbuttons
Posted 7 August 2015
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Turnbuttons are a very traditional method for anchoring tabletops. Paul shows how to make them.
Posted 7 August 2015
This is a free video, want to watch it? Just log into the site, and you can enjoy this video and many more!
Turnbuttons are a very traditional method for anchoring tabletops. Paul shows how to make them.
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Very enjoyable. I love to see the options available to do certain tasks and especially when it’s a hand tool method that is very time efficient. Thanks Paul!
Thank You WWMC team!
Thank you for the tips.
My father was woodworker. Every time i see you making some project i remember my dad. I’m hobbyst and Love Woodworking. Thank you Paul, i am in Brazil.
Great idea as J. Kingshott used to say ” multiplication by division”
Paul, thank you for all your tips
Thanks..
I have made them on the table saw with a dado set up and then cutting the piece of on the chop saw. Now that seems like an awful waste of material!!
brilliant!
Beautifully simple, great presentation, thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks for the great tip. I love the efficiency.
What a let down expected some great woodworking and whoa a simple tap with a hammer and the job is done. Never would have thought of it brilliant and simple.
Just goes to show you how many woodworking tasks can be accomplished more quickly and accurately using hand tools!
Concise and pleasant. Now, are the slots that those fit into just regular mortices?
Joseph, yes this would go in a somewhat shallow mortise type slot cut into the inside surfaces of a table skirt. Paul demonstrates this in the Sofa table project. I think it was the last video.
The reference is indeed the sofa table project, but it is Episode 3 at 47:00
Paul, you didn’t go into any great detail about sizing the turnbuttons. I hate to assume because I am no expert in woodworking but the only critical dim would be the distance from the bottom of the table top to the slot that you cut in the skirt. I would think that it should be somewhat less than that to unsure that the table top is pulled down tight against the skirt. I’m headed out to the shop to make some now so if I am wrong you can run out and stop me…. 🙂
Any pros-and-cons between using these wooden turnbuttons vs buying the comparable sliding metal fastener?
I made a set of turnbuttons for my last project before I watched this video and they were a mess – I had a hard time getting all the small surfaces square. I needed them tiny to fit the project I made and it was tough to work with such small pieces of wood.
This method looks very simple and i’ll probably give it a shot, but still curious if anyone has comments about the metal version.
BRAVO !
Can someone share the dimensions of the 4.5″ piece of wood?
I think it was 1.25×1.25×4.5. The width can be whatever you want but the thickness should be twice the width of the mortise plus about 1/4″.
It was probably 3/4″ to 7/8″ thick, since the two gage lines made by a 1/2″ chisel from opposite faces overlapped by what looks like about 1/8″ to 1/4″.
First cordless drill used.
That is why I love watching his videos.
Can these be fitted tight into the mortise in the apron and screwed with tight fitting screws or does it all need to be loose to allow for shrinkage / swelling?
This video was brilliant! I’ve always struggle to find the metal plates that are now used to attach the tabletops because they seem not to be used nowadays where I live. From now on, I can rely in this heritage of knowledge Paul is sharing us. Thanks, master Paul.