On my best work, I want the bottom of my project to look as good as
the top. That's when I make an old-fashioned set of wooden tabletop
fasteners, or "buttons," rather than use the modern stamped-steel type.
A button allows a solid-wood top to expand and contract through the
seasons. When the top's grain runs parallel to the rail, the button
slides in and out of the slot as the top slowly moves. When the grain
runs at right angles to the rail, the button slides side to side.
To make the buttons, cut dadoes in a long block (see photo). Drill and
countersink holes for the screws and then chamfer the long edges. Saw
apart the blocks and chamfer the ends with a file or disc sander.