Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- The top passes the sag check.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2×4 stud, 10′ (board) | $6.00 |
| 1 | 1×4 pine board, 10′ (board) | $11.00 |
| 1 | 3/4″ birch plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $68.00 |
| 1 | 2 1/2″ wood screws (box of 100) | $10.00 |
| 1 | Tabletop fasteners (figure-8) (pack of 10) | $7.00 |
| 1 | 5/8″ pan-head screws (slides, hinges) (box of 100) | $6.00 |
| 1 | Wood glue (bottle) | $5.00 |
| 1 | Felt floor pads (pack) | $5.00 |
About $118 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Top | 1 | 48″ | 24″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| B | Leg | 4 | 28 13/16″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| C | Long apron | 2 | 39″ | 3 1/2″ | 1×4 pine board |
| D | Short apron | 2 | 19″ | 3 1/2″ | 1×4 pine board |
Cut list
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 1 of 1
2×4 stud, 120″ → B 28 13/16″ · B 28 13/16″ · B 28 13/16″ · B 28 13/16″
1×4 pine board, 120″ → C 39″ · C 39″ · D 19″ · D 19″
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Have the store cut it
Most home centers rip sheets on their panel saw. Show them this; do the short crosscuts at home.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 24″, keep the rest.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Build the base
Glue and screw a long apron (C) between two legs (B), flush with the leg tops. 2 screws, 2 1/2″, per joint, through the leg into the apron end.
Make two leg-and-long-apron frames, then join them with the short aprons (D) the same way.
✓ Diagonals of the base match within 1/16″.
4Attach the top
Lay the top (A) face down. Set the base on it upside down, 1″ in from the back and side edges.
Chisel a shallow recess in the apron top edges for a figure-8 fastener about every 12″ (10 total). Screw each to the apron, then into the top with 5/8″ screws. Longer screws come through the top.
✓ Knee clearance under the aprons is 25 5/16″.
5Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Paint, stain or a clear coat (water-based polyurethane is the easiest). Apply thin coats with the grain, let each dry fully, and sand lightly with 220 grit between coats.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.