Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that you didn’t need to go 1 3/16 deep. The C is 1” and that includes the depth of the ‘top’ of the C. Since the top of the C will be flush with the top of the wood, your two grooves need only be 1” deep. Yes?
Thanks so much for sharing our C-channel. I initially had the manufactured for just my own furniture company but now we are shipping them all over North America! Great video, smash that thumbs up everyone! (-:
That was a great demonstration. I have been wanting to add c channel to some of my tables but I didn’t love the idea of drilling out the holes myself. Glad to know I can purchase those!
Thanks Jason, I hadn’t heard of these stiffeners before and am getting ready to build a table and I’ll employ this method. This video really helps. Thanks a bunch 👍
This was a great explanation. I had never considered using C channel before, but now will have it in the back of my mind as an alternative to breadboard ends! Thank you for the tip!
I have heard of the term and even the reason for use but seeing it implemented in this video makes it perfectly clear now. Very clear explanation. Thanks for that:)
I've used steel bar for strength on some wood countertop overhangs. I think I might give channel and this technique a shot next time, we'll see. Can't always afford to try new things.
Yes, it's a bit of a pain to drill the holes but I got four 42" pieces for $50 from the metal distributor vs. $50 each pre-fabed. That's 1/5 of the cost.
I wouldn’t necessarily “recommend “ having to use them. I’m not someone that believes they are a necessity in most cases but I also don’t think they hurt a project. However, for a 9’ table I would use 3-4 if I used them probably
hey thanks for the video and the good comments i did work as a Woodworkerfor 20 years and i never used C channel myself keeping in mind we always built whatever the Architects and Engineers specked out on the Blueprints and there were other solutions and ways to prevent warping and twisting it’s a interesting concept and i just may incorporate it into my next dining table build for myself BTW i will not be using Festool tools as my router by choice that i have owned for nearly 25 years is a PorterCable D handled one as well as a older 1/4” older Craftsman one i use kind of like a trim router because of its light weight and strange handles with a built in trigger on and off switch it was a router i bought on sale from Sears pretty close to 30 years ago for under 20 dollars plus a blow molded plastic case that can store a few bits and the wrench i had it for years in storage before i started using it as i used to use a offset Porter Cable router That the company i worked for loaned me whenever i needed a palm or trim router i liked that setup for its compact one handed size but yet with its strange offset base it had a pretty stable platform to ride on mainly i used that for trimming Veneer and HPDL on my personal projects the owners of the company i worked for were always very generous about loaning employees tools or shop space on off hours at one point i actually restored a 30 foot wooden ChrisCraft Cabin Cruiser in a old out building located on our shops property and many times i used shop equipment if i needed it another nice thing about that was i had access to a forklift for lifting motors in and out of the hull
That's a great demo on your part Jason. I have a question about hardware size and slot dimension. Are you using 1/4" fasteners in a 1/4" or 3/8" wide slot? Or, what are you using? Thanks! Brian
Hi Jason. Excellent video, very informative. I have purchased a 10' live edge slab of Guanacaste for a dining room table, it is between 3 and 3 1/2 in thick and varies from 3.5 to 5 feet wide. I had not considered using any type of stiffener, due to the thickness, but have not done a table like this before. do you feel that it is needed for this type of project? the table will be indoors in a controlled environment.
I had made a expandable Ash trestle table 40 x 72 x 1 1/2 expandable to 102. I installed the extenders everything looks and operates good. The only thing is when I position the two 15” leafs I can see The table top isn’t perfectly flat and has a 1/32” rise in the center. I place a 38” edge wise and clamp the ends brings it home so I’m going to need to install 4 C channels two on each half 2” from the ends. Legacy Lumber C channels are great but at $45 each? I don’t think so. I ordered from Home Depot at $10 but as you said, will have to machine the holes. I hope this will bring the top in check.
Sweet video, although no one ever explains what size bolts and threaded inserts are needed. I’m assuming it’s all metric. The link in the description is cool but once you’re at the site it’s pretty overwhelming with the different style and sizing
If the center of the table is actually a seam where two slabs were jointed, that "make the middle bolt tight" idea doesn't still hold right? Should I instead tighten the bolts in the center of each of the two jointed slabs? Thanks!
Good video. I am building an assembly table which will stay in an unheated garage. Would you suggest i use a bigger router bit to allow some shrinkage during winter?
