How To Attach A Tabletop Without Screws: Alternative Ways

Many of us wonder how to attach a tabletop without screws, but it’s certainly possible. In simple words, tabletop means the top portion of the table. An upper wood part of the table should be small or portable enough.

We need screws, nails, dowels, and many other table-making fasteners. The process is similar to making other furniture. But the tabletop is the main part of a table, so it has some different ways of processing.

Screws are the essential fastener for this situation. Because joining is a must. But screws have some negative sides. For that reason, people try to avoid screws as much as possible. By joining, they find other ways. 

Why People Don’t Want To Use Screws

Screws are a necessary fastener for joints, but not all of the time. People use screws to make secure connections, quick solutions, get a mechanical advantage, and many more reasons. But screws have fewer benefits than other similar things like dowels, nails, wood, etc. 

Screws can join wood or metal parts, but it doesn’t have enough strength to make long-lasting connections, it needs extra support from similar things. It can rip through certain materials. Screws can’t bear heavy loads. Sometimes the head of the screw can cause bad looks. So it will need extra work to fix this. These are the reasons people refuse to use screws. 

Different Ways on How To Attach A Tabletop Without Screws

Attaching the tabletop with screws can be difficult and unsafe. So here are some ways to join the tabletop without using screws.

Wooden Dowels

Wooden dowels are the most traditional thing for certain workers. It is the most classic way to join wood parts for furniture making. Dowels are one kind of piece of wood. It works for linking wooden parts like screws but is much stronger. 

First, take every part of the wood used on the tabletop. Each part should be equal in length and width. To make a perfect size use a calculating formula. Then make holes on the thick side of the parts. Make every hole on the same point on each wood and create holes the size of the dowels. Then insert dowels in every hole. Then attach the other part with the rest of the dowels.

Japanese Wood Joinery 

Sashimono, or Japanese wood joinery, is the Japanese technique for attaching wood without using any screws, nails, or dowels. It is very traditional for Japanese workers. It is suitable for every kind of wood or furniture. You can make a high-load joint using this unique technique.

There are lots of techniques of Japanese wood joinery. The easy one is cutting equally on the side where it should be connected. Then attach it if you want to know other techniques than research a bit more.

Related: How To Screw into Pressure-Treated Wood? Simple Steps Ever

Benefit Of Not Using Screws On Tabletop 

There are lots of benefits to not using screws on the tabletop.  

  • The shank and tread of the screw are too sharp. These can be torn off the fibers of the wood. So it can cause stripping. 
  • Screws don’t have enough strength to hold a high load or heavy weight. Each wooden part is connected straight to the other. So it can cause too much load. People use tables to keep things on them. So a tabletop needs extra strength to carry heavy weight, which the screw does not have.
  •   Every wooden part is slightly connected. So inserting screws would be a little bit difficult. 

Conclusion

That was our rant on how to attach a tabletop without screws. We have given you various kinds of ways and solutions. Every piece of information comes from authentic sources. Find those ways which are useful to you.

Using screws on a table will not be beneficial for your work. It will cause many other problems later. So use other techniques for avoiding screws.

Making a tabletop without screws will make your work more interesting. These are different kinds of ways. You can use these in every kind of work.

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Hey, I'm George Fanton. I've over nine years of experience in the woodworking industry. I've cultivated a deep interest in practical wood and tasks. I enjoy sharing new information on woodworking technology to maintain my expertise in the current woodworking industries.

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