How to Build a Coffee & End Table

Woodworkers who design, cut and assemble on their own products from home for a profit make up 12 percent of the 323,300 woodworking jobs in the U.S. in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This suggests that building homemade furniture could essentially create a profit, if you decide to sell the finished furniture. Building your own furniture, such as coffee tables and end tables, allow you to add a custom design to your work, so you stand out on the woodworking market. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

Building a Coffee Table

1

Lay the 2-by 2-inch lumber down on a flat surface. Use the measuring tape, pencil and ruler to draw four table legs on the lumber piece, each measuring 20 inches in length. Put the lumber aside and take the plywood boards and lay them down. Using the same tools as above, draw the remaining pieces for the coffee table. This includes two rectangles measuring 14 inches by 2 inches, two rectangles measuring 43 inches by 2 inches and the table top measuring 45 inches by 15 inches.

2

Cut the nine pieces out for coffee table using the saw of your choice. The best types are the jigsaw or an electric saw, as you have more control and can provide a sharper cut. Use sandpaper to eliminate splinters on the sides of each piece.

3

Lay the four 2-inch wide table legs aside. Place the 14-inch pieces across from each other in a vertical fashion and the 43-inch pieces across from one another in a horizontal fashion to create a large rectangle. The 43-inch pieces should go in between the 14-inch pieces to create the rectangle. Attach the pieces in the corners using the 1-inch nails and the hammer. Use two nails per corner and hammer the nails through the 14-inch piece, so they extend into the 43-inch pieces. Use the level to ensure the frame is even when constructing it.

4

Take the four lumber table legs and place one in each corner of the wooden frame. The legs should be placed inside the frame and on their ends, so they all stand straight up in the air. Connect each leg to the corner by hammering two nails in each frame side. Turn the table structure right side up when done.

5

Lay the table top down, so the bottom side is facing up towards you. Measure 1-inch inward from all four sides and draw a rectangle using the ruler and pencil. From that rectangular line, measure another 1/2-inch inward and draw a second rectangle inside the first rectangle. The 1/2-inch perimeter section just drawn matches the 1/2-inch perimeter of the table structure just assembled in the previous step.

6

Use the pencil and measuring tape to create small marks within the 1/2-inch section. Start from one corner and measure 2 inches and make a mark. From that mark, measure another 2 inches and make a mark. Ensure that the marks are in the middle of the 1/2-inch perimeter section. Continue until the entire 1/2-inch perimeter has been marked. Repeat this procedure on the wooden table frame, where the table top will be placed. The marks made should be identically spaced as the ones made on the table top. Use the drill and drill bit to drill 1/4-inch deep holes in both the table top and the wooden frame using each mark as your guide. Ensure that the drilled holes do not go through and through on the table top piece.

7

Insert a wooden dowel into each of the drilled holes in the table structure frame. Flip the table top right-side up, so the drilled holes are facing down. Place the table top on the table structure and push down, so the wooden dowels are inserted into the drilled holes. Use the hammer to gently apply pressure to the table top, so it is securely attached to the table structure.

Building an End Table

8

Draw two rectangles on the plywood that measures 14 inches by 2 inches. Draw an additional two pieces measuring 13 inches by 2 inches. Draw the table top on the plywood, so it measures 15 inches by 15 inches. Draw four table legs on the lumber that measures the same as the coffee table legs from the previous section.

9

Use the same saw as in the previous section to cut the pieces out for the end table. Follow the same procedure with sandpapering the freshly cut wood.

10

Create a wooden frame, as the one you created when assembling the coffee table. In this case, place the 14-inch pieces horizontally across from one another and the 13-inch pieces vertically across from one another. The 13-inch pieces should be in between the 14-inch pieces. Attach the pieces using the same method as discussed in step 3 of the previous section.

11

Repeat steps 4 to 7 in the previous section to complete the end table.