How to Build Tabletops

Lay your walnut boards horizontal and flat on your workspace. The edges of the boards should be tight against each other, and the ends of all the boards should be flush. Draw three evenly spaced 1/2-inch lines across every seam between the boards. The marks should not come closer than five inches to the ends of the boards. These marks are where you will make your biscuit cuts.

Put your safety glasses on. Set your biscuit joiner so it is on its No. 5 setting, and set the height of the joiner so it is at 1/2 inch. Cut a No. 5 groove with your joiner on every pencil mark.

Wipe the edges of the boards down with your damp cloth and place three biscuits in each of the boards. Position the boards so that they are in the same position as they were in the first step. Run a bead of glue on each board and push them together so the biscuits are completely in their corresponding grooves. Clamp your tabletop boards together and let the glue dry according to instructions.

Remove the clamps and run your router over the edges of your table. Make three cuts around the table with your router, taking 1/4 inch of wood off at a time.

Sand your entire project with your medium grade sandpaper and then with your fine grade sandpaper, but be sure to keep the rounded edge consistent. Wipe your project down with your tack cloth, and apply your wood stain to all sides of the table.