Build a Simple, Sturdy Wooden Table

Woodworking
Build a Simple, Sturdy Wooden Table

Make Projects Nick Raymond Table

MAKE engineering intern Nick Raymond can’t get enough of making. When he’s not at the Make: Lab building projects for upcoming issues of MAKE, he’s at his home workshop crafting useful objects like surfboard slip covers, light boxes, and this solid, classic wooden table, which he documented and shared with the community on Make: Projects. From the introduction:

Before moving off to college I wanted to build something that would be suitable as a kitchen table and double as my desk for studying. It needed to be sturdy and robust enough to last through college and for the years to come, yet I did not want to build a piece of furniture that would require four guys and a moving truck to move it up a flight of stairs.

Using mortise and tenon joints in combination with inexpensive kerf-mounted corner brackets, I was able to build an attractive and rigid table that can be disassemble and rebuilt all by myself.

When you’re ready to move, all you have to do is unscrew the tabletop from the frame and unscrew the eight nuts from the hanger bolts. Make your own following Nick’s how-to on Make: Projects. You can’t really go wrong with classic and convenient.

16 thoughts on “Build a Simple, Sturdy Wooden Table

  1. A says:

    There is a huge problem with this project – specifically step 11. You should ONLY put glue along the middle third of the breadboard end, NOT the entire length!!!

    Wood will expand and contract across the width of the grain (and the width of the table) with changes in the seasons and humidity. So in warmer/moister times of the year, the table top will swell so it is Wider, and in dryer/cooler times of the year it will be Narrower. The breadboard end is attached across the grain, and that piece of wood will NOT move at the same rate. It needs to be a primarily mechanical joint, not a glue joint.

    As it is currently built, this tabletop is at risk of cracking.

    1. Anonymous says:

      Good feedback, A! Thanks. The cool thing about Make: Projects is that it’s a community wiki, so these sorts of tips/corrections/modifications can be added. Would you be willing to add this to the project? If so, we’d greatly appreciate it. We want these project articles to be living documents that change with the interactions of the maker community.

      1. A says:

        Okay, I tried to add a section explaining about wood movement. It doesn’t show up yet, and I assume it’s being reviewed or … wait I see it’s being held for verification. Hmm, looks like I got it in the wrong place (I thought it inserted before, but it inserts after…) I also tried to follow the formatting rules for a heading but that didn’t work either. oh well.

        Art Mulder (www.wordsnwood.com)

        1. Anonymous says:

          Thanks so much, Art. We’ll get your additions reviewed and posted ASAP.

          There is a little bit of learning curve in Make: Projects, and some quirks, but it becomes much easier, and downright fun (at least I enjoy it) once you get the hang of it.

          Thanks again.

          1. Anonymous says:

            Art, thanks for catching the error and contributing to Make Projects.

  2. Tom Hoover says:

    Table looks great! I bet you get a lot of people trying to get you to make one for them once you get to school. Just remember your school work comes first!

    1. Amiria says:

      thats true school ALWAYS come first hehe:)

      1. jamie says:

        no evn

  3. jamie says:

    yo thats what im talking about lol

  4. Jaba says:

    Where’d this project go? When I click the link it bounce me to the main projects page.

    1. Goli Mohammadi says:

      Hi Jaba,

      You can access the project here: http://blog.makezine.com/projects/wooden-table/

      Thanks!

  5. Diy Simple Wooden Table – Bill S Ramsey says:

    […] a farmhouse table. Diy pete shows the entire process from start to finish. This farm table can be. Build a simple, sturdy wooden table make. Build a simple, sturdy wooden table. This week in making dancing drones, ebook bargains, and diy […]

  6. Diy Simple Wooden Table – Hans G Ramsey says:

    […] $50 farmhouse table diy project duration how to make a stylish wooden side table part 2 duration. Build a simple, sturdy wooden table make diy projects. Build a simple, sturdy wooden table. This week in making dancing drones, ebook bargains, and diy […]

  7. build wooden end table – Woodworking Plans Free Download says:

    […] Build a Simple, Sturdy Wooden Table […]

  8. building a wooden desktop – Woodworking Plans Free Download says:

    […] Build a Simple, Sturdy Wooden Table […]

  9. SunnyDanny says:

    if you want to know how to make it yourself , just go to Wood Prix webpage. There you’ll find your answers :)

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

I'm a word nerd who loves to geek out on how emerging technology affects the lexicon. I was an editor on the first 40 volumes of MAKE, and I love shining light on the incredible makers in our community. In particular, covering art is my passion — after all, art is the first thing most of us ever made. When not fawning over perfect word choices, I can be found on the nearest mountain, looking for untouched powder fields and ideal alpine lakes.

Contact me at snowgoli@gmail.com or via @snowgoli.

View more articles by Goli Mohammadi

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK