Making a table from boards with your own hands: instructions for work. What kind of table can you make from unnecessary boards with your own hands? Making a table from boards with your own hands

The one that is most memorable is the poorly designed dining table. One that is too low or too high, one that does not have enough legroom underneath, one that has too little space. To help you design a table that will be remembered only for its attractive appearance, we will provide basic standards here.

TABLE HEIGHT. Distance from the floor to the top surface of the cover. Usually it is 68–76 cm.

SPACE ABOVE LEGS. The distance from the floor to the bottom edge of the drawer is the vertical space for the legs. Minimum distance– 60 cm.

KNEEL ROOM. The distance from the edge of the table to the leg is the space for your knees when the chair is pulled up to the table. The minimum distance is from 36 to 40 cm, the optimal distance is 36–46 cm.

SPACE ABOVE HIPS. The distance from the seat to the lower edge of the drawer is the vertical space for the hips when a person sits on this chair, pushed towards the table. Minimum – 15 cm.

ELBOW ROOM. Side space on the table for each person sitting. The minimum is 60 cm, but 75 cm is much better.

HAND DEPTH. Front space on the table for each person seated. Less than 30 cm will not be enough, and more than 45 cm will be too much.

SPACE FOR A CHAIR. The distance from the edge of the table top to the wall is sufficient to move the chair away when getting up from the table. Architects claim that a minimum of 90 cm is needed, and 110 cm would be the best option.

Table with king belt

When you hear the word “table,” don’t you think of a flat panel with four legs? Don't you think of just such a table as the one pictured here? Yes, this design is the most original of the original ones. In the simplest version, the table - a typical design - consists of only three types of parts: legs, drawers and a lid (tabletop). The legs and girdle form a strong, yet open, support structure. In a structural sense, many tables are tsar tables, although we rarely call them that. Much more often they are called by their functional purpose or location: dining table, kitchen table, bedside table, desk. As you look further through the book, you will come across the original designs of different tables, and many of them will return to this “basic” table. Such a table can usually be found in the kitchen or dining room. Its massiveness gives the impression of strength. Although the legs are quite massive, the chiseled profile visually reduces their massiveness. In addition, the reasonable dimensions of the legs make them ideal for strong carpentry joints. Despite the simplicity of the design of a table with a tsar belt, many variations are possible. The table can be round, square, oval, rectangular. Its legs can be square, turned, tapered or carved. Even the drawers can influence the appearance of the table.

Design options

For example, a round table with the same turned legs as base table, looks completely different. The square tsar belt with the round lid gives it this distinct look. Despite the elegant cabriole legs of the table in the Queen Anne style, the massive drawers make it a work desk. The cut-out drawers at the third table make a significant visual and practical difference, making the table appear lighter and taller and creating more hip room for the occupant.


Country style table

This table is called by different names - country style table, retro style table, bar table - and presented in different ways. Furniture researchers usually describe it as a simple, low, oblong table on a massive base with turned legs and legs. This characterizes it quite accurately: a table with a drawstring belt and legs. Legs, especially those as strong as in the picture, significantly increase the durability and rigidity of the structure. With intensive daily use, the legs can increase the service life of the table by years. The terms "country" and "bar" are definitely associated with the 17th and 18th centuries, when such tables were widely used in hotels, taverns and bars in rural areas and towns. Surviving examples of such tables actually have massive legs - although they are heavily worn out by many feet. The table shown here is equipped with one middle leg instead of two longitudinal ones, to make it more comfortable to sit at the table. However, many early tables had pro-legs around the perimeter. The design is simple. The drawbars and legs are cut into the legs with spikes and reinforced with wedges, dowels, etc. The table cover is a wide panel “at the tip”.

Design options

The easiest way to change the design of a table is to change the legs. Our “original” table has round legs - turned - and the shape of the turning can be changed endlessly. Just remember that you will need a flat, rectangular surface for the frame-to-leg joints. On a country-style table, you can also change the legs - depending on the appearance,
and by their configuration, as shown in the figure below.


Table with drawer and drawer

The name “table with a tsar belt” refers not to the style, but to the design. This type of table is the basis for kitchen, library, desks etc. Even for a workbench. A drawer or two increases the functionality of the desk since the tools that are used when using it can be stored in these drawers. In some cases, a small box is enough, while in others you need the largest one possible. There are only a couple of ways to incorporate such a box into the design. The simplest approach is to simply cut out a drawer opening in the drawer frame. For a relatively small box and a fairly massive drawer, it is quite suitable. If the opening turns out to be so large that it creates a danger of destruction of the board, then it is better to replace the drawer with box bars. The bars can be rotated 90° so that their width matches the thickness of the leg. Tenon joints provide rigidity. A design with two bars - supraglottic and subgular - is preferable, since the upper bar will prevent the legs from moving inward.

Design options

Installing a drawer in a round table is quite possible. But if the drawer belt has a square or rectangular shape, then you must be prepared that access to the inside of the box will be limited. If the drawer belt is rounded, then the front panel of the drawer should be made in such a way (for example, a layered bent or block-glued structure) so that its shape matches the shape of the drawer.


An alternative to a table with a leg in each corner is a table with one central leg. Its tabletop is attached to a central post mounted on low legs that diverge to the sides. Here, drawers are not structurally required, but some single-support tables have them. At first glance, a table without legs and drawers gives unlimited legroom. However, while it does have plenty of knee and hip room, its "creepy" legs tend to get in the way of the sitter's feet. This is the price of stability: the projection of the tabletop should not exceed the support area by more than 15 cm. A little more and you risk knocking over the table by leaning on the edge. Critical to this design is the strength of the center post and its connection to the base or legs. The table shown here has an oval tabletop and - in accordance with the major and minor axis of the oval - two pairs of legs of different lengths. The legs are connected to the racks that taper downwards, and the racks are connected to the tabletop brackets with double tenons into the lugs. These intermediate assemblies are in turn glued onto a square core lath to form a central support that flares upward.


The pedestal table appeared in the 18th century as a small coffee table with a three-legged base. To make a dining table, carpenters combined two single-legged tables or placed an oblong tabletop on two three-legged supports. Modern models range from the simplest utilitarian to multi-rack. The structural advantage of multi-post supports is their increased resistance to tilting. Although the support area may be noticeably smaller than the projection of the table top, a large table with this type of support can be quite stable due to the mass of the support.

Place a wide board on the trestle and you have a table. This is the ancestor of the trestle table, which is perhaps the very first type of table. Since ancient times, its form has been significantly improved, but it remains an easy-to-make collapsible table. Its elementary form remains a panel or sheet of plywood on free-standing trestles. And when the trestles are no longer free-standing, that's when the assembly becomes a table, because they must be connected to each other, to the tabletop, or both. In the table shown here, each half of the trestle consists of a fairly wide post, embedded at the bottom into the leg, and at the top into the tabletop bracket. The wider the trestles, the better the table resists swaying from side to side. There is a long, massive rod embedded in the racks. The tabletop is attached with screws to the trestles, and the structure becomes one whole. Although there is enough space for your feet under the tabletop, you should not forget about the footrest so that when sitting at the table you do not get bumps on your shins. Also, the ends of the tabletop should protrude beyond the trestle by 35–45 cm to provide sufficient space for those sitting there. Many trestle tables are designed to be collapsible. Common methods of fastening parts of a collapsible table are shown on the next page.

Design options

Thinking about the shape of the trestle posts and legs is the easiest way to change the appearance of this table. Several examples are shown here. The original sawhorses were similar to sawhorses, and the X-shape was quite popular in medieval Europe. Pennsylvania Germans and other Germanic settlers brought this form to America, and it is still often found around picnic tables. Today the most common is the H-shape. Shakers (sectarian shakers), who made many trestle tables, usually used graceful legs with “high rise”


The familiar dining table can be expanded with an additional cover board. Then an ordinary table for a family can be enlarged to accommodate guests. At first glance, it may not be noticeable that this is a standard table with a drawstring belt, cut into two parts and reconnected using special runners. The runners can be bought ready-made or made together with the table. Each table cover must be at least 60 cm - the optimal space for one seated person.

Design options

The design of an extendable table can vary, as usual, by changing the legs and drawers. The shape of the drawers and table top has virtually no effect on the overall design. If we are talking about a table with drawers, then with the sliding version they work as usual. As the extension range increases, it may be necessary to add an additional leg to support the middle section. And don’t forget about the importance of small details - for example, attaching drawers to the table top



Extendable table on one support

A table with a single support is a basic form of table that has some advantages over a table with a tsar belt. If you need a folding table, do not forget to consider this form. Such a table can easily have a sliding, folding, or hinged lid, which will expand it. The most common option is a sliding lid with an insert section. As shown on the next page, the lid is divided into two and its halves are connected by special sliding runners. Thus, these two lid panels can be pulled apart and an additional board inserted between them. What to do with the support is a key question for the master. For the table to be stable, the size of the lid and the support area must be close. In the example shown, the support is vertically divided into two parts, each of which is attached to a corresponding cover panel. When the lid is pulled apart, the support also separates.

Design options

The basic form has a support that separates when the table is extended. This is not the only option. If a relatively small expansion, say 30–40 cm, is acceptable, then the extendable table can be made on a non-dividing support. Another option is to make a table on two supports. A table with a support for each sliding half can expand by 90–120 cm.


