Basic Dining Table

I needed a large table for use on our patio when family gathers here, so after some research I settled on a sort of farmhouse table. I am making the frame like that of a farmhouse table but I will be using a solid tabletop instead of the planks typically used on a farmhouse table. The frame is pine and the top is rubberwood. This is not a breakdown table, joints are glued and screwed. You need a wide door to get it through as the top is 90 cm (35 1/2") wide, but on its side it is only about 31 inches wide.

This is simply a guide, as there is various wood you can use, can tailor the width and length as you desire. I designed this based on the top, which is 3 cm (just under 1 1/4") thick and is 90 cm (35 1/2") wide by 200 cm (6' 6 3/4") long. So this will be an 8 seat table.

I make all my measurements in cm (centimeter) and mm (millimeter), for those using feet and inches, here is a very good calculator for this:

Conversion calculator for cm to feet and inches.

I will state metric measurements and imperial at times for clarification, but I am in Thailand and I do not have lumber like you do in the US for example.

This is a simple design for a table and the build goes fairly quick as well. Some of the tools are optional, depends on how much you want to put into this for visual appeal. You do need to know your tools and how to properly use them, this guide is not teaching how to use tools. Remember safety equipment as well so you do not hurt yourself or others.

Tools:

Tape measure and steel rule

Square

Miter saw

Electric planer (optional, depends on your lumber)

Sander

Drill

3.5 mm drill bit

Router (optional)

Various bits for your router

Pocket hole jig

Appropriate bit for pocket screws, Philips or Robertson

Clamps, can never have enough clamps...

Bar clamps

Supplies/Consumables:

Wood glue

Sanding paper, 80, 120, and 240 grit

Pocket hole screws, 2 inches, x22

Screws, #8 x 3", x8

Screws, #8 x 1 1/4", optional if you are going to install corner brackets

Screws, #8 x 1", optional for screwing the top down if using a 1 1/4" thick top

Pocket hole plugs

Polyurethane or finish of your choice

Brushes

Optional, stainless steel corner brackets, I like the look of the brackets and they add strength to the legs, but this is totally up to you if you want to use these.

Lumber:

Legs x4, pine, I used 7.1 x 7.1 cm (2 3/4" x 2 3/4") x 90 cm or about 36" long lumber, these will be cut down as described later on. Feel free to use 4 x 4" or even turned legs that still have a section of square lumber at the top, as that is how these are connected.

Skirting, pine, I used 2 x 9 cm (3/4" x 3 1/2") that I glued together (laminated) to make boards that are 4 x 9 cm (1 1/2" x 3 1/2"). Two pieces are 180 cm (or just go with 8' 2"x4") and you need two pieces that are about 90 cm (or 36") long. Plane the lumber to remove the rounded edges if you like.

Crossmembers, 4 pieces, I fabricated these the same as the skirting, and I started with 80 cm long pieces or you can just go with four 2" x 4" about 36" long. Plane the lumber to remove the rounded edges if you like.

Tabletop, I used 90 x 200 cm (35 1/2" x 6' 6 3/4") piece of laminated rubberwood that is 3 cm (about 1 1/4") thick. Feel free to use planks but keep in mind, you need a breadboard on each end, this guide is not going to cover how to do that. Another option you can use is plywood, 3/4" thick, 2 sheets, with the top sheet an oak or birch side, then laminate the two together with glue and screws from the underside, and attach solid wood strips to the sides, that would be really nice as well.

I had to laminate the wood I get as I could not locate 4 x 9 cm (1 1/2" x 3 1/2") so I decided to laminate two smaller pieces together. This adds a few days as you have to clamp, then sand another day.

An easy way to get the pieces aligned is to set a block under each end, so they are supported on the blocks and not across entire work surface. Place your two boards together, you are looking for the best side to face outwards on only one side, since the other side of the board will be facing inward under the table.

Spread glue evenly on the surface of one board. Lay the second board on top, stand the boards on edge and add the first clamp in the middle - making sure the edges of the boards are even, then add a clamp on either side of the first clamp, alternating as you add clamps until you get to the end. You can use spacers between the clamps and the wood but the key to clamping is not to not overly tighten, then you will leave no marks. Leave the clamps in place for at least 3-4 hours before removing them. You can remove the excess glue with a damp sponge, or just let dry, these are going to be cleaned up with sanding afterwards.

Now if you are using 2" x 4" lumber that comes with the rounded corners, feel free to use a planer to lightly mill those off if you desire.

