I want to build a table!

September 6, 2006 7:11 PM

I'm looking for a set of plans to build a round dining table. I've looked all over the internet, but can't find quite what I'm looking for. Should be your basic round table, 60 inches wide, with NO extension leaf or anything like that.

I'm willing to purchase the plans from a carpentry website or whatever - I just can't find any that fit my requirements.

posted by silverstatue to sports, hobbies, & recreation (9 comments total)

What is your skill level? Have you built anything like this before? What sort of tools/equipment do you have available?

I could provide some advice/plans if you gave an idea of what sort of materials you wanted to use/look you were going for.
posted by davey_darling at 7:55 PM on September 6, 2006

The big-box hardware stores, like Lowe's and Home Depot have precut round tabletops available. You'd just have to provide the legs, apron, and mounting hardware.

If you'd like to make the round top yourself, you'd need an appropriate number of boards in the thickness you desire, a biscuit cutter and a number of biscuits (or a drill and some dowel rods), some wood glue, and a jigsaw.

Oh, and I guess you'd need a nail, and a piece of string to act as a compass. And a hammer, if we're being pedantic.
posted by odinsdream at 8:04 PM on September 6, 2006

You might be able to easily adapt The New Yankee Workshop's Carousel Table measure drawing, which can be purchased with or without the video showing how the project was made by Norm Abram.
posted by paulsc at 12:22 AM on September 7, 2006

Is this your first woodworking project? I'll answer as if yes.

A casual, quick and easy solution is to search some second hand stores for a cheap but acceptable base whose top you are willing and able to remove. Then purchase a 60"x60" piece of Baltic (sometimes called Russian) plywood, cut your circle, round-over or chamfer the edges and mount. Finish as desired. Mount to salvaged base. Baltic birch can stand up to having its edges exposed (if you find the aesthetics acceptable) because of its finer layering (versus standard plywood). Plus it is readily available as a 5'x5' sheet. An additional advantage of using plywood is you need not worry about details to overcome wood movement which are required to make a successful solid wood top.
posted by Dick Paris at 2:57 AM on September 7, 2006

You can probably find something that suits you at woodworker workshop.
posted by klarck at 4:25 AM on September 7, 2006

Not to put too much of a damper on your enthusiasm, but making a tabletop can be a touch challenging. If you want to make it from board lumber, you'll want to get yourself access to a planer (to make all the boards the same thickness) and a jointer (to clean up the edges you'll be joining). And, as mentioned above, a biscuit cutter and biscuits are awesome for joining two pieces of wood on the edge.

You'll also want some bar clamps, probably the kind you can use with black pipe since there aren't many bar clamps in 60"+ size.

After you've selected your well-seasoned wood and planed and jointed it (of course, you'll lay it all out before hand to make sure you have the most aesthetically pleasing and simplest, in woodworking challenge, arrangement), you "simply":

- start gluing it up with biscuits
- clamp the whole thing together with bar clamp
- wait

Once you have your rough piece, "simply" scribe a circle on it and go to. A jigsaw is probably your best bet. If you have access to a big bandsaw, you may want to make up a jig that rotates the your rough piece on its center and pass it through the bandsaw for a more even cut.

After that, it's all cake. Use a router to cut your favorite profile on the edge, sand like crazy and finish.

Oh, legs and skirt. Yep. You can order those online. I highly recommend it, esp since the skirt will come with those angled screw holes you need.

One more thing: use those funky metal clips that attach the top loosely to the skirt. The top is going to expand and contract at weird rates and your life will be a lot easier if it has room to move.
posted by jdfan at 8:16 AM on September 7, 2006

My father will be doing most of the building and I will be helping him. He's a fairly proficient carpenter and has done other woodworking projects before (built a rolltop desk from a plan, did various renovations to our house), but he'd like us to work off a plan so we dont mess up on any demensions.

we'll be working with oak, and he has all the basic tools - table saw, miter saw, etc.

thanks for everyone's help so far!
posted by silverstatue at 8:41 AM on September 7, 2006

I've not noticed plans for a round dining table in Fine Woodworking but looking through this set of articles is bound to help. Projects And Design - Tables.
posted by Dick Paris at 9:14 AM on September 7, 2006

it would be easier if you bought the table legs/base separately, then you can concentrate on making a really beautiful top.
posted by killy willy at 9:39 AM on September 7, 2006