Farmhouse Table

[Sharpienads]

While I was helping my dad replace his deck, I got the inspiration to use some of the old redwood decking to make a farmhouse table. I did some research online and came up with a plan. The top is 36"x72". Here's the progress so far:

Here are the original stairs that I used to make the tabletop:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/1-OriginalStairs_zpsfce7fcd3.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/1-OriginalStairs_zpsfce7fcd3.jpg.html)

The boards were about 9" wide. I cut them down on the table saw to about 8" and used a 2x6 for the middle board that I cut down to about 5" wide:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/2-Roughtabletop_zps01fa530b.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/2-Roughtabletop_zps01fa530b.jpg.html)

I bought a little 12" planer to thickness the boards. It worked well, but sniped about 2 1/4" on each end of the boards. No big deal, I just cut the ends off. I tried to match the grain as much as possible while trying to line up the old screw holes as much as possible:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/3-MilledandCuttoSize_zps4c56b3b5.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/3-MilledandCuttoSize_zps4c56b3b5.jpg.html)

The hardest and most tedious part so far has been trying to join the edges of the boards together. I don't have a jointer, so I did it by hand. It sounds simple in theory, but I assure you it is not. At least not for a guy with my level of skill (which is almost non-existent). By this time I was getting tired and a little frustrated with the top, so I decided to work on the legs and apron.

[Sharpienads]

I built the apron out of 2x4s and the legs out of 4x4s. The legs are 30" tall and the table top overhangs the apron by about 2 1/2".

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/4-Apron_zpse91ea5c7.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/4-Apron_zpse91ea5c7.jpg.html)

I used a hand saw and a chisel to flatten one corner of the legs and screwed in hanger bolts. I realized that the ends probably needed more support, so I added some extra support brackets. I wanted to be able to take the table apart, since it will be pretty heavy, so I decided to go with the corner braces. It worked out pretty well, I think, and is very stable. I used a drill press to drill the holes at an angle. On this corner, my hanger bolts are a little crooked, but this is the worst one. The others turned out really good:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/5-CornerBrace_zps6e7467c1.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/5-CornerBrace_zps6e7467c1.jpg.html)

Next I used a router to cut channels in the apron in case I decide I want to add extensions later on. You can see the extra braces I added on the inside of the channels:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/6-SlotsforTableExtensions_zps782250ac.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/6-SlotsforTableExtensions_zps782250ac.jpg.html)

[Sharpienads]

Alright, back to the table top. I used dowels, glue, and screws to attach the boards together.

The self-centering doweling jig worked out really well. Except for one hole that I drilled in the wrong spot. This wasn't my only mistake, but this one was easily fixable:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/7-DowelingJig_zpsb2f7f58d.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/7-DowelingJig_zpsb2f7f58d.jpg.html)

I used a Kreg pocket hole jig to drill pocket holes. I think I used 9 dowels and 10 screws on each board:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/8-KregJig_zps40dff9a2.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/8-KregJig_zps40dff9a2.jpg.html)

The table top is now almost complete, I just need to add the breadboards:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/9-GluedandScrewed_zps4e27ddbc.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/9-GluedandScrewed_zps4e27ddbc.jpg.html)

I attached the breadboards the same way, dowels, glue, and screws. Unfortunately, I drilled one pocket hole on the top instead of the bottom [Rant1]

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/12-Oops_zps66039b79.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/12-Oops_zps66039b79.jpg.html)

After a lot of sanding, I'm still no where near finished with the top. I plan on staining the top a dark brown. The color that Mrs. Sharpienads and I picked out was Espresso. It was between that and Jacobean, and since I have no idea what a Jacobean is, I chose Espresso.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/11-FinishingtheTableTop_zps637bf9f8.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/11-FinishingtheTableTop_zps637bf9f8.jpg.html)

The apron and legs are painted courtesy of Mrs. Sharpienads:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/10-ApronPainted_zps0437f9ed.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/10-ApronPainted_zps0437f9ed.jpg.html)

Man, this has been a lot of work. I've been working on this in my free time for about 3 weeks now. I'm really just kinda making it up as I go, since I wouldn't even qualify myself as an amateur woodworker. But I've been happy with the results so far. It's turning out to be a little more "rustic" than I originally planned, but Mrs. Sharpienads says she likes the rustic look. I need to finish prepping the top for staining and then assemble the entire thing. I ordered some figure 8 fasteners to attach the top to the apron.

[BuffCyclist]

Dang, nice work. Can't wait to see the finished product! [Awesom]

I felt the same way when I built my reloading bench, I had no idea what I was doing and it came out very nice. But I too screwed up and screwed the laminate top with too long of a screw and it poked out the top. And thats why I have a day job [LOL]

[sniper7]

Nice work!

[blacklabel]

That looks really good. Are you going to distress it at all?

[Sharpienads]

Thanks for the kind words, guys.


