How to Build a Simple Outdoor Table

Outdoor furniture allows you to fully enjoy your backyard, terrace or patio, enabling meals, morning coffees or afternoon cups of tea to take place in the freshness of the outdoors. There are many different styles of outdoor tables and other furniture available commercially, but most come at quite a hefty cost. Making a simple outdoor table yourself is a far more economical way of getting a new piece of outdoor furniture, with the added kudoes of having made it yourself. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Line up the 64-inch planks, equidistant apart with the 32-inch planks flush to the ends of the 64-inch planks. The outer planks should be on the inside edge of the shorter planks, the inner planks around 10 inches apart. This will be the table top base.

2

Check that table top base is square, using the square to confirm, then glue the ends of each plank, before drilling them in place. Use 2-inch screws, placing two in each 64-inch plank end.

3

Line up the 56-inch planks on the side of the outer 64-inch planks. They should be 4 inches from each end and centered on the 64 inch plank. Glue then screw down using 1 1/4-inch screws, around 6 in each side. This is the side apron of the table.

4

Lay all the 36 inch planks flat, parallel with one another. Place the table top base over these planks centered so that there is 2 inches on either side of the base. Mark with the pencil on either side of each 64-inch plank, so that you know where the support planks are when drilling. Take the table top base off.

5

Lay the 36-inch planks on top of the base, with the pencil marks facing upwards. Center them again, so there is 2 inches on either side of the table top base, and this time make the first and the last plank overhang the base by 3/4-inch, and space each plank 1/2-inch apart.

6

Glue the table top planks in place, then screw them down using the pencil lines as a guide to where the supports are. Use 2-inch screws, 1 in every support, so 4 screws per plank.

7

Turn the table top on its back, so that the planks are on the bottom. Place the 29-inch planks upright on each corner for legs. There is a 4 inch space on each side where the side aprons were screwed on. The legs should fit snugly in here.

8

Screw the legs on, making sure they are squared. Use 2 1/2-inch screws, 4 in each leg. Turn the table back over, standing it on its new legs.

9

Sand the entire table, then paint or varnish as desired.