Table From a 2' X 4' Board

This table is made from a single 2' x 4' sheet of plywood. It was designed for an Instructable contest to make something from a single 2' x 4' sheet of wood with as little left over as possible and no extra material.

• 2' x 4' sheet of plywood.
• Some type of saw to cut the board, such as a jig saw. I used a small hand held circular saw and a hand saw.
• Glue, wood glue, gorilla glue

optional

• nails, screws, brackets to help stabilize.

Draw the attached pattern onto the sheet of plywood. Cut the parts out using a saw.

I used a small hand held circular saw which worked great on parts I could start at the edge of the board. For some of the areas I couldn't start at an edge, I used plunge cuts to start cuts. I also used a drill to drill smalls holes in the corners to help prevent over cuts. If you have jig saw I would recommend using that and starting from the edge or from a hole drilled in a corner.

The two "I"s form the central column that supports the table top. Cut a slot the thickness of the material 1/2 way down the center of each. Then slot the 2 pieces together to make the stand.

The center square is the top of the table. Draw an X on the bottom side of the table top, from the corners thru the center, and line the stand up in the the center of the X. At this point just use glue to attach the parts. The next step will add some bracing to strengthen the connection.

There are 2 rectangles left over. The next step is to cut them into triangles. Measure from the top corner of one side to the middle of the other side and then back to the bottom corner of the first side. Cut along these lines to make 3 triangles. Fit the triangles into the spaces on the underside of the table. The fit probably won't be perfect. The goal is to thicken the table top and brace connection to the center stand.

In an ideal world glue should be enough to hold the table together, but you may need, or want, to use some screws, nails or brackets to strengthen the table at this point.

Trim any overlap along the edges, round the corners of the table top and legs and sand it. And it's done.

One table from a single sheet of 2' x 4' plywood.

The material I had on hand to make this was a sheet to 1/4" thick plywood. It works but the center stand is relatively weak and can twist easily. I would recommend using a thicker material if you have it or adding some other material or metal brackets to stabilize the table.

I was able to knock together the prototype for the Instructable in an afternoon with just some basic tools and glue.

The height is only 2' tall, but it makes a good side table for the couch.

Happy making.