When choosing one of the types of folding tables, one of the most interesting designs is a system with sliding sections. It is easy to make and use. There is nothing unusual about the basic structure of the table. The only difference from the usual underframe made of drawers and legs is the presence of slots in the end drawers. The difference lies on top of the drawer and legs. Instead of attaching the table top to the drawer belt, its side sections, attached to long tapered runners, are laid on the drawer leg assembly. The runners correspond to the slots in the drawers. The existing central board separating the side sections is secured with screws to the frames. The table cover is placed on top of the central board and side sections, but is not firmly secured. When unfolding the table, the side section simply slides out from under the lid. The skids have stops that prevent the section from being pulled out too far. When pulled out, the lid will tilt slightly at first, but when fully unfolded it will be flush with the side section. Since the pull-out sections are part of the design, you won’t have to search through closets and storage rooms for them when you need to lay out the table before guests arrive. You simply pull out a section or two – even if the table is already set.

Design options

The system with retractable sections is compatible with any type of table support, provided that drawers are available. Thus, a trestle table or a two-legged table (as in the picture on the right), equipped with drawers, can have pull-out sections to increase the number of seats. However, the system is not well suited for countertops with shapes other than rectilinear. When folded, the side section is retracted under the lid and its edges remain (or should remain) visible. If the shape is different from the shape of the lid, then the table will probably look quite strange when folded. For example, a semicircular side section located under a square or rectangular lid will create a gap between the lid and the drawers.

Double-support table with extensions
sections

A table with a sliding folding lid (tabletop) is relatively rare. Despite its low prevalence, this is an excellent system. The table has one additional section - a duplicate of the “main” lid; this section is connected to the lid using hinges and, when folded, lies on the main section (lid). To unfold the table, the “double” tabletop is moved to its extreme position (up to half of the underframe), and then the additional section is folded back onto the underframe. The upper edges of the drawers should be covered with felt or felt to facilitate the sliding of the lid. Making a sliding mechanism is not difficult. Each runner has a ridge that fits into a groove in its guide. The disadvantage is that during periods of high humidity the ridges may become stuck in the grooves. The basic version is usually configured as a side table. When unfolded, the edges of the tabletop are quite far from the tabletop, which creates sufficient space for people to sit under the table. The Y-shape of the legs will provide sufficient space for the legs of those sitting at the ends of the table.

Design options

When folded, this table looks like a somewhat strange dining table. To limit the overhang of the tabletop over the underframe (ensuring stability), the size of the base part should be close to the size of the folded tabletop. Therefore, a folding tabletop should be used on a type of table that does not look strange with a small tabletop overhang. Good options for this use include a side table (as a base table), a sofa table (shown here), and other specialty tables and tables. When folded, these tables can be placed close to the wall. Folding tops are commonly used in traditional card tables, but without a sliding mechanism. However, the sliding mechanism will work here too.


A table with a folding board (or boards) is practically a “generic” name for all tables in which sections of the tabletop are connected to each other by hinges. This is a common species and is present throughout American history. In any style of furniture, from William and Mary style to modern, you will find a table with a folding board. This table has folding boards as part of the design. When not in use, they can be lowered into a vertical position, saving space in the room. There are many ways to keep the folding sections in the raised position. The example shown here uses retractable holders - you lift the board and slide out the support brackets from underneath it (much like drawer). For some other support systems, see a table with swivel frame supports, a table with swivel legs, a book table, and several card tables. The main thing to think about for this type of table is the width of the folding boards, which can be optimally supported by retractable or swivel/hinge arms. Make the folding boards relatively narrow - say, no wider than 38 cm. For wider sections, see options with swivel frame supports or swivel legs. A long folding board, like the example shown here, will require more than one bracket. Incidentally, this example received an interesting name in the 20th century, which applies to a relatively long, utilitarian table with hinged lids. This name, which can be translated as “suffering,” creates in the conscious mind a picture of a large table laid out,” laden with food for hungry seasonal agricultural workers during the harvest season. Regardless of what we call it now, the people who sat at such a table in 1840 or 1880 probably called it a clapper table or a folding table.

Design options

While a basic dining table is quite long and relatively narrow, with a rectangular top with sharp corners, a drop-board table can be of almost any size, proportion and shape. The table top (tabletop) may have folding boards of a round or slightly rounded shape. On a shortened or square base, you can install a round, square or oval tabletop. You can round the corners of the folding sections or make their outer edges curved.


Book table is the Russian name for a table with rotating frame supports, which are hinged to the frame-leg-leg assembly. The support post is connected to the rotating post by an upper and lower crossbar. The entire support can be rotated so that the raised folding section (board) can be placed on it. The swivel support became the predecessor of the swivel leg. It contains many structural elements that reflect the state of carpentry in the 16th century when it appeared. But like any well-made frame, it is structurally rigid and makes an excellent support for a folding board. Although the first such tables usually had two frame supports (one for each folding board), there were often tables with one folding board and one swivel support, and it happened the other way around - there were several leviathans with 12 swivel supports. When folded, tables were usually very narrow and saved significant space. A large table with two swivel legs on each folding board can be made so that the legs swivel both towards each other and away from each other. If they turn towards each other, then when the folding boards are lowered, the supporting posts of the frames will be located next to the main legs, visually making them more massive. When rotated away from each other, the support posts will be positioned side by side, creating the appearance of a table with six legs. The first tables were usually made in the Baroque style, with a complex turned profile of the legs. However, the example shown is completely modern in style.

Design options

A significant advantage of the book-table is the ability to support very large additional sections. Reliable support under the folding board makes the table very stable even with one section raised. Thus, it is difficult to make a very narrow table with wide folding boards. When folded, the table takes up very little space. When unfolded, it has a huge tabletop


This table can justifiably be called a table with folding boards, but the swivel leg sets it apart from others of its kind. The swivel leg is a descendant of the frame swivel support (see page 158). If the swivel support is attached to the table frame, consisting of a drawer, legs and a leg, then the swivel leg is attached only to the drawer. The result is a lighter appearance. It is the size rather than the assembly of the swivel leg that characterizes this table. The tabletop diameter of only 107 cm will be quite comfortable for four. The swivel leg is used in card tables with small folding tabletops. During the Queen Anne period, a smaller version of the table shown here was called a "breakfast table" and was used both for actual breakfast and for games and tea parties. Larger tables will likely need additional swivel legs to provide better support for the tip boards. A hinge joint—essentially a wooden hinge—makes a swivel leg feasible. A fancier version than shown here makes the connection look like a metal loop.

Design options

The design of a rotating table leg with folding boards appeared in the first half of the 18th century. Although we chose a Queen Anne style table as our “base”, the swivel leg has been used in many different styles of tables. The profile of the leg will generally be an indicator of style. Chippendale style swing leg tables often have cabriole designs, but always with a claw-and-ball finish. Square shaped legs are also used in Chippendale tables. During the federal
Hepplewhite style tables were made with tapering legs, as shown here, and Sheraton style tables had turned, often embossed, legs.

The unfolded folding boards transform
rectangular table to square

The advantage of a table with a frame swivel support over a table with a swivel leg is the stability created by the additional legs. When the folding boards are raised, they are supported by additional legs. A table with swing legs also has this advantage over a table with swing legs, but also has one advantage over a table with frame swing legs. Like the swing leg table, this table has an additional leg for each folding board. But only a narrow crossbar connects the leg to the table. These crossbars are placed in a cage of two guides installed between the longitudinal drawers, and are pulled out through the cutouts in the drawers. The leg is attached to the crossbars. Raise the folding board, extend the leg and lower the board onto it. You have a leg under the folding board and still have four legs under the stationary table top. This structure can support very wide folding boards.

Design options

Here are two very different tables with extendable legs, each of which has excellent stability thanks to the additional leg (or legs) when unfolded. When the card table is folded and placed against the wall, the additional leg is not noticeable. By unfolding the gaming table and extending the additional leg, you will have support at each corner of the tabletop. Perfect. Extendable legs are also a great addition to a long table with folding boards. If you make two extendable legs for each board, the table will not lose stability when someone leans too hard on it.



The table-chair owes its appearance to medieval practicality. In the Middle Ages, dwellings were small and drafty. Any furniture was expensive, everything was made with hand tools. And if a piece of furniture could perform more than one function, well, so much the better. The table-chair is clearly universal. With the lid down, it's a table. With the lid raised there is a seat. And as with most universal things, its functionality is far from perfect. With the development of the furniture industry, the table-chair became more advanced in design and elegant in appearance. The product shown here has legs and armrests attached to the sides of the seat with tenon-to-socket joints. The pronounced end of the shoe-shaped legs makes the chair more stable and the armrests more comfortable. The chair even has an under-seat drawer for more sophisticated storage than a box with a lid. The table top is attached with a dovetail mortise.

A dacha is, of course, the place where you want to take a break from the bustle of the city, to breathe Fresh air and just drink fragrant herbal tea on the veranda at a table you made for your garden with your own hands. Such a table will not only add a special charm to such a simple ceremony, but will also become a source of pride for you and your loved ones.

Option 1. Table with legs

When choosing materials for a table, first of all you should pay attention to the quality of the wood - not all wood is suitable for use. Conifers, such as spruce and pine, are pliable and easy to work with, but such material without appropriate treatment is more flammable, and the resins released can ruin the tablecloth.


Hardwoods (aspen, oak, ash) are more advantageous; products made from them are strong, durable and have an attractive appearance.

