Easy DIY Woodworking Tables

Cut the 4-by-4 lumber into four pieces, each 36 inches long. Cut the 2-by-4 lumber into four pieces, each 26 inches long. Then cut the 2-by-6 lumber into two pieces, each 50 inches long. You will have some scrap wood after make these cuts.

Drill two 1-inch diameter holes near each end of the 26-inch and the 50-inch pieces. The holes should be 1 1/2 inches from the end of the board. On the 26-inch pieces, make the center of each hole 1 inch in from the sides, and on the 50-inch pieces, make them 1 1/4 inches in.

Change to your 3/16-inch drill bit and drill from the ends of all the boards into the center of the holes you just made. You will be creating a "T" from the middle of the end into the hole.

Cut your dowel into 20 1 1/4-inch long pieces. Hammer these pieces into the holes you just drilled, then plane them smooth with a sharp chisel.

Drill two 3/16-inch pilot holes near the bottom of each of the 4-by-4 posts. The first hole should be 6 inches from the bottom of the post, and the second should be 3 inches above that.

Lay two of the posts down so that the pilot holes are facing each other and the posts are 50 inches apart. Place one of the 50-inch pieces in between the posts, and use spare lumber to raise the 50-inch piece up so that the pilot holes in the end of that piece match with the pilot holes in the post.

Drill a 3/8 x 6-inch lag screw into each pilot hole, securing the board between the posts. Repeat the process at the other end of the post.

Drill four more pilot holes through each 36-inch post. The first hole should be 6 inches from the top of the post, and the next hole will be 1 1/2 inches below that. The third hole will be 2 inches from the bottom, and the fourth will be 1 1/2 inches above that.

Position your two half-assembled base pieces 26 inches apart. Position the 26-inch pieces in between the posts and aligned with the pilot holes. Drive the lag screws into the holes to secure the pieces.

Turn your tabletop upside down and place it on the ground in front of you. Place your completed frame on top of the table top. The 50-inch braces should be on the side of the posts that are away from the tabletop; in other words they will be near the floor when the table is turned right-side-up. Align the frame so it is directly in the center of the tabletop. With the given dimensions, the outside corner of each post will be 2 1/8 inches from the corner of a 5-foot-by-3-foot tabletop.

Place a 5-inch bracket between the tabletop and one of the posts, underneath the 50-inch support. Drive the wood screws into the holes on the bracket and into both the post and the tabletop. If your table top is 1 1/2-inches or thinner, you need to use smaller screws so that you don't break through. Complete this process on every post.