While I will agree the C channel that you got for this video that you ordered from Legacy Lumber should work well, because they have enough rigidity to provide the strength to keep a table flat. That said, I have ordered both cold roll and hot steel roll C channels that fails a simple test. And this is what I would like to point out to your viewers. Both the cold roll C channel from HomeDepot and the hot steel C channel from Northern fail if you place 2 steel rules, say from your combinations squares, that are only 1/16 thick, and place them towards the ends of the C channel so that the C channel is sitting atop these rulers. Now press down on the middle of the C channel and one will find it is fairly easy, (a smidge harder with the steel roll), to press down and watch the C channel bend or warp down and touch, in my case, the cast iron table saw top where I did this experiment. Sure, they spring back but the test shows they fail to be able to truly hold a table flat. The problem is, when using the C channel, one is only going to ensure that the center is actually bolted to the table, and the other mounting points, using the insert threads, are going to be enlarged for wood movement. So, if your C channel cannot support being suspended between two steel rulers, sitting atop, and one can press down in the middle and the C channel touches the surface, then that shows by routing and inserting the C channels, in effect, one is only weakening the structure of the wood table top. Metal has 7 characteristics, or properties, and while malleable may be one, spring tension is the offender in this case. The metal can be sprung and return to original shape. My C channels are 2 inches wide, half inch sides, and 1/8 inch thick material. But they can't prevent up to 3/32s movement of the table top, which over a typical width of a table, 36 inches, means the top will then only be held flat, truly, by the fasteners used to attach the table to the base. If using Z clips, as I tend to do, that means more stress/pressure (or less chances) of the Z clip actually moving in the groove as intended, to design for wood movement. Add breadboard ends, on any table top less than an inch and a quarter, and chances are that stress is applied to the breadboard ends' joinery as well. If one uses drawboard dowels through holes to attach the breadboard ends, that stress may, in time, actually be enough to hairline crack, say walnut, where the breadboard ends are attached and mounted with drawbore dowel construction. My table is 1 inch thick and I was intending to follow your video and inset C channels into the table top, but can see they won't add strength, but most likely take away strength once routed into the wood of the table top, as that walnut top would then be routed out. Just want to pass that test along so maybe your readers can decide whether routing a table, that they spent so many hours prepping and gluing together, will warrant C channels. Take your C channels, suspend above a flat surface, and press in the middle of the channel and watch how much movement, or spring, the channel allows.
Thank you for that. I tried using a stainless steel 1/4 X 2 inch flat bar to correct a quarter inch warp on a 2 X 4 foot table top, 1 1/4 inch thick. The steel bar bent and did little to the tabletop.
Hey Jason, great Video. I´m currently working on an oak-tabletop and considering using c-channels as well. One thing I´m wondering about is the depth of cut for the channel in certain height tabletops. Any concerns about cutting that deep into a tabletop and still have enough "meat" for strength over the whole length of the top? What are your thoughts about that?
Depends on the thickness of the table top. Typically c channels are used mostly on big slab tables. I just wanted to take the opportunity to demonstrate how it can be done. I don’t even think they are necessary in most cases.
I'm currently making a 19' x 3 1/2' countertop, it will be built in 2, 9 1/2' sections, I have a question... since the countertop will be laying flat, I will obviously need to route the c-channel deep enough so that the screw heads of the channel will be flush, and should I route deeper than that so that the screw heads have room to move? The wood I'm using is 8/4 Red Oak, I have never installed C-Channel before, so I just want to make sure I do this right, any advice would be much appreciated.
I have a walnut slab table that’s 98” long that has a slight bow in the middle between the legs. Legs are 58” apart. Would C channel be effective to run length wise? all applications I see of c channel are applied in the width axis.
I can be slow - you explained purpose of C channel at beginning. Based on that purpose this eliminates need for breadboard ends. Is this correct? No need for both one or the other
Went to Legacy Lumber to check these C channels out and man are they expensive! My table will be 40” so I think I would need 35” at $45 each and I’ll need 8 $$$$$$$$$$$$ WOW! The table will be 72” with two 15” leafs expanding to 102”
Bent's Woodworking well we bought a new high table last year and I checked it and it had one on each end 3” in and one on the inside of each section plus 4 on the butterfly leaf so why you think it may not need them? The one I’m getting ready to build will be out of 8/4 Ash and the top will be 1 1/2” thick what else would I use? Not using bread board ends
Michael Ford I have built a lot of tables and never used them or breadboard ends. Unfortunately I am not the person to answer how many you would need. I personally think that 8 would be excessive and unnecessary especially for a table top that is that thick.
Thanks for the reply! Im definitely nervous about it. I’m going to see if I can find something smaller otherwise will go with what I have. Thanks again!