Wood typeBrinell hardness)Density (kg/m3)StabilityColor trends
Birch3,0 600 averagethe color becomes deeper
Larch2,6 500 goodtakes on shades of gray
European oak3,7 700 goodthe color becomes deeper
4,0 700 averagelight to straw, yellowish brown
Pear3,3 680 averageblushes
Cherry3,0 580 goodfrom light pink to deep reddish hue

Materials and tools

For interior design dachas and country houses Long narrow ones are more acceptable, allowing you to move around the room unhindered. This should be taken into account when preparing everything necessary for work and designing the table itself.

For the table, it is preferable to use a board with a thickness of at least 30 mm. This thickness will ensure the strength of the table and the ability to withstand heavy loads. The optimal length ranges from 150-200 cm. You can purchase two ready-made wooden panels measuring 30-2000 mm.


Balusters or wooden beams for legs. Curly balusters will give your homemade table an industrial chic and luxurious look. And to make legs from timber, you need to choose boards with a minimum cross-section of 50x50 mm. A comfortable table height is ensured with a leg height of approximately 73-75 cm.


Other materials and tools.

  1. Boards 20 mm thick and 8-10 cm wide for the tabletop frame.
  2. Wood putty.
  3. Screwdriver and screws for 30 and 50 mm.
  4. Sandpaper different grain sizes, as well as a holder.
  5. Clamps for fixing legs and table top.
  6. Electric drill.
  7. Sander.
  8. Building level.
  9. Square.
  10. Tape measure or centimeter.
  11. Marker.
  12. Glue.

Prices for various types of construction timber

Construction timber

Manufacturing stages


When preparing materials, all boards and beams are processed with a plane, sander or coarse sandpaper to remove unevenness, remnants of cut knots, and clean out cracks. The boards must be even and smooth, so they are sanded on all sides, including the ends, edges and corners.

If it is intended to be manufactured as a solid panel without gaps, then it is better to purchase tongue-and-groove materials - this will create a stronger adhesion of the single sheet and save time on adjusting the elements. Chamfers are cut from the edges of the beams for the legs.


Assembling the frame for the tabletop

The frame helps to enhance the strength and stability of the table; its dimensions depend entirely on the parameters of the table top, but there are several general rules: both in length and width, the frame should be 30-25 cm smaller than the tabletop.

Video - DIY garden table



The frame itself is assembled from 4 boards that form the outer frame, and 6 internal transverse strips. The boards are installed on the edge at a right angle using a square and tightened with 50 mm self-tapping screws. The joints are pre-coated with glue (PVA or wood glue). To prevent the boards from splitting, you can drill guide holes in them and only then screw in the screws.


Along the length of the frame, markings are made for the transverse strips, and guides are drilled. It is very important that the cross members are strictly perpendicular to both sides of the frame frame. The ends of the transverse strips are coated with glue, and the entire structure is fixed with self-tapping screws. Make sure that the screw heads do not protrude, but are completely “recessed” into the wood.



Table frame (production option)

The tabletop boards are connected, aligned with a tape measure and laid face down on the floor; a frame is placed on top so that the transverse planks lie tightly on the tabletop. Guides for self-tapping screws are drilled into the planks, and all elements are tightened with 30 mm screws. There are 5-6 screws for each cross board.

Assembling the table legs


The tabletop is placed on a workbench or several stools for subsequent installation of legs. The table leg is fixed in the corner of the frame with clamps, and guides for self-tapping screws are drilled into the frame.



Before attaching the leg, glue is applied to the end of the block - this will protect the table from loosening and will contribute to greater strength. It is recommended to fix the leg on each side with four screws, but if desired, you can additionally use metal corners. Round balusters are fixed long screws on the front side of the table, and square ones on corner fasteners.

Prices for popular models of screwdrivers

Screwdrivers

Finishing

After installing the legs, the table is turned over and placed on the floor. Depending on the design of the table, the corners are sawed off along the radius with a jigsaw or the end is completely rounded. You can cut chamfers from the edges of the tabletop and sand everything thoroughly.


If necessary, scratches and cracks resulting from work are repaired using wood. It is better not to touch the screw heads so that the structure can be tightened.


After the final sanding, all dust and shavings are removed from the table, and the product itself is covered with stain or several layers of varnish.


Tables with elements of decoupage decor or single painting look beautiful and unusual. But there is no need to hide the beauty of natural wood under a layer of paint; modern varnishes and impregnations will do all the necessary work to protect the product from moisture.


Video - Table with legs for a summer house

Option 2. Tree stump table

An unusual and non-standard way to arrange a personal space is to create interior items from natural materials. When landscaping an area, trees that are old or that threaten buildings are often cut down. If your dacha has or had just such a tree, then you definitely won’t have any problems finding a suitable stump. If the idea came spontaneously, then you can look for the desired stump in clearings, in the nearest forest, or ask the owners of neighboring plots.


Materials and tools

To make such a fantasy table from a stump you will need very little:

  • wood for the tabletop, the recommended thickness of the tabletop is from 20 mm, when choosing boards you need to adhere to the rule “the larger the tabletop, the larger the cut of the board”;
  • stump. For the work you will need a dried stump of any type of tree, the main thing is that the wood is intact, not damp or rotten. If the tree was cut down recently, the stump needs to be dried thoroughly. And it’s better to do this by placing the stump in a warm dry room or outdoors in sunny weather. It must be remembered that several weeks is not enough time for proper drying. As a rule, the entire process takes at least two months. You can determine the condition of the wood by the ease of removing the bark - if the bark comes off without effort, then you can start working;
  • wood varnish on water based natural shade or transparent. It is this composition that will best emphasize the texture and advantages of natural wood;
  • sandpaper of various grains and holder;
  • plane or sander;
  • chisel;
  • building level;
  • roulette;
  • hammer and nails;
  • screwdriver and screws;
  • abrasive fiber.

Manufacturing stages


Stage 1.

The dried blank of the future table must be cleared of bark. A chisel or chisel will be useful for this step. The bark must be removed with extreme caution and precision so as not to damage the wood and prevent cracks and splits from appearing. Any soft or rotten areas should also be removed.




Stage 2.

After the bark has been removed, the stump must be leveled relative to the horizontal plane. To do this, use a level to prepare a flat surface, and place the base of the future table on it.

If curvature is observed, the imperfections are eliminated using a plane. At the same stage of work, excessively large rhizomes of the stump and all unnecessary parts are sawed off with a hacksaw, the sections from which are then sanded.


Stage 3.

The leveled stump is ground with a disk sander, especially its horizontal parts. The sides of the stump are also sanded, and hard-to-reach places are treated with coarse sandpaper. This is a rather labor-intensive process that requires a significant amount of time.


Stage 4.

Cracks and depressions in the barrel must be cleaned of dirt and debris using a chisel, then sandpaper folded in half (with the working layer facing outward) should be carefully processed from the inside. Remains of wood dust are cleaned with a brush or a construction vacuum cleaner.

Stage 5.



To prevent the stump from rotting and ensure air circulation between the table and the floor, furniture legs can be attached to the base from below. The presence of legs will make moving the table more convenient.

You can choose any legs: metal, furniture wheels or special rubberized stands. It is best to attach them using self-tapping screws to the base of the stump; the number is chosen arbitrarily, based on the size of the table.


Stage 6.

After installing the legs, we proceed to sheathing the top of the stump. To do this, we put two parallel strips perpendicularly on the sidewalls, and two more rows of holders on top - a total of 6 strips, fastened together with nails. This will be the frame for the table top.

Stage 7.


We fasten the prepared tabletop boards from below with transverse strips. The shape of the tabletop can be very diverse: round, rectangular, with rounded corners. A table option with a round or oval tabletop looks more advantageous.


To give this shape, you can use a homemade device made from thread, pencil and nail: the end of the thread is tied around a pencil, and the tip of the nail is placed in the middle of the tabletop, outlining a circle with a selected radius, after which all excess is sawed off, and the edges and surface of the tabletop are processed with a grinding machine.



Stage 8.

Holes and defects in the boards can be decorated with finely chopped shiny stones, filling them with varnish and after drying, sanding them again to smooth the surface.

The finished tabletop is fixed from below to the sheathing with holders on nails or self-tapping screws selected to size.


The finished table is varnished in several layers. After applying the first layer, the product is thoroughly dried and processed with fine-grained sandpaper. This will prevent the varnish from peeling off, and subsequent layers will lay down more evenly.


After removing the dust, apply the second and subsequent layers of varnish without grouting. If desired, after drying last layer can be treated with abrasive fiber - this will remove excess shine and give the surface a matte finish.

Such a creative table will decorate any veranda, especially if surrounded by green bushes or flower beds.



Prices for paints and varnishes

paints and varnishes

Video - DIY garden table made from a stump

Beech is quite often used by furniture manufacturers, as it is a hard wood that is quite ductile and durable. In terms of strength, beech is not inferior to oak. Compared to oak, beech is cheaper. The color of such wood can range from reddish-brown to pinkish-yellow.

  • has high decorative qualities;
  • dries quickly;
  • easy to process.
  • afraid of humidity;
  • poorly polished.

Oak is a hard wood with great strength. The natural color of oak ranges from yellowish-white to tan with a slight tint of gray or green. Oak has a number of other advantages - it is very easy to use, easy to glue, practically does not rot and has a beautiful appearance.