That looks really good. Are you going to distress it at all?

Probably not, it's already pretty distressed. There are holes, knots, dents, etc. all over it already.

[Irving]

Very well done. I hear you on the feeling like you don't know what you are doing. A few questions:

1) Did you look up plans for building a table so you knew how to put in those corner braces, or did you just look at other tables?
2) How are you going to add an extension when the boards on the table top go the long way?
3) Has it cost you 3x what you thought it would yet?
4) Have you gone on a shopping spree buying tools that you've never even heard of before, but are now sure that you NEED?

Finally, in college my parents gave me this solid oak table that was 4" thick all the way through, with legs to match. This table looked like it belonged to King Arthur. We would throw poker parties and the people would pound on the table all night long and no drink would even quiver, let alone spill. It was the best table ever made, and I left it outside on a deck for a year and it was in pretty bad shape when I moved out (and wouldn't fit into my car), so I left it. In short, I'm envious of your awesome solid wood table.

[Sharpienads]

Very well done. I hear you on the feeling like you don't know what you are doing. A few questions:

1) Did you look up plans for building a table so you knew how to put in those corner braces, or did you just look at other tables?

I did some research about different ways to build tables, but mostly just looked at pictures. This one is a combination of 4 or 5 different table designs that I looked at.

2) How are you going to add an extension when the boards on the table top go the long way?

I have some left over boards. Basically they will be like the breadboards, with 2 2x2s screwed into the bottom. The 2x2s will slide into the channels. Here's a pic of somebody else's to help explain:
http://tommyandellie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Farmhouse-Table-Revised64.jpg
3) Has it cost you 3x what you thought it would yet?

Yes, at least 3x. I didn't keep track of how much I've spent. The single most expensive part was the power planer. I bought it off craigslist. I would have just taken the boards somewhere, but nobody wanted to run old boards that could contain nails, screws, dirt, etc. through their machines. I'd say that in total, I spent around $400.

4) Have you gone on a shopping spree buying tools that you've never even heard of before, but are now sure that you NEED?

Just the self-centering doweling jig. Everything else I either had already or had heard of before/knew I would need.

[Tinelement]

Beyond bad ass man.

Nice work!

[Sharpienads]

I brought the base into the house and assembled it. It looks a lot bigger now (that's what she said). I'm really happy with how sturdy it is, and it will only be sturdier once that top is attached. I plan on building a bench out of the same redwood boards, but we'll probably buy chairs. I might try to make the chairs instead of buying them, but I haven't decided yet. I think we're gonna need a bigger rug.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/13-IntheHouse_zpsd65d275b.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/13-IntheHouse_zpsd65d275b.jpg.html)

[Tim K]

Nice work so far.

If that were mine, I'd put a coat of clear over everything, then distress the crap out of it. Follow that up with a black glaze (basically paint you apply then wipe off selectively), then another coat of clear. The black catches in the distressing marks and makes them look old. Doing it to the legs and the top would tie it all together and make it look unified.

Fill that pocket hole with stainable putty, enlarge randomly, stain appropriately and it will look exactly like a knot.

[BuffCyclist]

As Tim said, you can also use double strength coffee as a glaze, but you put it directly onto the white paint, let it dry and then go over it all with a nice clear coat (laquer, or whatever, i'm not a woodworker, just read about this tip lol).

[Sharpienads]

Fill that pocket hole with stainable putty, enlarge randomly, stain appropriately and it will look exactly like a knot.

Thanks for the tip.

[Irving]

Thanks for explaining the extensions. I thought that might be what you were doing, but wasn't sure. I showed this to my wife and crossed my fingers that she didn't demand that I try to make a table. She hates our kitchen table.

[Sharpienads]

Thanks for explaining the extensions. I thought that might be what you were doing, but wasn't sure. I showed this to my wife and crossed my fingers that she didn't demand that I try to make a table. She hates our kitchen table.

A lot of the tables I looked at online were just made with pine from Lowes or Home Depot and they look pretty good. Get some 2x8s, 2x4s, and 4x4s, and you can build a table. Most of the work I've done so far is just getting the old boards presentable. They were in pretty rough shape. But if you got the pre-cut lumber, I don't think it would be too difficult.

[Sharpienads]

I brought the top in today after I cleaned it up a little to get a feel for what it will look like. I plan on staining the top "Espresso".

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20131227_161312_756_zps9be352d1.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20131227_161312_756_zps9be352d1.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20131227_161334_177_zpsc917c8a9.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20131227_161334_177_zpsc917c8a9.jpg.html)

Reximus Maximus likes his new table, even though he's trying not to show it.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20131227_161510_501_zps2e21b68f.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20131227_161510_501_zps2e21b68f.jpg.html)

The Old Buster Dog likes it, too. It's another place for him to lay under. He likes to lay under things.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/17-SoDoesBuster_zps53b7a451.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/17-SoDoesBuster_zps53b7a451.jpg.html)

[Irving]

Any knots or crevices that aren't filled in with clear coat will quickly fill up with crumbs, dirt, dust, etc. Then your wife will hate the table, and tell you about it every time she looks at it. That's my experience anyway. ;)

[hollohas]

Great table, that's awesome! You're going to get years of good use and memories from that table. I love handmade furniture and hope it stays in your family for a long time.