Using 80 grit paper, sand the pieces you laminated along the glue line edges then the faces (the larger sides), do not sand or pay any concern to the ends of the pieces, they will get cut to length shortly.

Also sand the sides of the legs.

To determine the length of the table leg, measure from the floor up to the top of an existing table you have. I have 2 dining tables, and they are 77.5 cm (30 1/2") from floor to top of the table, neither top is 3 cm (1 1/4"). Your tabletop is going to sit right on top of the legs.

Now using 77.5 cm as the top of the table, subtract the thickness of your tabletop, that number will be the length you need for each leg. Use a steel rule (my preferred way) or a tape measure, measure a table leg, making sure if there is knots or nicks in the lumber, make sure you are getting the best part, and make sure you look at 2 sides of the legs (2 adjoining sides face out, 2 adjoining sides face inwards), so pick the best 2 sides to go outwards. Mark just one end that can be squared first.

Using a miter saw (I use a Stanley 10" 80 tooth carbide blade), square one end on each of your 4 table legs.

Now using a steel rule or tape measure, measure the length you determined.

Using the miter saw again, you want to carefully position the table leg to make the cut for the length. You are looking for precise repetition here, you want each leg the same length.

Now with the skirting, skirting is the pieces that join between each leg. First, determine what distance you want the table top to overhang the legs, I used 5.5 cm for overhang. 5.5 x 2 = 11 cm. Each leg is 7.1 cm, 7.1 x 2 = 14.2 cm. Add the width of the overhang for both sides (11 cm) and the wide of the 2 legs (14.2 cm) and you get 25.2 cm, and we are just going to round that down to 25 cm.

Tabletop is 90 cm wide, subtract 25 cm and we get 65 cm, which is the length of the skirt on each end of the table. Use your miter saw and cut two skirting pieces to 65 cm (taking into account the best position to remove any knots and such). Remember, square one end, then measure, then cut the other end.

Now repeat the process for the side pieces of skirting and cut those as well.

Keep in mind, these measurements are dependent on what you want for overhang and the width of the legs themselves.

Layout the skirt pieces on a large work surface so you have the best side facing outwards, and the bottoms of the skirt is facing upwards, you are laying this out upside down. The add the legs in the corners, with the 2 best adjoining sides facing outwards. Mark the ends of the skirt and the legs to keep them in the order/placement you like them. Ironically, I am using my main dining table as my work bench to make this new table.

Once the layout is determined, drill the pocket screw holes on the inside of each skirt at the end.

I used my router table with a trim router. First I milled a round over on the legs. Then a round over on the skirting - only on the bottom edge that faces outward. Then I milled a cove grove on the skirting, again only on the skirting that faces outwards. The cove groves and round overs are just for decoration.

Once the pieces have been milled, you need to do more sanding. For the cove grove, just roll up a piece of sand paper, 120 grit is fine, to touch up the coves. Sand all flat faces of skirting and legs with 120 grit.

For the skirting, sand the outward and downward facing faces and the round over with 240 grit. Sand the leg faces and round overs with 240 grit.

Keep in mind, do not sand the miter joints! Those are precision cuts and sanding can round them ever so slightly, so do not sand the cut ends.

This is going to take 2 days, first the end pieces, then another day the long pieces. There is two ways to do this.

For the end skirting pieces, I use 36" bar clamps, I can put the skirt between the legs and clamp together, then insert the screws. If you do not have long bar clamps, clamp the skirt piece on top of your spacer material, align a leg and hold with pressure against the skirt then when the pocket screw is set it will draw the leg tight against the skirt.

A good touch when adding legs to a table frame is to have the skirt inset a little from the edge of the leg. I am going to use 6 mm spacers to hold the end piece skirt up off the work surface.

So for the end skirting, you need to add wood glue to each end of the skirt, place skirt on the spacers, align the legs and place a bar clamp to hold the 3 pieces together as shown in the photo, then insert the pocket screws. For this I am using 2" coarse thread screws with Robertson bit. Coarse thread is used with softwood and a Robertson bit will provide better torque than a Phillips. Check each leg to skirt with a square for squareness and measure each set of legs between the skirt and at the end of legs, as shown in the photos. I used a strap clamp to adjust the legs on one set. Repeat with the other set of legs and end skirt. Let these dry overnight.

Now we need to attach the long side skirt pieces to the two end pieces you have made.

Set your spacing pieces on a work surface, place a long skirt piece on the spacers, position a leg on the work surface, the end skirt will be pointing up and other leg will be horizontal above the the work surface.

