How to Build a Lounge Table

Making the Tabletop

• 1

  Lay two planks of 24-inch long 1-by-8 lumber side by side on your work surface. This is the tabletop, which will be 16-by-24-inches long once complete.

• 2

  Apply glue to the edge of the lumber where the two planks join and press them together.

• 3

  Clamp the two planks together with F-clamps, keeping the planks flat and pressed tight while the glue dries.

Making the Table Apron

• 4

  Trim the ends of two 20-inch and two 12-inch planks of 1-by-2 lumber to 45-degree angles, using a miter saw.

• 5

  Form the mitered planks into a rectangle, with the angled ends forming 90-degree corners. This is the table apron frame.

• 6

  Glue the corner joints of the table apron frame and set them into corner clamps while the glue is drying.

Attaching the Table Legs

• 7

  Insert four planks of 18-inch 4-by-4 lumber into each corner of the table apron frame. These are the legs for the lounge table. Push the legs down, so they sit flush with the bottom of the frame.

• 8

  Drill four pilot holes, sized to fit the shank of 2-inch wood screws, through the apron frame into each of the legs, two on each side of the apron frame corners. There should be four pilot holes per leg.

• 9

  Attach the legs to the apron frame, with the 2-inch wood screws through the pilot holes you drilled.

Attaching the Tabletop

• 10

  Lay the tabletop wrong-side up on your work surface. Center the apron frame on top of the tabletop, with the top of the frame flush against the underside of the tabletop. The end of the legs should be in the air, with the top of the legs also flush against the underside of the tabletop.

• 11

  Drill pilot holes, sized to fit the shanks of 2 3/4-inch wood screws, every 4 inches around the apron frame into the underside of the tabletop.

• 12

  Attach the tabletop to the apron frame with 2 3/4-inch wood screws through each of the pilot holes you drilled.

• 13

  Turn the table over and sand it. Finish the table with the desired wood finish and let it dry for the time specified by the finish manufacturer.