  • despite the high viscosity of wood, it is processed quite well;
  • bends easily;
  • resistant to rotting;
  • lends itself well to artificial aging techniques.
  • price;

Ash wood is harder than oak. The color of the wood is light and gently golden. Most often it is used in the manufacture of bent and carved furniture or as veneer.

  • bends well after steaming;
  • cracks little when dried;
  • When bleached, it acquires an unusual shade of gray hair.
  • in humid conditions, wood is quickly damaged by wormholes;
  • poorly polished.

Aspen is a deciduous tree. It belongs to the Poplar genus. This is a very large tree, it grows up to 30 meters in height and can easily reach a thickness of 1 meter. Since it grows very quickly, it produces a lot of wood.

  • very high moisture resistance;
  • the ability to retain heat, but not give it away;
  • bactericidal (you can put such furniture in a children's room without fear that it will cause harm).
  • not very presentable appearance;
  • the possibility of darkening, both partially and completely;
  • You should be wary that the product may begin to rot from the inside.

Pine is a soft wood that is most often used in the manufacture of frames for upholstered or cabinet furniture. The main advantage of this type of tree is high stability to rotting, humidity and temperature changes. In addition, pine is one of the most common and affordable materials.


  • ease of processing;
  • easy to glue;
  • a pleasant medicinal smell that releases phytoncides.
  • Easily scratched and damaged.

A table with your own hands can easily be made even by a home craftsman who does not have any accumulated experience in carpentry. Of course, this will become possible if the design of the table is quite simple and understandable.

For example, it is not always possible to find a suitable ready-made table model for a kitchen that is extremely small in size. Purchasing custom-made solid wood furniture is quite expensive. Therefore, sometimes you have to take up the tools and construct your own “work” yourself, starting from the specific dimensions of the place where you plan to install the table.

In addition, there is often a desire to show one’s creative abilities in a summer cottage, especially since there is always a desire to beautifully arrange a veranda or gazebo in a suburban area. If you have it on hand suitable materials and tools, then you can either sit down to draw up a drawing of the future table, or use a ready-made project, and then get to work.

To figure out which type of table you can build with your own hands, it is advisable to consider several options for this piece of furniture.

Tools for work

Before starting work, you need to prepare the appropriate tools that will be required to make any wooden table. The amount of material for each model will be different.


You can use regular, traditional hand tools that carpenters have always used. This list usually includes:

  1. A plane used to level wood and cut parts to the required size.
  2. Chisels for sampling various holes and grooves, removing small protrusions.
  3. Saws different sizes and modifications that are used to cut thick boards or make small cuts.
  4. Pencil, tape measure, corner and ruler.
  5. Screwdriver Set.
  6. Clamps for temporary fixation of glued parts.
  7. Sandpaper for sanding.

Many of the tools can be replaced with more modern and convenient devices:

  • An electric jigsaw will do all the work that the various saws mentioned above were previously used for.


Rating of jigsaws
  • A sanding machine will help make surfaces smooth and polish them to a shine, eliminating the very tedious procedure of manual sandpaper.

  • Milling machine with a set of cutters. This device will help round sharp corners, drill shaped grooves for furniture hinges, and if you need it and have some experience, you can use it to decorate a table with a relief pattern.
  • will significantly speed up the work, since you won’t have to spend several minutes tightening each screw. In addition, during certain operations it is possible to install one of the milling cutters or ordinary drills into it, for example, in order to process an edge or make a perfectly even large or small hole (groove).
  • The construction level will help make the product even and neat, as it will show all possible irregularities and distortions.

To prevent the finished furniture from being “crooked”, the assembly is controlled by level

An easy-to-make table for a summer cottage


Anyone can make a table like this

Necessary materials

For such a country house, having a tabletop size of 1680×850 mm, you will not need too much wooden blanks. You need to prepare the following:

  1. Beam, cross-section - 750×100×50 mm - 4 pcs. (table legs).
  2. Self-tapping screws, bolts and possibly metal corners.
  3. Wood glue.
  4. Board size:
  • 1680×100×25 mm – 4 pcs. (longitudinal frame elements);
  • 850×100×25 mm – 2 pcs. (transverse frame parts);
  • 1580×100×25 mm – 2 pcs. (cladding boards for the side elements of the frame);
  • 950×100×25 mm – 17 pcs. (boards for tabletops).

All wooden elements must be treated with compounds and have a prepared smooth surface. If you plan to “darken” the wood, then it is covered with stain, and to reveal the textured pattern, the top is carefully sanded with a sanding machine. Fine-grit sandpaper will remove the stained, raised parts of the wood grain, making them lighter than the depressions.

Installation of a garden table

When all the parts for the frame are prepared, you can proceed to assembly.


Frame or “box” of the table
  • The first step is the details of the tabletop frame - four longitudinal boards measuring 1680×100×25 mm and two end boards 850×100×25 mm, laid out on big table or on the floor. The location of the internal and external boards is marked on the end boards. Using a ruler, based on the drawing, the required distances are measured and marked with a pencil. It is imperative to accurately mark the width of the longitudinal board at the junction with the end board, especially if the connection will be made using the tie-in method.

The elements can be connected in different ways:


Connection with a choice of “quarters” and using metal corners

- using a steel angle - this is the simplest and most reliable way;

- the insertion method is a more complex method, as it requires exact dimensions not only in the width and length of the connecting elements, but also in the depth of the board;


Several types of joints based on the tongue-and-groove principle

- “groove-tenon”, shown in the second figure a), b), c), d) and e) such a connection is also quite difficult for novice craftsmen with no experience;

- connection with dowels is shown in fragment e) - this method also requires perfect accuracy when marking and drilling holes in the parts to be connected.

  • All connections are usually made using glue. The only exception is the fastening of parts end-to-end with a metal corner.
  • The frame must have perfectly aligned right angles, so after connecting all the elements, you need to carry out control using a construction angle and measuring and comparing the lengths of the diagonals.
  • If parts are secured with glue, they must be fixed in clamps and left until it dries completely, otherwise they will not be connected securely.

  • When the glue dries and the frame acquires a certain rigidity, facing boards measuring 1580 × 100 × 25 mm are attached to the outer longitudinal sides. The place of their attachment also needs to be marked, since there should be a distance along their edges for mounting the legs. The facing boards are also installed with glue and fixed with self-tapping screws, the heads of which should be recessed into the wood by 1.5 ÷ 2.0 mm.

  • The next stage is the transverse cladding of the tabletop with boards 950×100×25 mm. The place where they are attached must also first be marked, starting from the middle of the frame, since they must be installed at a distance of 5 mm from each other. The protrusion of the tabletop above the frame should be 25 mm on all four sides.
  • Next, each of the boards is fixed in four places to the longitudinal elements of the table “box,” and the outer boards are also attached to the end sides. In order for the heads of the self-tapping screws to be recessed, recesses with a diameter of 8 mm are drilled into the boards to a depth of 2–3 mm, then, in the center of these recesses, through holes are drilled with a drill of a smaller diameter (usually 3 mm), into which the self-tapping screws will be screwed. To avoid cracking of the boards during installation work, through holes must be drilled.

  • After that, to the edges longitudinal boards Legs made of timber with a cross-section of 750×100×50 mm are fixed; they must exactly match the width of the tabletop.

The next step is installing the legs
  • The legs can be secured to the frame with self-tapping screws, but it is better to fix each of them with two bolts, placing them diagonally at the connection point. Through holes are drilled for the bolts, and the nuts are tightened on them from inside the frame using a wrench.
  • The final stage of manufacturing is sealing the heads of the screws with a mixture made from carpentry or epoxy glue and sawdust. Use this homemade putty to fill the recesses above the caps and level them well. After the glue has dried, the entire tabletop, and especially the areas covered with “plugs” of glue, must be sanded well.

  • After this, the table can be covered with varnish or water-based paint. After waiting for the decorative or protective layer to dry, the product can be installed in summerhouse, on the veranda or terrace in the recreation area.

If desired, it would be easy to make a bench to go along with the table.

Small folding table for the kitchen


This small folding table is perfect for a small kitchen or a very small room.

  1. Its design is designed in such a way that the tabletop cannot fold on its own if the table leg is accidentally touched, so the table is quite safe for installation in a children's room.
  2. The presence of a spacious double-sided bedside table will allow you to store various small items and small toys in it.
  3. The table is equipped with a tabletop of sufficient size so that the child can do homework while sitting at it.
  4. In addition, there is room on the tabletop for a laptop or books necessary for study.
  5. If necessary, this small table can easily replace an ironing board if you lay a soft cloth on its surface.

Considering all of the above, the table can be called multifunctional, despite its very compact size.

Find out how, and also check out several models with detailed instructions in a special article on our portal.

