How to Build Modern Dining Tables

Many styles of modern dining tables are constructed with glass or marble tabletops with metal legs and have an austere look. Wooden dining tables, however, add warmth and charm to your home and are available in styles that fit into modern dcor. Making your own dining table allows you to customize the furniture style and type of wood to suit you and your room. A wooden dining table that is 34 inches wide by 46 inches long by 29 inches high will seat four to six people comfortably. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Cut six pieces of 2-inch by 6-inch lumber 46 inches long and run them through a thickness planer until they are a uniform thickness of 1 1/2-inches. Assemble the tabletop by applying glue along each side of four of the pieces but to only one side of the two outside pieces. Clamp the wood together with bar clamps, four clamps across the top and four across the underside. Make sure the ends of the wood are flush; if necessary adjust the wood so it is flush.

2

Remove the clamps when the glue has dried. Set your table saw blade to 30 degrees and bevel all four edges of the tabletop. Use a belt sander with 100 grit sandpaper to sand the top and underside of the tabletop. Clean the wood with 000 steel wool to remove sawdust. Repeat the sanding with 180 grit sandpaper, followed by 000 steel wool. Finish the sanding with a palm or mouse sander using 220 grit sandpaper, slightly rounding the edges for a finished look. Clean the wood with 0000 steel wool.

3

Cut four pieces of 4-inch by 4-inch lumber 29 inches long to make the table legs. Use your table saw to trim the lumber to 3 inches by 3 inches. Set the fence on your table saw at a two degree angle and taper all four sides of the legs. Sand using the same steps as you did with the tabletop.

4

Turn the tabletop upside down and place a leg in each corner 3 inches from the edges of the tabletop. Measure the length and width between the legs for the table apron and cut four pieces of 1-inch by 4 inch lumber for the apron. Sand the apron pieces. Place the apron pieces centered between the legs, mark their position with a pencil and clamp the apron pieces into place. Use a countersinking bit for a 8 screw and drill pilot holes on an angle from the back of the apron into the top of the table -- 5 pilot holes for the length of the table and 3 for the width. Secure the apron to the tabletop with 8 by 1 1/4-inch wood screws.

5

Place one table leg back into position between the apron pieces. The legs are fastened to the apron with a brace that fits across the corner; steel braces are available from suppliers like Lee Valley at or you can make your own out of wood. When the brace is in place, secure it to the adjacent apron sides with 8 by 1/2-inch wood screws. Drill a pilot hole through the center of the brace into the leg. If you made your own wooden brace, drill a hole large enough in the brace to fit the machined end of the hanger bolt. Remove the leg and screw the coarse threaded screw end of the hanger bolt into the leg. Fit the leg into place, sliding the machined end of the hanger bolt into the hole in the leg brace and secure with a lock washer and nut. Repeat this procedure with the remaining legs. Turn the table upright and apply your desired finish.

6

Stain or paint the table. If you prefer, leave it the natural color of the wood and simply give it six to eight coats of urethane, sanding with 400 grit wet sandpaper after each coat dries.