Woodworking Tip #14: Norse Fasteners for Tabletop

I always design my larger, heavier tables so that the top and base can be separated, which greatly facilitates moving, repairing, refinishing, and even, heaven forbid, storage.  Last week's post (Oct. 27, 2011, The Table) shows my latest and fastest, perhaps strongest, methodology employing 4 Norse SXR latches and "J" receivers (norse-inc.com).  These stainless steel latches can exert up to 200# of clamping force, far more than is needed to keep a table and its base securely together.  Dowels glued in the top of the legs keep the alignment correct.  To my mind the latches are also beautiful and the mechanical engineering superb.  I have used Norse latches in other applications.  For instance, their fully mortised Type 2 fasteners attach the sectional pieces of my home dining booth:  flyingcircusstudios.blogspot.com/2007/05/blog-post_17.html.   In this case no hardware whatsoever is visible.  Also visible in this picture are the cushioned glass retainers that hold Chris Norlin's stained glass work (ravenseyeglass.com) in a circular rabbet and beneath the 1/4" plate glass "trivet" embedded in the table's top, stout enough to place even your big casserole of lasagna.  The light box has been removed to show these details.