Creating the Tabletop

Below you will find details on how to create your tabletop after designing:

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1. Lay the tabletop planks side by side on a flat surface. Try to pick a surface that is as flat as possible so your tabletop is even as well. Select a side on each board to serve as the top part of your table. Position each board so this side is facedown. Arrange the boards into the tabletop you sketched in your plan.

• When making large tables, lay the boards on the floor. You may want to lay down a sheet or tarp first so that the wood doesn’t get scratched.
• Planking is when you lay boards together. The easiest way to join the boards to the rest of the table this way is through tongue and groove planking, but you can also use a dowel to create a butt joint if you know how to do that.
• Another way to make the tabletop is with a single sheet of wood. This can be a little more expensive and difficult due to the weight of the wood. To save money, consider using hardwood veneer construction plywood.

2. Drill pocket holes from the outer boards to the inner board. Drilling the holes before adding screws prevents the boards from cracking. To create the holes, measure along the sides of the center board. Mark it about every 7 in (18 cm). You will need to use a very long drill bit, about 3 in (7.6 cm) wide, called a pocket hole drill bit. Drill at an angle down through the side boards and into the side of the center board every 7 in (18 cm).

• To make drilling easy, use a pocket hole jig You set the jig’s depth, then use it to drill the perfect holes. It reduces the chances of drilling all the way through the wood.
• You will have a much easier time securing the boards if you clamp them together first.
• This isn’t the only way to connect boards. You can also assemble the legs and aprons first. Attach the boards directly to the aprons with pocket holes.

3. Attach the boards together with screws. Place 2 ¹⁄₂ in (6.4 cm) pocket hole screws in each of the holes you drilled. Use a power drill to push the screws all the way into the pocket holes. They won’t cut into the wood, leaving you with a very secure tabletop.

4. Trace the position of the aprons on the table’s underside. The aprons attach to the tabletop and legs, preventing them from moving. From the edges of the tabletop, measure in about 1 in (2.5 cm). Then, draw a line in pencil to indicate where the aprons will connect to the tabletop.

• Having the 1 in (2.5 cm) margin prevents the aprons from sticking out past the edge of the table. This leaves a little more leg room and makes your table look better overall.
• If you haven’t cut the aprons yet, use the tabletop length and width measurements to create them.

5. Clamp and glue the aprons to the tabletop. Set the aprons down on the lines you traced. You will have 2 shorter aprons along the table’s width and 2 longer aprons for the table’s length. Spread a solid, even coating of wood glue underneath the aprons to secure them to the table. Clamp them in place overnight to ensure they stay attached.

• You may attach these pieces permanently by screwing them to the tabletop. Use a pocket hole jig to secure the wood together with pocket screws.
• You can also attach the legs to the table first then connect the aprons to the legs using pocket screws. You may then add corner braces to help hold the legs in place.

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