Hello, great info on the video. I do have a question.I have seen the installation of c-channels horizontal on the table. On the footage you have in the video the c-channels appear to be parallel to the longest length of the table. Is there any particular science to it? Please elaborate. Or anyone that has an opinion feel free to respond. Thanks,
Hi Mike, the piece of wood he is working on is not an actual table, he fabricated this piece as a section of table for demonstration purposes. Cheers hope this helps.
I have a live edge walnut slab that is 23 inches wide by 8 feet long. Do you think I would need a c channel to keep the bar top level in the future? By the way great video. Thanks for explaining and providing a link where to purchase.
Do you address using the C channel to flatten a top that is slightly crowned or cupped, which so many slab tables are after glue up? In my experience the brace needs to be tensioned opposite the table top to counteract those stresses and bring it flat
I don’t address anything like that. This video is meant more to show someone how to go about installing one. The logic makes sense to me though but I couldn’t answer it for you
Hello, i have made tabel top (oak) 40inch wide and 80 long, and thikness is 1.5 inch. Dray wood about 8%. Is it crucial to use C channels? And is there any other option to chose instaed of C channel and braedbord to keep tabel top stable. Thank tou in advance
Awesome Video! I' am starting a new dining table build and have never used the C Channel for prior projects, but considering it for this one. I'm using 1.5" walnut, once planed down it will be app 1 -1/4". I'm finding a lot of pre-manufactured C Channels, similar to the one in your video being 1" in depth....Would you recommend using a 1'' deep c-channel for 1-1/4" thick walnut panels??
Paul, I have a 1-1/4” thick table top as well. I will be using C-channel that has 1/2” legs and the steel is 1/8” thick, and the channel is 2” wide. Bought mine through Etsy and the company is Csonkas Custom Rustics. I think the 1” deep channel is too deep for a 1-1/4” thick top. Hope this helps.
great vid thanks for the tips and tricks with tools and accessories. the router bit extender is that from festool or other company? i'm always having depth issues because the router bits are either too short, there is some longer reaching router bits but sometimes not in the cutter that i am using. thanks again for the tips
Thank you! I drilled two 3/8” holes and used a file to create the slotted holes. HD also had 1/4x20x20 threaded inserts that’ll I’ll try. This video is super helpful. Thank you!
A friend of mine wants to put the channel in upside down with the legs up. He doesn’t want to router the 1/4” slots on the sides. I’ve tried to tell him that this isn’t the correct way but he insists it won’t make a difference. What do you think? @bentswoodworking
Hi great video it was super helpful! I have a question hopefully you can help me. I bought a c channel that is 3/16” in thickness and the ends are 3/4” deep. I can’t seem to find a router bit that goes to that depth in 3/16” diameter. I’m not sure if they sell one online but I haven’t been able to find one. What would you suggest I could do?
Hi, great video! I am planning on installing three of these on an eastern red cedar live edge table. Should I use Waterlox sealer in the channels before installing the steel, or just leave the grooves un-finished? Thank you
Personally I would always finish before final assembly of hardware. Cut it, dry fit it, then remove, then finish, then reassemble. Just make sure you account for the thickness of the finish when sitting out the c channels.
Any reason to not install the C channel face down so the routing can be skipped? You might want to break the corners but it is protected by the apron. Inletting would be needed if the table doesn't have an apron.
You are also cutting out much more wood of you flip it upside down. The benefit of the c channel is that you don't need to remove too much wood and sacrifice the strength of the table.
Would a C-Channel be necessary if your table has an apron fastened with tabletop clips? Wouldn't that ~3" tall board serve the purpose of holding the top flat? (Genuine question, not trying to be a smart-ass. I'm about to do a 5/4" thick, 34" wide tabletop out of cherry and was assuming the apron would serve the "keep it flat" purpose... might just do breadboard ends..)
The way I look at it is if you were doing breadboards, then c channels would serve no purpose. If you didn’t do breadboards the c channels would serve a purpose. Either would be more effective in keeping the top flat over the clips.
@@bentswoodworking makes sense, thanks for your reply! If you're going to put all the effort into making a gorgeous table, might as well take an extra step to keep it flat. You've talked me into it haha
In theory, since you had an apron on your real table you could have just flipped it over and not bothered with the recess at all. Granted, it would not have been as eloquent a solution and your video woukd have been way shorter bot fut those without all the neccesary tools it is an option.
Hi Jason. Just a thought for you. I love your videos but at the beginning of this video where you were zooming in and out between paragraphs was really distracting to me.
What kind of bit are you using for the deeper edges which sit one either side of the center ? What size? 7/32 to allow a little play for the 3/16" metal?
