After using the dovetails to mark out the pin recesses, Paul saw and chisels out the waste, taking particular care with the shorter central recess and the fitting of the joint. After having cut all four dovetailed corners, he assembles the apron and lays out the mortice and tenon for the cross bearer.
This trestle dining table is a design that Paul first came up with when making a dining table as a wedding present for one of his sons. It features houndstooth dovetails on the corners of the apron and three vertical columns at each end, as well as a waney edge on the table top. Paul makes a table that can seat up to 8 people, but this design can be adjusted to whatever you may want to make, such as a coffee table or side table.
To start this project Paul overviews some of the structural aspects of the trestle table. He then lays out and cuts the tails of the houndstooth dovetail, showing how to keep the houndstooth detail crisp.