How do I Make a Round Bedside Table?

Mark out a circle the size of the table you want, on ¾-inch cabinet-grade plywood. Use a compass, or find a round object the size you want and trace around it. A minimum diameter of 18 inches is required to make the bending birch function smoothly. Mark two circles of the same size and cut them out on a band saw or with a jigsaw.

Install a ½-inch rabbet bit with a bearing in your router. Adjust the depth of cut to half an inch, so that you will be cutting a ½-inch by ½-inch groove along the edge of both circles. Clamp the circle to your work surface with a C clamp, top-side down, with as much of the circle as possible hanging off of the table.

Position the router at the right end of the arc of the circle, bit down, baseplate on the plywood and the bearing ready to run along the edge of the circle. Start the router and gently press it into the plywood, moving in a clockwise direction, cutting a groove along the edge. Cut as far as you can, turn the router off, reset the clamp and circle, and cut the remaining edge. Repeat with the second circle.

Cut 20-inch long pieces of the 1-by-4 lumber to fit between the circles. Cut at least six pieces. Stand them on end on the grooved face of one of the circles, one at a time. Space them evenly around the circle, then glue and nail them so that the narrow edge is flush with the top edge of the groove. Clamp each piece with a bar clamp. Nail them into place with an air-powered pin nailer and 1½-inch nails.Center the second circle on top of the pieces, and glue and nail as before. You should now have the skeleton of a cylinder, with one circle at each end with the six 1-by-4 ribs in between.

Cut a strip of ½-inch bending birch plywood 21 inches wide and long enough to wrap around your cylinder, leaving it a little long. Make the cuts on the table saw, being careful to hold the plywood firmly against the table and against the cutting fence. Cut a piece of wood veneer 1½ inches wider and 1½ inches longer than this piece, in a grain that matches your plywood circles.

Glue and air staple this piece to the drum skeleton you just assembled. Staple the first end to one of the 1-by-4 ribs, centered along its narrow edge, so that there is space to staple the other end to the same rib, pressed against the first end. The plywood should fit neatly into the grooves in each circle piece. Staple it along these edges and into the spine of each 1-by-4 rib. Work slowly, keeping the plywood pulled tight, as it has a tendency to wrinkle. Leave the last 8 to 10 inches unstapled.

Mark the overlapping end, where it hits the first end you stapled down. Use a T-square to mark a line so that this end will butt snugly up to the beginning end. Cut along the line with a utility knife. The bending birch is soft enough that repeated scoring will allow it to break along a very precise line. Bend it back on itself until it cracks and separates. Fit this end to the beginning end and staple in place.

Fill all uneven areas with epoxy auto body filler, along the edges of the bending birch plywood, in the end seam and any pits or gaps in the grain. Mix the filler 1 part activator to 10 parts putty. Use a flexible putty and follow the label directions for drying time. Sand the filler smooth with 100 grit sandpaper.

Roll on a coat of contact cement using a medium nap roller. Cover the entire side surface of the cylinder covering the bending birch and the edges of the plywood circles. Allow it to dry for 30 minutes. Wrap the veneer around the cylinder snugly, starting from one end and pressing it firmly into place as you go with a smooth block of wood. Trim the edges with a utility knife. Cut the end joint vertically between the plywood circles. By overlapping the veneer and cutting both layers, you create a tight seam.

Sand the veneer edges smooth. Apply a coat of stain or paint in your choice of color. For stained tables use a combination stain-finish product for easy one-step application. Apply the finish in long, even, slightly overlapping strokes, working to keep it as even as possible to prevent runs and drips. Follow label directions for best results. Allow enough drying time between coats and add at least two more coats for a smooth finish.