Necessary materials and parts for a folding table

To assemble such a convenient piece of furniture, you need to prepare all the parts that make it up. The list of necessary blanks is given in the table below, and how to make them will be described and shown below:


Diagram of the table with the numbers of assembly parts marked (the illustration is clickable - click to enlarge)
Part number on the drawingthe name of detailQuantity, pcs.Part size, mmMaterial of manufacture, thickness, mm
1 Folding part of the table top.1 600×600
2 Fixed table top of the cabinet.1 600×475Multilayer plywood 25 mm thick
3 2 530×30
4 2 120×30Multilayer plywood 18 mm thick
5 The upper end part of the groove that limits the movement of the leg.1 122×30Multilayer plywood 18 mm thick
6 Groove element for leg movement on a folding tabletop.2 530×20Multilayer plywood 18 mm thick
7 A groove element for the movement of the leg on the tabletop of the cabinet.2 120×20Multilayer plywood 18 mm thick
8 The lower end part of the groove that limits the movement of the leg.1 122×20Multilayer plywood 18 mm thick
9 Side walls of the table cabinet.2 720×520MDF 19 mm
10 Horizontal parts of the cabinet that form shelves.3 520×312MDF 19 mm
11 The lower vertical part of the internal partition of the cabinet.1 418×312MDF 19 mm
12 The upper vertical part of the inner partition of the cabinet.1 312×184MDF 19 mm
13 The middle horizontal part of the cabinet.1 310×250MDF 19 mm
14 Cabinet door.1 477×346MDF 19 mm
15 Cabinet shelf.1 310×250MDF 19 mm
16 Cabinet drawer front panel.1 346×209MDF 19 mm
17 The front panel of the drawer (located behind the front panel).1 418×312MDF 19 mm
18 Drawer side panels.2 341×250MDF 19 mm
19 Back panel of the drawer.1 272×120MDF 19 mm
20 Drawer bottom panel.1 341×272MDF 19 mm
Handles for drawers and cabinet doors.2 Ø 30 mmWood
Upper leg element.1 80×80×18Multilayer plywood 18 mm thick
Mobile table leg.1 Ø top 55, bottom 30, height 702Wood
Furniture hinges for connecting two parts of the tabletop.2 Ø 50 mmMetal
Furniture door hinges.2 The size depends on the shape.Metal
Bottom end panels covering the gap under the cabinet.2 20×300×5Plywood 5 mm

The drawings show a drawing of a table that can be relied upon in the process of manufacturing and assembling elements into a single structure.


Main dimensions of the table (illustration is clickable - click to enlarge)
Separate components of the table - a drawer and a guide channel for moving the legs (the illustration is clickable - click to enlarge)

To manufacture all the parts listed in the table, you will need modern electric tools that can bring the workpiece to professional perfection.

Find out how to do it with a photo and description in a special article on our portal.

Installation of a folding table-cabinet

You should start making a table with its most important and largest part - the tabletop. Since the table is folding, this element will consist of two parts - stationary and “mobile”, that is, one that can be folded down if necessary. When folded, this table can easily serve as a regular compact cabinet.

IllustrationBrief description of the operation performed

The first step is to cut out blanks for the tabletop, measuring 600×600 and 600×475 mm, from plywood 25 mm thick, using a jigsaw or circular saw.

Next, markings are made on the larger panel - a semicircle is drawn, since the front of the table should be rounded.
In order to achieve the correct shape of a semicircle, you can use a large construction compass, or make one yourself - from a nail, pencil and rope.

Then, along the marked line, the tabletop is rounded.
This can be done using a jigsaw or circular saw, installing the appropriate compass attachment on it.

Next, a cutter of the desired configuration is installed on the milling machine, which will make the edges of the tabletop smooth, or, if desired, even or rounded.

The semicircular part of the panel is processed with a milling cutter, leaving the side that will join the second part of the tabletop flat.
Then its edges are processed in the same way.

The next step is to place the two processed parts of the tabletop on a flat table at a distance of 5 mm from each other.
Markings are made for installing furniture hinges. They must be placed at a distance of 100-120 mm from the edge of the tabletop.
Furniture hinges may have different shapes, so they should be placed in the marked place and outlined with a simple pencil.
Then, using a router, special shaped grooves are made in the plywood, the depth of which should be equal to the thickness of the furniture hinges.
The hinges are fixed into the finished holes using self-tapping screws.

After connecting the two parts of the tabletop with hinges, in the middle of the panels, markings are made on their lower side to secure the parts that will form a closed channel for the movement of the moving table leg.
The guides should be fixed at a distance of 30 mm from the junction of the two parts of the tabletop.
For the manufacture of parts, plywood with a thickness of 18 mm is taken. Then, 10 elements are cut out of it and processed with a milling cutter: 530×30 mm in size - 2 pieces, 530×20 mm - 2 pieces, 120×30 mm - 2 pieces, 122×30 mm - 1 piece, 120× 20 mm - 2 pcs., 122×20 mm - 1 pc.
It is important to remember here that long slats should have 45˚ cuts on one edge, and short elements on both sides, so that when joined, they form a right angle. In addition, the upper long and short parts, fixed on top of the lower rails of the guides, are cut off from the ends, also at an angle of 45˚. These cuts are necessary so that their angles do not interfere with the movement of the leg along the formed channel.
Then, the parts are glued with wood glue to the marked area of ​​the rounded, and then to the rectangular part of the tabletop. First, the longest slats measuring 530×20 mm are fixed with glue and then screwed with self-tapping screws; then a piece of 122×20 mm covers the channel.
On top of the long and short fixed slats, second ones are glued, having the same length, but greater width; they are also additionally screwed with self-tapping screws. Thus, an even channel is formed between the table top and the top rail, along which the leg will move.
It is very important to calculate the location of the places where the screws are screwed in so that the top ones do not collide with those that secure the bottom slats.
Four parts are fastened to the rectangular part of the tabletop in the same way.
All elements must be processed until smooth and perfectly evenly fastened to each other, otherwise the leg will bump into obstacles and jam when moving.

The leg is usually made on a lathe. If it is not there, then you can order it from a master or purchase it ready-made.
As a last resort, you can make it square by processing the timber of the required height until smooth.
Then, using a dowel and glue, a square plywood guide plate measuring 80x80x18 mm is attached to the upper end of the leg using a dowel and glue.

Next, after the glue has dried, the leg can be installed in the channel intended for it and tested for its free movement, without jamming.
If necessary, minor adjustments and modifications can be made.

The finished tabletop is painted or coated with water-based varnish - if the goal is to preserve textured pattern plywood.
After this, the finished tabletop is put aside and proceed to the manufacture of the cabinet.

The elements of the cabinet do not have complex configurations, therefore, to make them, it is enough to accurately transfer the dimensions of the parts indicated in the table on an MDF panel or thick plywood and carefully cut them out using a jigsaw or saw.
After the parts are made, their end parts must be processed smoothly with a milling cutter, otherwise they will look sloppy.

If you plan to cover the visible end parts of the cabinet parts with a special laminated edge tape, then this process is carried out using a regular iron.
The tape on its inner side has a layer of glue, which heats up under the influence of heat and ensures reliable fixation of the edge on the surface of the end parts of the MDF panels.

The next step in the cabinet door panel is to make shaped grooves into which furniture hinges will be installed and secured.
The holes are made in the same way as in the countertop using a router, but in this case the router can also be installed in a screwdriver, since MDF has a lower density than plywood and is easier to process without chipping the material.
The hinges should be placed at a distance of 100 mm from the edges of the door - before starting drilling, it is necessary to carry out careful markings.
A similar procedure is carried out with the wall of the cabinet on which the door will be attached.
Then the walls and doors are joined together to check the correct installation and to mark holes for the screws.

In addition to the hinges, you can immediately screw the prepared handle to the door.
To do this, step back 50 mm from the edge of the panel and find a convenient height position, mark a point through which a through hole is drilled to secure the handle.

All manufactured parts of the cabinet are painted with paint of the selected color using a roller and brush.
Paint will not only make the product aesthetically attractive, but will also protect the material from negative influence specific kitchen humid environment.

Next, you can proceed to assembling the bedside table.
Professionals carry out this process using special tools, but they can be easily replaced with improvised devices. For example, you can carry out the assembly on a flat table, and for ease of installation of the cabinet, it is additionally installed on flat bars.
Mutual fastening of parts can be done using wooden dowels, metal furniture corners or self-tapping screws - the latter option is the simplest, but also the most unreliable. In addition, the screw heads will have to be masked with various compounds after assembly.
The assembly process occurs as follows:
- The bottom panel is placed on the stands.
- One of the side panels is leveled on it and using a construction corner, and its location is marked with a pencil.
-The location of the fastening parts is immediately marked on the horizontal and vertical panels.
- Exactly the same procedure is carried out with the second side and dividing middle wall.
- Then holes are drilled at the marked points on the bottom and the end sides of the side panels for installing dowels.
- After this, before gluing the parts together, locations for installing shelves are determined on the side walls. Then, shelf support brackets are mounted in the marked places, for which holes are also drilled.
- Next, dowels coated with glue are installed in the holes drilled in the bottom, and the side walls are put on their upper, protruding part.
- Fixed shelves-lintels are mounted in the same way, simultaneously with the side walls.

Before continuing work, you need to make sure that the glue in the assembled structure has dried well.
To make the cabinet stand more rigidly, it is laid on its side and pressed with clamps while it dries.

While the glue dries, you can start assembling the drawer.
Since it will be completely assembled from MDF, the installation of the box can also be carried out using dowels.
The sides are attached to the bottom of the box, and a line is drawn along them with a pencil, and then marks are made of the places where the dowels will be installed.
Then, the sidewalls are removed, and at the marked places, holes are drilled in their end for installing fasteners. The same is done on the bottom panel.
Next, the dowels are coated with glue and carefully inserted into the holes, connecting the sides to the bottom.

The sidewalls are screwed together using self-tapping screws, the heads of which are recommended to be recessed into the wood, and the holes to be sealed with a mixture of epoxy glue and sawdust.
Another fastening option can be furniture corners, which are screwed from the inside to the sides with self-tapping screws. Each side will require two corners.

