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.
- Seats 8: 4 per side at 24″ each. One more fits at each end.
- Tables loosen sideways when apron joints work loose. Glue every apron joint and re-tighten the screws after a month.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2×6 lumber, 10′ (board) | $72.00 |
| 1 | 4×4 post, 10′ (board) | $14.00 |
| 2 | 2×4 stud, 10′ (board) | $12.00 |
| 16 | 2″ L-bracket with screws (each) | $32.00 |
| 2 | Tabletop fasteners (figure-8) (pack of 10) | $14.00 |
| 1 | 5/8″ pan-head screws (slides, hinges) (box of 100) | $6.00 |
| 2 | Wood glue (bottle) | $10.00 |
| 1 | Felt floor pads (pack) | $5.00 |
About $165 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Top board Rip to 5″ wide, taking the round edge off both sides. Cut 1″ long; trim after glue-up. | 8 | 97″ | 5″ | 2×6 lumber |
| B | Leg | 4 | 28 5/8″ | 3 1/2″ | 4×4 post |
| C | Long apron | 2 | 77″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| D | Short apron | 2 | 29″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
Cut list
8 × 2×6 lumber, 120″ → A 97″ each
4×4 post, 120″ → B 28 5/8″ · B 28 5/8″ · B 28 5/8″ · B 28 5/8″
2 × 2×4 stud, 120″ → C 77″ · D 29″ each
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw or miter saw
- Miter saw, or circular saw in two passes, for 4×4 posts
- Table saw or track saw for ripping
- 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.
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.3Glue up the top
Rip each top board (A) to 5″ wide, taking the round edge off both sides.
Lay them out with the end-grain rings alternating up and down. Glue the edges and clamp every 12″, clamps above and below.
✓ Every joint closes tight along its whole length.
4Flatten the top
After a day, scrape off the glue. Plane or belt-sand both faces flat, to about 1 3/8″ thick.
Trim both ends square to 96″ long.
✓ A straightedge laid across the top shows no gap over 1/32″.
5Build the two side frames
Lay two legs (B) flat, 77″ apart. Glue a long apron (C) between them, flush with the leg tops and 1/2″ in from the outside face. Screw 2 L-brackets inside each corner, one high and one low.
Repeat for the second frame.
✓ Diagonals of each frame match within 1/16″.
6Join the frames
Stand the frames up. Join a short apron (D) between them at each end the same way, flush with the leg tops, 1/2″ in from the outside face.
✓ The base stands flat with no rocking.
7Attach the top
Lay the top (A) face down on a blanket. Set the base on it upside down, 6″ in from each end and 2″ from each side.
Chisel a shallow recess in the apron top edge for each figure-8 fastener, about every 12″ (18 total). Screw each fastener to the apron, then up into the top.
Use 5/8″ screws only. Longer ones come through the top.
✓ Knee clearance under the aprons is 25 1/8″.
8Finish
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.