Hi there! This was a fun build I’d love to share with you – hoping it will inspire someone to jump in and build one of their own (or take parts from it).
This table was a commissioned build – made from solid oak – and measures 4×4 feet and about 18″ tall. The family it was going to loves playing games and wanted a large table they could all kneel around for some fun.
The build is pretty simple and straightforward – if you don’t have the tools I used there’s different methods or wood to use to make it simpler.
I recommend you read through the entire post before you begin so you know what to expect. Work safely and have fun!
TOOLS USED:
-jointer & planer
-wood lathe (or buy your own legs)
-circular saw
-miter saw
-table saw
-self-centering dowel jig
-biscuit jointer (for adding furniture clips)
-drill press (recommended)
-wood clamps
-rubber mallet
SUPPLIES USED:
–template for turning legs (print with no page scaling)
-oak wood
–3/8 x 2″ dowels + center finders
–furniture clips + screws (for attaching table top)
-wood glue (I use Titebond III for tables assuming the top will have liquid spills)
-wood finish (see this post for how I mixed the color & applied on a previous project)
-assorted sandpaper grits
MAKING THE LEGS
*If you’re buying legs you can choose whatever size you want – just adjust apron size if necessary*
I glued 4 blanks together and machined them using the jointer, planer & table saw to get blocks 4 x 4 x 17.5″.
Print the template and tape together. Make a story stick – I use thin scraps of wood and make notches for each of the transitions in detail. The bottom end of your story stick needs to be flush with the template and the top will need to have a cut-out to avoid the square top of the wood blank while it’s spinning on the lathe.
Center bunch centers of blanks.
Rough out each blank to a cylinder from the top line off template. Using your story stick you can transfer lines to start working.
Once I rough out each shape using my calipers to get the details to the right diameter I finalize each shape starting from the far right and working my way to the left (top of leg).
Sand up to 180 or 220 before you pull them off the lathe.
MAKING THE APRONS
If you’re using raw wood like me you’ll need to process it to the final dimensions – 3/4″-thick.
My aprons are 3-1/2″ tall which includes a strip along the bottom that protrudes about 1/4″ to give a little detail.
Cutting list for aprons: 4 strips each of 2-3/4″ & 1″ boards (all 3/4″ thick) that are 36″ long. Drill 2 3/8″ dowel holes into each end of 2-3/4″ boards (I use masking tape as my depth stop).
Sand all pieces up to 180 or 220 grit and glue along bottom edge of wide strips to clamp against the 1″ strips (turned on side).
Make sure to have the right sides of boards facing up because the side flush with clamps will be the back side. Set into clamps making sure the ends stay lined up.
Make slots into the inside top edge of your aprons with a biscuit jointer (these slots allow you to attach top with furniture clips). TIP: Use a scrap piece of wood to test out the height and depth of slot. You want your clip to have tension on it when screwed down and you want your slot just deep enough for the clip. I had to rig up a spacer of 1/4″ plywood and several layers of cardstock underneath my jointer.
Once settings are correct make 4 slots on each apron with the slots on the far sides about 1″ from the end of boards.
JOINING THE LEGS TO THE APRONS
Sand your apron pieces and square section of legs before assembling – 180 – 220 grit.
Arrange your apron pieces and legs together on the table how you want them to be assembled – top sides down – and mark each piece so you can assemble them again (the ‘A’ on one end of an apron piece would match up with the corresponding ‘A’ on a certain leg face).
On each leg mark a line using a square down each face where the *center* of your aprons will be. TIP: You can figure this out by putting the apron up to the leg and seeing how inset you like them and measuring where the center of the apron hits the leg.
Using dowel center finders in each apron you can transfer marks to each leg. You are lining the points of the center finders up with the center mark you made and pressing into the wood to create an indent along the line. IMPORTANT: You must do this separately for each corresponding apron and leg face to get a perfect fit – remember to match each corresponding piece that you marked previously.
Use a drill press and a stop gauge to drill out the 4 dowel holes on each leg using a 3/8″ bit. Brad point bits are perfect for this because you can center them onto the indents and know they won’t travel when you start drilling. Accuracy is critical.
Rather than doing a dry fit (dry fitting with dowels is a pain because they’re hard to get back out) check and re-check the depths of your dowel holes to make sure they won’t bottom-out when gluing up – it’s THE WORST. Drill holes deeper if needed. With pieces in their proper orientation you can start gluing everything together. NOTE: It’s easiest to glue dowels into legs first so you can set apron piece over and use a mallet to hammer downwards. Make sure not to wobble the apron pieces much or your dowels can break (oops)! TIP: I found it easiest to glue sides separately, dry in clamps and finish off the complete table base by gluing the last 2 aprons, tying everything together.
Clean up any glue and set aside.
MAKING TABLE TOP
Process your boards so they make up a top that is 48×48 square (I actually prefer keeping the length about 1″ longer and cutting to the final length after glue-up). My boards are 3/4-7/8″ thick. Arrange boards with the good sides up. Keep in mind to alternate the grain on the ends…
… doing so stabilizes the top to prevent cupping.
Mark dowel placements between touching boards. I place dowels 2″ front the ends and about 10-14″ apart. Make sure your lines are precise to ensure boards will line up once dowels are placed.
Use your dowel jig to drill holes for 3/8″ dowels. Remember to line up jig perfectly with your marked line.
Glue boards together with dowels in place. I used a straight edge to ensure my boards were gluing up straight (I had to use cauls to take the cupping out).
There was a crack that only showed on the back side of one of the boards that I wanted to reinforce by adding splines. I made half-biscuit shapes out of oak…
…and created slots for them with my biscuit jointer.
Glue + mallet.
Oh, pretty!
Use a straight edge and circular saw to clean up board lengths and finalize size.
Sand all feces/edges up to 220 grit and prepare for finishing.
APPLYING FINISH
Make sure your wood and surrounding area is dust-free. Use whatever finish you prefer – I brushed on a clear coat I customized for the client by adding some gray tint. You can see in a previous post the products I used and the ‘recipe’ (I simply double the amount of tint for this project because my customer wanted a darker finish).
I sanded with 220 after the 1st coat and 320 after the 2nd. I did 3 coats total.
It’s a good day when the finish matches the sample! What a pretty color the gray tint made on this white oak!
For the base I used chalkpaint – 2-3 coats.
The beauty of chalkpaint is that you can sand it smooth for a buttery finish. I use 220 paper. It’s a messy process!
I used my trusty paste wax to brush on all surfaces and buff smooth.
ASSEMBLING
All you have left is to set the legs over the top (on a protected floor) and drill your clips into place. Ensure the overhang is even on all sides and use a self-centering bit if you have one and it will save you a lot of time!
Add felt to bottoms of legs to protect your floor if you wish.
Girl, that’s pretty!
Even the underside deserves some recognition.
Part of the beauty of wood is that it’s not perfect – don’t you agree?
Oh, that grain!
I hope you enjoyed this project! It was a fun and rewarding build for sure!
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