When assembling the box, it is necessary to control the evenness of its corners using a construction angle and changing the diagonals, otherwise a skew may occur.

If you plan to install metal roller guides for easy movement of the drawer, then first, the location of their attachment is determined on the sides of the drawers and on the inner walls of the cabinet.
To do this, using a pencil and a ruler, draw a line along which the guides will be fixed.

Next, a front panel is installed to the front of the drawer. It is screwed from the inside of the box, through pre-marked and drilled holes.
In addition to self-tapping screws, it is recommended to use glue to fasten the panel: it is applied to the front panel, and then the front panel is pressed against it, and they are tightened with four or five self-tapping screws.
After the glue has dried in the center façade panel a hole is drilled through which the handle is screwed.

Finally, the long-awaited moment comes - connecting the cabinet and the countertop.
It is recommended to first glue the stationary part of the tabletop to the surface of the cabinet, and then secure it with screws that are screwed in from the inside of the lower cabinets.
But first, the tabletop needs to be positioned correctly. Part of the channel located on the permanently installed tabletop panel should rest against the side of the cabinet - it will serve as a stopper for the movement of the leg towards the table.
The tabletop should extend beyond the edges of the cabinet on the drawer side by 50 mm, open shelves by 30 mm, and on the leg side by 120 mm.

Having secured the tabletop, they proceed to the final installation and screwing the bedside table door onto the screws.
Then the drawer is inserted, and the shelves are installed on the shelf supports.

When closed, the table is compact, so it does not take up much space and looks quite aesthetically pleasing.
If desired, you can choose other colors to decorate it, which will better harmonize with the interior of a particular room.

When open, the table also does not take up much space and fits perfectly into one of the corners of the room.
Thanks to its “light” design, it does not weigh down the interior, and the shape of the tabletop makes it safe for children. Therefore, this table option can be considered ideal for small apartments with small kitchens and rooms.

If there is a need to save money, or simply have a great desire to express yourself in carpentry, then do not delay self-made. Moreover, the assembly will become not only an interesting and useful activity, but also very enjoyable, especially at the moment when the work is successfully completed.

For those who are confident in their abilities, we offer one more interesting option round table, which can easily serve both at home and on the site.

Video: example of assembling a round table

And one more idea kitchen table, which, incorrectly, will also be within the power of a skilled owner to implement independently:

Video: lightweight kitchen table with collapsible design

A table is the second item after a stool that a novice amateur furniture maker should take on. Design simple table no more difficult than a stool; an unpretentious, comfortable table for the country house or for a picnic can be built in half a day, using a hacksaw, hammer and drill. But a table made using the same technology and slightly refined can look great at home, on the left in the figure, instead of an expensive one. However, the table also gives greater freedom. creative self-expression, it can be meaningful and even key element interior design, it is not for nothing that artisanal furniture makers are called carpenters, and not sofa makers, cabinet makers or nightstand makers. Having become proficient in carpentry, you will eventually be able to take on exclusive tables and other positions. right there.

This article discusses how to make tables from wood. Wood is an environmentally friendly, affordable and easily processed material with remarkable aesthetic advantages. In utilitarian products, it forgives beginners quite serious mistakes, but delicate woodwork requires high skill. Having learned how to make wooden things, it will be much easier to master glass, metal and plastic.

Tool and workshop

To make a table with your own hands, you need a production room separate from the living rooms: woodworking, as you know, is dusty. In addition, such good means of tinting and protecting wood as stains emit harmful fumes during the staining process; nitro varnishes too, although to a lesser extent. Therefore, home carpentry should be well ventilated, or better yet, with forced ventilation. You can use the garage, but there will be a lot of sawdust, and it will not be good for the car. Better to work in a barn; if it doesn’t exist yet, then you can build it, and it will be useful for a lot of things on the farm.

An ordinary carpenter's tool, on the left in the figure, will be enough for a start. But work will go much faster, and the result will be better if you get help modern achievements, right there:

  • Rotary miter box, pos. 1, allows you to make cuts exactly to size and angle in 2 planes. It is advisable to take it with a complete bow saw, so everything together will be cheaper and the work will be more accurate. A miter box is a universal device, it will always come in handy and it is better to buy it.
  • Also universal is a manual jigsaw with a tilting shoe, pos. 2, which allows you to cut at an angle to the vertical plane.
  • Disc grinder, pos. 3 and 4, gives a beginner the opportunity in 5-15 minutes to obtain the surface of a wooden surface, which would take an experienced carpenter with sandpaper in hand at least an hour to achieve, and a tape one, pos. 5, also process ends quickly and efficiently; There are also belt sanders for grooves and recesses with a protruding working body. These are already specialized tools, unsuitable for other work, and quite expensive, so it’s better to rent them first. True, craftsmen still successfully brush with grinders, i.e. They artificially age the wood, but this is delicate work.
  • It is also preferable at first to rent a manual wood router, pos. 6, with a set of cutters. They process shaped edges, select holes and grooves.

In general, a universal household woodworking machine (UBDS) of various modifications is very useful on the farm. It is compact, fits on the table, power supply – 220 V 50/60 Hz 380-500 W. UBDS combines circular saw, jointing, wood turning machines and a set of cutters. True, you can’t just turn the table legs on it; the reach of the tailstock caliper is too small. But the caliper itself is just a steel round pipe; it’s not difficult to lengthen it. The cutter stop remains standard, it is movable, the leg and the long support are sharpened in one setting.

How to choose a tree?

A wooden table can be made from any wood of average resistance to decay, except for the softest species: poplar, aspen, alder, willow, ailanthus. Domestic ones include:

The breeds are listed in order of availability. For example, timber harvesting of horse chestnut, plane tree and juniper is not carried out at all: the former are too valuable for landscaping in southern regions, and juniper is endangered and protected. Industrial harvests of elm are almost entirely used for shoe lasts, weaving shuttles, etc., and rowan berries are used for weapon stocks; There is no full-fledged plastic replacement for them yet. Stone birch grows very slowly, in limited places, and does not renew itself well, so its harvesting is strictly regulated, and its wood is expensive.

Note: Walnut is especially valuable for furniture - its wood combines high hardness with excellent toughness, the most openwork carving It doesn't hurt the nut. And walnut wood from burls - large growths on the trunk - is not inferior in texture to Karelian birch.

At the beginning of a carpentry career, it is better to limit yourself to pine, birch, oak, acacia and boxwood. The countertop will be pine or oak; birch - on the legs of a pine table; in the countertop it warps a lot from spills. Acacia and boxwood make excellent dowels, see below.

For a pine tabletop made from boards, you can and even should use low-grade cheap boards - knotty, twisted ones. But, of course, without falling knots, cracks, wormholes and traces of rot in the form of spots of unnatural color: black, gray, blue, green, in general, not similar to this tree. For example, traces of rot on black (ebony) wood may be whitish or yellowish.

Why is there substandard quality on the countertop? Perhaps also unedged, which needs to be finished using a circular saw and jointer? And after skillful processing, the resulting layers are of remarkable beauty, on the left in Fig. Manufacturers do not like such wood: the production cycle is delayed and waste increases. But for yourself, doing it yourself is not so scary compared to the result.

Wooden crock

Commercial pine has a clearly defined wood zonation in the form of annual growth rings; other conifers and many deciduous species also have it. On the cut of the board, the rings form the so-called. hump in the form of thin concentric arcs. If the top of the tree is directed across the face of the board, as in Fig. in the center, then when joining the shield for the tabletop (see below), the boards are oriented with their humps alternately up and down, from below in Fig. If the humps are directed towards the end of the board (on the right in the figure), then the boards are placed in the shield with their humps in one direction. These subtleties are necessary so that during operation the tabletop does not crack or warp.

Varnishes, paints, impregnation, glue

A free way to protect wood from rotting is used motor oil, but for what you eat, this is not the best option. Impregnation with water-polymer emulsion (WPE) twice, with a break of 3-5 days, would be optimal; it will provide protection to the table for the entire duration of its life. Even birch plywood impregnated with EPE is suitable for furniture front panels: coated with varnish on top, it does not delaminate.

Old furniture nitrocellulose varnishes NTs-218 and NTs-2144 with solvent No. 647 are gradually going out of use: they are superior in all respects acrylic varnishes water based; In addition, they are safe to use. Also, glues, bone carpentry and BF-2 with alcohol are inferior to PVA; True, to obtain a high-quality seam, the latter requires applying glue to both surfaces, keeping them until they are tacky before joining and keeping them under pressure for 1-3 days, but in home production This is acceptable for yourself.

Wood for furniture can be tinted in advance and protected with stain, which allows you to make beautiful typesetting parts; an example will be given below. To tint the assembled units, you can use paints based on the same varnish and artistic (not painting!) dyes: oil in tubes for NC varnishes and acrylic water-based for the same varnish.

First, prepare the “painting”: take 30-50 ml of varnish and squeeze 1-1.5 cm of paint into it while continuously stirring thoroughly with a painting brush. The paint is stored in a tightly closed bottle and added to the varnish to the desired tone; a test for it is made on a piece of wood, the tone is determined by the complete drying of the varnish. Colored varnishes based on NC and oil paints can be mixed according to the mixing rules oil paints for painting; acrylic - no restrictions.

First steps

The country table is the first of the homemade ones. If there are 1-2 brick pallets left from the construction site, then a table made from pallets will be the first of the first. Not only because it is extremely simple, but also because it is very useful on the farm.

