How We Connect Our Tabletops to our Aprons

At Hoboken Wood Company, all of our tables and desks are all made with precision woodworking. Wether it be a minimalist desk or custom dining table, we ensure that our products will last a long time because they are built in a way that will prevent stress on the wood as time passes. In order to do this, there is a complicated process for making the apron, legs, and tabletop align and sit on top of each other. 

An important thing to understand before this proceeding explanation is that wood was once a tree - a living, breathing organism. Even though it is no longer a tree but simply a piece of wood, it still changes with the environment like it once did. For example, when the air is humid and wet outside, wood swells and gathers up that moisture. When wood dries, it shrinks down. Though these changes are pretty imperceptible to the naked eye, it is very important to remember this property of wood when creating a piece of furniture. In woodworking, if you don't account for this movement, things can crack or joints can break. 

 In woodworking, attaching an apron to a hardwood tabletop using an attachment piece called a “button” allows for the natural expansion and contraction of the wood. By using buttons, one allows the tabletop to "float" on the apron. This means that as the wood naturally expands and contracts with seasonal changes or fluctuations in humidity, it can move slightly within the buttons without putting undue stress on the tabletop or apron. The buttons also secure the tabletop to the apron, providing stability.

a dining room table of ours with lathed legs

This is what a button looks like. It is a small wooden piece that has a hole drilled into it; a wood screw will go into this hole to connect the apron and tabletop. The piece has a lip that is of a smaller thickness than the rest of the piece; this lip slots into a groove in the apron. 

Woodworking is an art form that marries beauty with precision. At its core, woodworking is a delicate balance of using the right techniques and tools, where each piece of wood tells a story waiting to be unveiled by the skilled hands of a craftsman. Our craftsmen do their best to make an excellent product each and every time, making sure to accentuate the natural beauty of the wood, whether it be walnut, white oak, or maple.