How to Make a Table Top with One Clamp

In this video and article you’ll learn how to make a table top using two wide pine boards, a couple handplanes, and only one clamp to glue the table top together! This DIY table top tutorial will help you improve your hand tool woodworking skills and provide you with an heirloom table!

Choosing the Right Boards

The foundation of any tabletop is the wood you choose. In this project, Will used two large white pine boards, each measuring about 16 inches wide. Wide boards like these are ideal because they reduce the number of joints in the tabletop, resulting in less labor and also a more historical appearance. And using two wide boards allows you to make a “spring joint”, using one clamp to glue-up the entire table top (this will be discussed below). However, wide boards can be challenging to source.

Where to Find Wide Boards to Make a Table Top

• Local Sawmills: Many sawmills can cut boards to your specifications. White pine, in particular, is a popular choice because it dries quickly and is easy to work with, especially if you’re using woodworking hand tools. 
• Specialty Lumber Suppliers: Some lumberyards stock wider boards, but they may come at a premium.
• Alternative Options: If you can’t find wide boards, don’t worry. You can still make a table top using narrower boards, though it will require more work to size them and glue them together. 

Preparing the Boards

Once you have your boards, the next step is squaring the boards to ensure that the table top is relatively flat and that it fits together properly. Here are a few of our articles & videos about how to square boards, using either woodworking hand tools or machinery:

Marking and Aligning

Before joining the boards to make a table top, it’s crucial to mark and align them.

1. Mark the Top Side: Lay out the boards in their final arrangement and draw a large triangle across them. This mark ensures you always know which edges should meet.
2. Align the Edges: Place the boards on your workbench with the bottom sides facing out. Secure them with clamps to prevent movement during hand planing.

Edge Jointing the Table Top

To seamlessly make a table top, the edges of your boards must align perfectly. A technique called spring jointing helps achieve this. Here’s how it works:

• Spring Joint Basics: Place both table top boards into the vise, and align them with each other. Using a long jointer plane (like one of these jointer planes), flatten / joint the edges together. Then plane a slight hollow in the center of the edges where the boards will join. When clamped together, the ends of the boards will touch first, and the single clamp’s pressure will pull the center together, creating a tight glue joint. This method reduces the need for multiple clamps, making it ideal for those with limited tools. It also reduces time and effort. 

Add a Tongue and Groove Joint to the Table Top

After jointing the edges and creating the spring joint, a tongue and groove joint can be added to help keep the boards aligned during gluing and to provide additional strength. Multiple types of tongue and groove planes are available, which you can see here on Ebay. For this project, Will Myers used a vintage Stanley 48 tongue-and-groove plane.

• Alternative Methods: Use a plow plane to cut grooves on both boards and insert a spline, or simply glue the boards edge-to-edge if you’re confident in your alignment. You could also use a power router table with tongue and groove bits. 

Creating the Tongue and Groove Joint

1. Cut the Tongue: Start with the wider board. Align the tongue-and-groove plane so the tongue is centered on the edge. Make several passes, applying even pressure to create a clean tongue.
2. Trim Excess: If the tongue is slightly off-center, use a rabbet plane or shoulder plane to fine-tune the fit.
3. Cut the Groove: Flip the plane to expose the groove cutter and repeat the process on the narrower board. Ensure the groove aligns perfectly with the tongue.

Test Fit and Final Adjustments

Before applying glue, test the table top fit by clamping the boards together with a pipe clamp in the center. The tongue and groove should slide together snugly, and the spring joint should close tightly when clamped. If there are gaps or unevenness, make minor adjustments with a hand plane.

Gluing the Tongue and Groove Boards

Once the boards dry fit perfectly, it’s time to glue them together:

1. Choose the Right Glue: For this project, Wil used Titebond III, a strong, waterproof glue that dries to a dark finish, making it less noticeable in small gaps.
2. Apply Glue: Spread an even layer of glue on both edges. Ensure complete coverage without overapplying. Do your glue-up quickly because the glue will set faster than you may expect. 
3. Clamp the Boards: Use a single pipe clamp (this is our favorite brand of pipe clamp) in the center of the boards to pull the joint together. The spring joint will ensure even pressure along the length.

Final Thoughts

Once the table top is dried, then you can move to smoothing the top with a smoothing plane, or cut breadboard ends, like Will did with this trestle table. Crafting a tabletop using wide boards is a rewarding process that combines traditional techniques with modern tools. Whether you’re working with white pine or another wood, the principles remain the same. By focusing on proper preparation, precise joinery, and careful gluing, you can create a stunning tabletop that will last for generations.

About Will Myers

Will Myers is an expert furniture maker from North Carolina, who specializes in building reproduction furniture with historical hand tools. Will is featured in the best-selling DVD “Building the Portable Moravian Workbench with Will Myers” and on the PBS TV show “The Woodwright’s Shop“. He also teaches woodworking classes at various schools, and has been featured in multiple woodworking magazine articles.