How to Make a Table From Reclaimed Lumber

Ensure that you have at least 15 percent more material you think you need prior to starting the project. Set up your sawhorses to use as cutting platforms while building your table. Put on your safety gear and gather your materials together. Decide how large of a table you want to craft (there are no standard specifications for a table when making custom furniture).

Measure for the legs of the bench and mark four pieces of the 4X4 material with the tape measure, pencil and carpenter’s square according to the height you want, such as around three feet, which is the average for table legs. Cut the lumber with the circular saw and set the leg pieces aside. Measure how long you want the table to be (dependent on square or rectangular table design) and cut two pieces of the 2X4 material to length (such as six feet long). Mark and cut two more pieces at the desired width of the table.

Put the frame of the table together. Set a 4X4 leg piece upright and slide two pieces of the frame on either side to form an L. Drill holes for the 3/8-inch bolts and insert them into place. Slide a washer over the opposite end and tighten the nut. Repeat the process for each leg piece until all four of them are installed and you have a square or rectangular frame built.

Cut brace pieces for the inner portions of a table. Slot them in between the frame pieces of the table top and screw them into place at least every two feet (number of bracers required is dependent on the size of your table) with 3-inch wood screws attaching the sides of the frame to the brace sections. Flip the entire structure over so the rectangular frame is now upright.

Cut plank pieces down to size, running either length-wise or width-wise across the table. Screw them into the frame of the table with 1 1/2-inch wood screws. Sand all of the edges down with a hand-held sander until they are completely smooth. Apply wood preservative as an optional finish if you desire.