From one pallet, sanded, impregnated and varnished, you get a garden table like a coffee table, on the left in Fig. If you have a pair in stock, you can make a wall-mounted work desk-rack out of them in literally half an hour, in the center and on the right. You can also weave chains for it yourself from soft wire, covered with a PVC tube or, better, heat-shrinkable. To fully raise the tabletop, small tools are placed on the shelf of a wall pallet.

With a little more work, a prefabricated cutting table for the dacha is made from one pallet, allowing you to move the summer-autumn harvesting campaign outside without littering with husks and without trampling on stalks. For the winter, this table is assembled into a compact package. The design is clear from Fig; Place a bucket under the hatch in the countertop.

The next in order of complexity is the well-known country trestle table, in common parlance a goat. Its structure of 40 mm boards is shown on the left in the figure, and in addition to it is a bench of the same device. And on the right is a country folding table based on the same principle. It has articulated joints (M8-M12 bolts, washers and nuts with locknuts); in the place marked in green, a stop boss is placed on nails between the crossbars of the table top. When folded, this table fits in the trunk of a car, so it’s also suitable for going on a picnic. If this is not expected, or the trunk is larger, the table top can be made longer.

Finally, a gazebo table also does not require any special tools or skills, see fig. below. The material is the same magpie board and some inexpensive fasteners.

One step closer to art...

To advance in table building, you now need to learn some of the basics of carpentry. A table, in general, consists of a table top, its supporting frame, possibly with niches and/or mechanisms, or simply a plate - a base - legs, and the nodes that hold everything together. Let's go through them starting with the connections along with the legs, because... their fastening is the weakest point of the table.

Connections and legs

At first, we need to master the connection on dowels - round wooden bosses, see fig. Dowel joints are assembled using quick-drying glue that does not require curing: wood glue, BF-2, acrylic. Sometimes, to connect thin boards, instead of dowels, nails with bitten off heads are used, pos. 4, but this is bad: the wood dries out, but the metal does not, and over time the connection becomes loose.

For dowels, use thin-layered wood that is stronger than both parts being connected, i.e. the hardest rocks. A pine table on birch legs can be connected with oak or beech dowels. There are ready-made round sticks for cutting dowels on sale; Before use, the edges of the dowels are chamfered. Plastic dowels are also sold, but they are intended exclusively for detachable connections, e.g. inserts in sliding tables.

Legs for tables industrial production fastened with detachable drawers, see fig. on right. The item marked in yellow is the simplest, cheapest and worst. Buyers of Shiroptrebov Soviet furniture are well aware of its shortcomings and complete lack of advantages, let it remain there. Reliable, holds well, except for the legs, and the boards of the underframe, drawers with mortise jibs, “green” pos. They also require the least cost, but are quite labor-intensive, so they are rarely used in industry, but just right for an amateur. The drawbar with a shaped steel jib, at the top right in the figure, is even stronger; In this way, you can attach legs with a round head and any legs in general, but you need purchased shaped parts made of high-quality steel.

Note: The legs are attached to the round table as shown below in Fig.

Detachable legs are needed not only for ease of storage and transportation. IN small apartment with a narrow corridor, it is often simply impossible to push a table with legs into the living room, no matter how you turn it. Modern apartments more spacious, and in 1-story private houses the table can be brought in/out through the window, so in such cases the strength and durability of a table with tightly fixed legs comes to the fore.

For tables on a rectangular base, the heads of the legs for blind fastening must also be rectangular, pos. 1 in Fig. By the way, the drawers can also be one-piece: then the legs have dowels that pass through a mortise wooden jib. From the inside, the dowels are cut flush and wedged with dogwood or boxwood wedges inserted across the grain of the jib wood. Assembled with glue, such a connection is so strong and durable that you can fight with these 200-year-old tables by grabbing the legs.

Sufficiently high-quality tables with turned legs are simply assembled on dowels, pos. 2. For simpler tables, the legs are made of timber and fastened with self-tapping screws after attaching the tabletop to the tabletop, pos. 3. Even simpler and lighter are the legs from a pair of boards each, pos. 4 and 5. To prevent them from clinging to the floor, you need to put thrust bearings on them below or put the table on wheels.

Tabletop

The easiest, but not the cheapest, option is to order a laminated countertop. particle board(chipboard, laminate). Laminated chipboard for countertops is available in the form of so-called. postforming - 3.6x1.2 m slabs 20-60 mm thick with a decorative coating. The upper edge of the postforming plate is rounded, the lower edge has a drip tray, see fig. Modern furniture laminate is completely environmentally friendly, no matter what those who don’t want to forget about the furniture, which stank of phenol for months, gossip about.

Postforming is well purchased by small furniture enterprises. They always have his waste; of them you are willing and for completely affordable price They will cut the tabletop to size if the company has a jig cutting machine. Perhaps such an order will be accepted by a single individual entrepreneur if he is sitting idle. The finished slab will be edged, i.e. cover the end of the PVC with edging (edge). If you do the edging yourself (sometimes they ask for an absurd extra payment for edging), then keep in mind:

  • The upper and lower flanges of the edging have different profiles, see on the left in Fig. Mix it up - there will always be a edging of dirt on the table.
  • The edging must be taken exactly according to the thickness of the slab. You can put a 24 mm edging on a 25 mm slab, but it will soon slide off.
  • The groove for the edging ridge must be selected using a manual disk cutter; No one seems to have done it properly with a saw yet.
  • Before installing the edging, a thin layer is applied to the surface of the end silicone sealant and the “sausage” is squeezed into the groove; V in this case silicone will also act as a lubricant, without which the ridge ridge may simply become wrinkled.
  • The comb is inserted into the groove with light blows of the mallet, gradually moving along the contour. The tabletop should lie face up on the support; squeezed out excess silicone is immediately wiped off with a clean rag lightly moistened with table vinegar.

Plank tabletops are held together in plank frames with wedges and spacers - wedges. It’s quite possible to make the vamps yourself; You need 3-4 per tabletop. The boards (cheeks) of the weim are wrapped in polyethylene so that the shield does not stick to them. In Fig. for example, the process of making a round tabletop; the rectangular one is put together in the same way, only cutting it to size is easier. The shield is attached to the tabletop using glue and dowels (see below); if the boards are tongue-and-groove, dowels are not needed. When rallying on PVA, the next plot is kept until the applied glue comes off before installing it in the clamp.

Often, countertops are assembled without bands on a plaza - a flat surface covered with plastic film. It will not be possible to assemble a good board panel on the plaza: either it will come out cracked, or the boards will stand on end when assembling it. But in the right hands, stacked tabletops made from fragments are simply wonderful. For example, at pos. 1-3 fig. – tabletop made from sawing waste, tinted with stain. And at pos. 4-5 The base of the tabletop was the platform itself, made of thick plywood. The tile and its chips are glued with tile adhesive, then the depressions are filled with grout, the surface is varnished and the outline is outlined with a wooden strip edge.

Note: These examples do not illustrate all the possibilities of making inlaid artistic tabletops with your own hands.

Underframe

Table base with fixed legs - simple wooden frame, left in Fig. Niches and parts of mechanisms are not involved in the power circuit. If the table is longer than 1.2 m, or the tabletop is removable/extendable, or large operating loads are expected (for example, a work table), the underframe is reinforced with stiffening ribs in the center. If the legs are attached with drawers, then the underframe is made integral with the tabletop to create a single power circuit, on the right in Fig.

Without frame

Tables without an underframe are also known, in which the tabletop and legs work in a single supporting system. Very durable, e.g. plywood table on the left in the figure; its connections are dowel. Unfortunately, this is not an economical design for an amateur: the sidewalls cannot be assembled from pieces, they must be solid. In mass production, the waste is not very large, but a sheet of plywood with a thickness of 24 mm or more will be used in one piece for large sidewalls, and another 1 piece for smaller ones. The table on the right is quite possible to make with your own hands: load-bearing frame made; connections - in a tenon with a tightening bolt and half a tree. However, the tabletop in this case should be round or square, with rounded or right corners.

... and we find ourselves in the kitchen

Exactly. The kitchen table is the next in order of complexity after the simplest country tables. It should already meet the requirements of apartment ergonomics, dimensions - 75 cm in height for people of average size; the width of the place for 1 eater/rider is 60-80 cm, depending on its corpulence, the width of the tabletop is at least 70 cm. The aesthetic appearance is very desirable, but is not decisive: suddenly you messed up with the decoration, that’s why the tablecloth. The countertop should be easy to clean, durable, and resistant to spilled heat from hot dishes.

All these requirements will be satisfied by a table made of chipboard on metal legs; They are also sold separately in sets of 4 pieces, with fasteners, on the left in Fig. Factory-made table legs are usually equipped with height-adjustable heels. A table, the manufacture of which will be reduced to screwing the leg sockets with confirmatory screws, will cost 30-50% less than a completely purchased one, and in appearance it will not be inferior to it, on the right in Fig.

If you are not too lazy to put your hands to it, you can make steel legs with your own hands. This is not only a cheaper, but also a more durable option: the sockets of the branded legs are cast from rather fragile silumin, the fastenings weaken over time and need to be tightened. You can cut out the nests yourself from good steel, and weld the very legs into them.

In a larger kitchen, there may be room for a larger table. In such a case, follow up. rice. Rustic style kitchen table plans. This table is “rustic” not only in appearance: it does not have a single nail or metal fasteners at all. Just wood and glue. A connoisseur, seeing this, nods his head in understanding and approval, and the design is simple and accessible to a beginner. True, in addition to the tabletop, you will also have to assemble the panels for the sidewalls, but in this case the extra work is worth it.