Apply wood glue to each end of the long skirt side, then clamp the skirt down to the work surface, position the leg and hold pressure on the leg when you have it flush with the skirting, and insert the 2 pocket screws.

To attach the second long piece, have a person help you, and with a person on each end, lift the frame up and turn it over so there is a gap on the work surface where the second skirt goes. The first photo shows the frame is already rotated and the second skirt installed.

Have a person help you, lift up the frame and rotate it and set it on the floor on the legs as show in the second photo.

Measure corner to corner to check for squareness (this frame was 3 mm (1/8" out of square, I can easily live with that!) and check the squareness between the legs and skirting all the way around.

The basic frame is now made, let this dry overnight then the crossmembers will be next.

Using your miter saw, square one end of each of the 4 crossmembers.

Two crossmembers will go on the ends, and two will be spaced in the middle, just measure the length of the frame and find approximately 1/3 of that measurement, then place a mark, measuring from the end of the frame and repeat that with the other marks (Exact placement is not needed, you just want the marks on each side to be equal from the ends so the crossmembers are square to the skirt.)

Starting on one end, measure between the skirting where the table legs are. Measure your first crossmember and cut that to length with the miter saw. You want a fit to where you have to wiggle the crossmember into place with your hands, if you have to use a mallet to get the piece in, then you need to shave off a tiny amount on an end using your miter saw.

The crossmembers on each end have just one pocket hole, in the middle of the board, reason for this is there two pocket screws in the skirt on either end of the crossmember, and you do not want to screw into those, so go with one hole.

Drill the pocket screw holes and clean those up with some 120 grit paper.

Apply glue to the ends of the crossmember and a little on the side opposite of the pocket screw hole, as that will go against the leg.

Position the crossmember in place with the top flush with the leg and skirting, clamp each end as shown in the photos above, and screw in the pocket screws.

Now using a 3.5 mm bit, drill through the crossmember, as shown in the photos, and just a little into the leg. Screw in a #8 x 3" screw into each hole.

Repeat the steps for the other end, starting with measuring first, do not assume it is exactly the same as the first one you did.

The middle two crossmembers, measure between the marks you made for each crossmember, do not assume they will be exactly the same, will just need glue and 2 pocket screws in each end. Just position each crossmember on the same side of each mark to make them square. Use bar clamps to hold in place and insert the pocket screws. Leave the clamps on overnight.

Next step is finishing.

I am going to apply finish, I use a water-based clear gloss polyurethane. Key point when finishing is dust free. You have done sanding, cutting, etc. so use a vacuum with a brush or clean cloth and get the dust off all parts of the frame.

I am going to start with the frame upside down to get the bottom of legs, legs, and underside of the frame coated, after a few hours I will turn it over and get the top and sides of the frame (crossmembers and skirting). I will let this dry overnight. Be liberal with the finish, this is what I call the scratch coat and this will be sanded with 240 grit paper. As more coats are applied later, each coat is lighter. After the sanding, clean the entire frame again.

Now since I am going to be installing stainless steel corner brackets on the legs and skirting, as well as securing the top to the frame, I am going to install those now as they will be coated with the clear polyurethane as well.

After sanding the scratch coat and wiping everything down, I will add 3 more coats of polyurethane.

I am using a sheet of laminated rubberwood for the top, it measures 90 x 200 cm and is 3 cm thick. All I need to do is sand the top, bottom, and sides, and just lightly round the top edges with the sander, no router needed.

Once the top is finished, I will be using the clear gloss polyurethane, place the panel upside down on your worksurface. Position the frame upside down on the panel. Align the frame to center it on the top.

Now for attaching a top to a table frame, there is many ways, you can use Z clips, figure 8 fasteners, pocket screws, and my favorite is the corner bracket.

If you have any slight bowing in your top like I did, position the frame in the center of the top, place clamps as needed to tighten frame to the top, attach corner brackets. For this size of top, I use 2 brackets on the outside faces of each leg, 3 brackets on each side spaced between the crossmembers and 4 more, with one in the middle of each crossmember.

Once the top is attached, have another person help and turn the table on to its legs.

Now you will need to sand the top and sides, apply the scratch coat, sand one more time, then for tops I like to add 4 more coats of polyurethane.

Now at this point your table is done, add chairs of your choice. I am looking at getting 8 teak unfinished chairs and simply finishing with the same polyurethane I use. I will add a photo when the chairs are finished and added.