The Lena Dining Table

My husband and I have been married for 15 years now, and we have yet to purchase a dining room table. Mostly because they are so insanely expensive! We received a 3'x 4' table from my husband's family soon after we moved into our first apartment, and that table has been with us ever since. The table was passed down for 3 generations and you can tell! I've fixed a wobbly base, stripped warped veneer, refinished the entire table, and tried many times, without success, to get a white marble unstuck from one of the holes under the table where my father-in-law stuck it when he was a kid. Needless to say, the table has lots of history and won't be going away any time soon, but trying to cram our family of five, not to mention guests, around this table has been a nightmare for 15 years. So, it's time for this family heirloom to find a new job in our home.

So, let me introduce the Lena table. This table was designed off of a beautiful 1,500.00 extendable table that I love, but just can't afford. I designed this table to cost as little as possible while still providing that grand effect. The cost for the wood for this table is around 130.00. Depending on the screws, nails, glue, and finish you have on hand the table may cost a bit more, but no where near the 1,500.00 price range!

It's a perfect size to fit in a medium sized dining space while seating at least 10 people. That was important for us because we have a living room/dining room/kitchen "open design" and had to minimize the table's footprint as much as possible, but provide enough seating to have extended family come over and all sit at the same table.

The table seems like a big job at first, but each step is pretty straight forward. One small tip: try to sand the pieces after you cut them and before assembling them to make finishing the table easier, especially with the base.

Materials:

-2x6x12 (2)

-2x4x8 (6)

-2x2x8 (2)

-1x6x8 (8)

-1x4x8 (3)

-2" finish nails

-1" brad nails

-2 1/2" Pocket Hole Screws

-1 1/2" Pocket Hole Screws

-1 1/4" Pocket Hole Screws

-wood glue

-wood filler

-sand paper

-finish (stain or paint and polyurethane)

Tools:

-measuring tape

-pencil

-square

-miter saw and table saw

-drill

-Kreg Pocket Hole Jig

-sander

-finish nailer/brad nailer

-safety equipment

The first step is to assemble the base. To make a chunkier look, but reduce the cost, I laminated 2x6s and 2x4s for the base. Laminating is just gluing and clamping the two pieces together to create a larger piece. Wood glue is super strong and this works really well. For a seamless look simply cut off the rounded edges of the 2xs with a table saw before you glue them. Just rip off 1/4" from each side of the board. Also be sure to drill (2) 1 1/2" pocket holes in each end of the 2x4s and ensure they are on the outside when you glue them together so that the vertical pieces can be attached. Use 2 1/2" pocket hole screws to attach. (Alternatively, if you don't want to have to fill pocket holes later, you could attach one 2x6 to the top and one to bottom of the vertical pieces with 2 1/2" wood screws and then glue the second 2x6 on top (basically laminating them after they are attached to the vertical pieces). The screws would need to be counter sunk i.e. drilled into the board not flush, but they would be completely hidden between the boards.) Use wood glue at every joint and clean off excess glue before it dries (wood glue does not stain). The 1x6x6" base feet can be glued and nailed with 2" finish nails.

The decorative 2x2s can be a little tricky. When doing angles like these I always line up my uncut board where it is going to go and mark with a pencil the line I want to cut. This takes any guess work out of trying to figure exact lengths and angles. The ends of the 2x2s are about 4" from the edge of the horizontal base and centered on the vertical pieces. You can attach these with wood glue and 1" brad nails.

The center square is where your 2x4 stretcher will be held. It is made of (2) 2x2x 4 3/4" horizontal pieces and (2) 2x2x 3 3/4" vertical pieces. Attach the vertical pieces first using wood glue and 2" nails, then attach the horizontal pieces using wood glue and nails or screws. I would recommend cutting a scrap board to serve as measuring jig to place under each vertical 2x2 as you attach it to make sure your center squares will be lined up perfectly on both legs. Also, make sure a 2x4 will fit through the center of your square! Now make another base leg, sand, and finish before moving onto the next step.

The next step is to make the table top supports and aprons. These are made from 2x4s using 1 1/2" pocket holes and 2 1/2" pocket hole screws. Do not use wood glue on these joints, you'll want to be able to disassemble and reassemble if you ever move the table. You should do 2 pocket holes on the ends of each board making sure the holes are facing the inside of the table. Also drill several 1 1/4" pocket holes on the long sides of each apron and support, facing the table top, so that you can attach the top to the base from underneath using 1 1/2 " pocket hole screws. These screws will hole the table top in place and keep it flat and level. Sand and finish the aprons and supports before attaching.

Now for the top! I used 3/4" pocket holes and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws to create a planked top with 1x6x86" boards. The pocket holes should be spaced just about every 16" or so. When you purchase these boards make sure they are as straight as possible. Be really picky, it will make your job much easier if the boards are straight! Be sure to glue each edge before attaching them. Sand the table top as smooth as possible and finish with desired stain or paint. Use a polyurethane top coat to protect the table from moisture and wear.

On the underside of the table attach 1x4s to frame it out. The 1x4s should be attached to each other using 3/4" pocket holes and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws, make sure it is square. The frame can then be attached to the table top. These boards support the planks and keep things straight. You can attach them with wood glue and 1" brad nails, or you can use 1" wood screws if the planked top is bowing too much. The 1x4s should also be stained and finished.

Attach the table top to the base making sure to center it.

Finally add the stretcher (sanded, stained, and finished). If it's not fitting snug, you can put a screw up through the bottom of the center square to hold it tight.

And you're finished! I'm working on creating a bench to go with this table, so check back soon! If you choose to do this project I'd love to see how it turns out!