Kruglyashi

A table with a round top is appropriate in any room, if it fits there. But a tabletop made of boards in this case is not the best the best option: due to the presence of sharp corners, it is without a frame, which is very complex and labor-intensive, and is susceptible to splitting. Composite countertops made from small fragments, like the one described above from waste, are free from this drawback; Unlike laminate roundels, they are decorative, stylish, unique and practically free.

There are even more sharp corners in a finely-set countertop, but here the “broom law” comes into play. Not the American Senator Venik, who loves democracy in Russia to the point of complete oblivion about it at home, but that broom that is used to sweep away trash. As you know, it is impossible to break it (the broom, not the senator) when tied, but even a child will break it twig by twig. So here, thanks to the ease of distributing loads between small fragments, a table top assembled from them works like a solid slab, and after assembly you can cut it even “Zu”.

Note: The idea of ​​the senator-broom, sorry, Broom, was brought to mind by the statement of his compatriot Samuel Clemens, world famous as Mark Twain: “I assert, and I undertake to prove it, that Mr. Cooper has no more imagination than a bull. But not the bull that moos in the pasture, but the one that supports the bridge.”

How to make a semi-folding round table is shown in the figure; On the right there are the tabletop dimensions and assembly order. And in Fig. Above on the right is a small round table for the hallway, according to the old classification - a business table. Its feature is the minimum number of connections; assembly with glue. Any round piece will fit on the tabletop, from a stump cut to a cardboard one, made according to the manufacturing method cardboard shelves, but the underframe must be durable, made of wood (two hundred boards) or laminated chipboard.

Let's go further: to the living room

The table in the main room of the house should suit the whole house. At the same time, with the modern desire for laconic design (which also saves costs on living space), the table should, for the time being, not be conspicuous and occupy smaller place. Therefore, one of the most popular pieces of furniture these days has become a transforming table.

The simplest transformable table, which, despite all its transformations, remains a table and does not turn into a closet or bed - a table-bedside table; It is quite possible to make it yourself “from scratch”. There are 2 options that are most common here. On the left in Fig. – the table is unfoldable, it has a record ratio of occupied space in expanded and collapsed form. These are most often placed in studio apartments perpendicular to the wall on the border of the kitchen and living areas. With the tabletop wings lowered, it will serve as a bar. By lifting the wings one at a time, you can get a kitchen or everyday dining table, and when fully deployed (in the center), it will provide space for a fairly crowded banquet.

For a bachelor living in a small apartment, a folding table-bedside table, on the right in Fig. These are essentially 2 small round folding tables described above, connected by a rectangular insert. You can have lunch with one folded one, because, unlike the previous option, there is somewhere to put your legs. And when you turn it around, spend a romantic evening with a beautiful stranger or intimate gatherings with friends.

All the above qualities are combined in transforming coffee and dining tables with a mechanism. The variety of transformation mechanisms is great, but for tables, which are always tables, they mainly come down to 2 types: elevator (pantograph) and book. How they both work, see the video:

Theoretically, a book is more stable than an elevator, although a lot depends on the quality of execution. Book lovers are more popular because a book-like mechanism can still be made independently, but an elevator outside production conditions is unlikely.

How the book-table unfolds is shown step by step in Fig. on right. To make it yourself, you need to know that the key unit is the damping-balancing elastic link. Quite expensive branded designs use very softly operating gas dampers (gas lifts), but for an amateur it is better to opt for a spring damper, and not because gas lift is much more expensive.

The fact is that the gas lift must be coordinated within fairly narrow limits with the kinematics of the lever system, the weight of the tabletop, underframe and the dead weight of the levers. If the balance of the entire system does not fit into its characteristics, the mechanism simply will not work. And the spring can always be tightened/loosened; as a last resort, replace it. In general, an unsuccessful homemade transforming table with gas lifts can rarely be “brought to fruition,” but a spring table almost always does. If you still decide to suffer with a homemade acrobat table, in Fig. – drawings of the spring transformation mechanism.

Without the availability of drilling, turning and metal milling machines or access to them, most parts of the transformation mechanism will have to be ordered. Then its production will cost a little about $40, and you can buy a good ready-made one for $50-$60. A factory-made transforming coffee table rarely costs less than $200, so even in this situation the savings are significant.

The transforming table is made to fit the mechanism. One of the most popular are Mazetti transformation mechanisms, thanks to good quality at a moderate price for this class of products. In addition, Mazetti mechanisms are produced in a supporting frame (inset in the center in the figure), which greatly simplifies installation. Other pos. in Fig. show the structure and dimensions of the table for this mechanism.

For a strong feast

Whatever you say, a normal family with children, friends and relatives cannot do without crowded gatherings at the table, and here a transforming table will not always help out. However, we will leave more or less full banquet tables for the living room, as they say, for later: these are products of a higher order of complexity; primarily due to the sliding mechanism.

By the way, the good old “sliders” with wooden guides and wooden sliders of the tabletop halves (item 1 in the figure) are quite convenient and reliable when properly executed; in addition, you can make them yourself, but such a process requires a special detailed description. Modern sliding mechanisms with telescopic guides for full extension, pos. 2, allow you to use not 1, but up to 3-5 inserts, which increases the table capacity by 6-10 people, respectively, but they are quite expensive, and their installation requires a description no less voluminous.

There are banquet tables with folding inserts, pos. 3. In elite models, when moving the tabletop halves apart, the inserts are lifted, unfolded and put into place or put back into the underframe by a very complex mechanism, but its manual versions are available for making at home.

As for banquet tables with retractable individual tables, arranged like a keyboard stand in computer desk, then they cannot be called popular: by leaning forward (and how can this be avoided if the house has no servants?), we will get the board back into the table, and our portion of the treat will be used for festive clothes.

But let's not talk about sad things. Let us remember that the table is not always moved apart, and you can use an extension, but a solid table is in any case more reliable. Therefore, in the series of pictures below there is a way to make a very durable and inexpensive dining table, and see how it looks “alive” on the left in the picture. at first.

In addition

You often want to paint a table, or any furniture, in more than just stripes or paint it artistically. To protect the design from external influences and to ensure the possibility of refinishing the varnish if necessary, the paint should not be applied, but rather rubbed into the wood before varnishing. The technique of painting by rubbing paint in layers is called glazing. So in conclusion, we offer a master class on glazing wood.

Video: master class on wood glazing

Who said that a table is a simple piece of furniture? In fact, creating a table is a fascinating activity, especially with your own hands from natural wood. Today, in our editorial review, we will tell you how to make a wooden table with your own hands, what knowledge you need to have in order for your design to serve long years no complaints.

Ideas for making a wooden table with your own hands: photos, recommendations, drawings and step-by-step instructions

Before getting to work, it is important to decide on the following points:

  1. Dimensions and operating conditions. The functionality and additional activities that will need to be taken.
  2. Find (draw) a plan diagram.
  3. Choice of material and accessories.

For a beginning master, it is better to choose simpler sketches. Here are some sketches that you might find useful.

Related article:

Photo examples, drawings, diagrams, materials; features of making furniture for the garden, children's room, bathhouse, gazebo, tips and recommendations from craftsmen - read in our publication.

Wooden table for the garden and home: choice of material

Best to use natural wood. For experienced craftsman Even old boards will do. A few movements with the plane and the raw material is ready for work. The prepared wood must be dried.


Tools needed to create a DIY wooden table

For manufacturing, for example, you will need a minimum set of hand tools: a hacksaw, a hammer, a miter box, a screwdriver, nails, screws, a tape measure or ruler, a square and a pencil.


Related article:

: what is it, advantages and disadvantages; step by step production coffee table, armchair, sofa, bench, rack; decor features with photos - read in the publication.

DIY wooden table: drawings, photos and step-by-step instructions

For work, you can use either solid boards or . Carry out an audit of old furniture, you may find materials that can be used.

Making a round wooden table

Let's look at the process of making a simple round table from boards for a summer house. We will need ordinary boards and slats to secure the structure.

Important! Before starting work, the boards must be treated with a plane and sandpaper.

Illustration Description of action

We lay out the processed boards in the order in which we will knock down the table. In our case, they have grooves and we will connect them using a tongue-and-groove system.

We connect the boards with help and squeeze them with clamps. After 24 hours, the clamps can be removed.

Using bars we build up the tabletop. Next, find the center on the resulting shield and, using a compass or auxiliary means (nail, string and pencil), draw a circle with a diameter of 1000 mm.

Next, using , cut out a circle along the outlined contour.

Sand the work surface.

We will make the legs from bars measuring 4x4 cm. We process them with a grinder.

We fasten the legs to the corners.

This is the simple table we came up with for the garden.

Related article:

: photos of stages of work, advantages and disadvantages of such beds, their varieties, as well as step-by-step master class on the manufacture of such structures, how to choose the right mattress for beds made of pallets - in our publication.

How to make a wooden kitchen table

You can get a very simple and stylish table by spending literally one evening in.

By the way, this model is very popular, if you want the same one for your kitchen, you can make it yourself.

And here is another option for making a simple kitchen table with your own hands -

Photo gallery of various options for do-it-yourself wooden tables

As an example, we suggest exploring several options for wooden tables for different rooms in our photo gallery.

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