Our old farmhouse table was handmade by my wife's grandpa from an old Walnut tree he cut down on his farm in MO. He had the tree rough cut into boards and built a beautiful table. He passed last year and no one else in the family wanted the table so my wife and I drove to MO to get it out of his old farm house along with the American made antique chairs. (He didn't build them). The thing weighs about 400 lbs so I wasn't thrilled about hauling it back to CO but I'm glad we did. We love our family meals around it and it reminds us of him. Here it is..

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/30/era9yqy3.jpg

[Sharpienads]

Dude, that's a nice table. Mine's not nearly as hefty. But I do expect it to last a long time.

[Sharpienads]

I got my figure 8 fasteners in the mail yesterday and attached them today. They're a little smaller than I thought they would be, but I'm sure they'll hold the top to the apron just fine. They came in a package of 20, so I used all 20 of them. 4 on each end and 6 on each side.

Step 1: Evenly space out the fasteners and mark their location. Then I traced along the outside and inside of the fasteners.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/18-FastenerPrep_zps60be7070.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/18-FastenerPrep_zps60be7070.jpg.html)

Step 2: Drill a pilot hole for the screws.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/19-PilotHole_zps9aa85058.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/19-PilotHole_zps9aa85058.jpg.html)

Step 3: I used a forstner bit to cut the recess. I originally bought a 5/8" bit, but turned out that my fasteners are more like 11/16". I should have measured better. Oh well, back to Home Depot to get a 3/4" bit (because they didn't have 11/16").

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/20-FastenerRecess_zps3498e3f0.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/20-FastenerRecess_zps3498e3f0.jpg.html)

Step 4: Screw in the fasteners. Once the top is in place, you put another screw in through the other hole of the fastener into the bottom of the table.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/21-FastenersInstalled_zpsc4432cc9.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/21-FastenersInstalled_zpsc4432cc9.jpg.html)

[Sharpienads]

Well I finally got back to work on this table. I built a bench in the same style as the table. Pretty simple construction, just a basic frame made out of 2x4s and legs made out of 4x4s. I attached everything using pocket holes.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/22-Bench1_zpsc60a4e96.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/22-Bench1_zpsc60a4e96.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/24-Bench3_zpscd30302f.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/24-Bench3_zpscd30302f.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/23-Bench2_zpsfa2e8e72.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/23-Bench2_zpsfa2e8e72.jpg.html)

I also stained the bottom of my tabletop to get an idea of how it would look. I was concerned about some spots that had some dried glue on them not taking the stain, but so far I can't tell where the glue is. Maybe once it's fully dried it will show, but so far so good.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/25-TabletopBottom1_zps66009566.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/25-TabletopBottom1_zps66009566.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/27-TabletopBottom3_zps4b8e619f.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/27-TabletopBottom3_zps4b8e619f.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/26-TabletopBottom2_zpsa38f072c.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/26-TabletopBottom2_zpsa38f072c.jpg.html)

I really like the way to redwood grain looks with the dark stain. The pictures don't really do it justice.

[spleify]

Man, great work! Thanks for sharing this.

[DSB OUTDOORS]

That's awesome! I love the table top. Looks rustic / western. I like it.

[Irving]

Didn't realize how many pocket screws you used until you posted the stained picture. Really like that color so far.

[Sharpienads]

Didn't realize how many pocket screws you used until you posted the stained picture. Really like that color so far.

I wasn't sure how many to use, and since it's a table I figured better safe than sorry.

The color looks even better in person. I experimented on the bench first, and it's darker than I wanted. But better that be too dark than the tabletop.

[Irving]

Looks like it was a good idea to screw the table top together so it stays even over the seasons.

[ChunkyMonkey]

I am impressed. That's pretty great result.

[Sharpienads]

I decided to try to make a chair to see if it was doable, and sho 'nuf. This is the only pic I have, since this was more of an experiment I didn't take pics along the way. But this one is turning out pretty good so far, so I'll make the other 3 as well.

The back legs and chair back are all one piece made from a 2x4. The rest is dimensional pine. The X in the back wasn't as hard to do as I thought it would be, just took a few cuts and a little sanding to get the angles right. The seat will have foam cushioning and whatever fabric Mrs. Sharpienads wants to put on it. I plan on painting the chair white to match the table.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20140323_193041_786_zpsc3917f2e.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20140323_193041_786_zpsc3917f2e.jpg.html)

[Irving]

Two thumbs up.

[Sharpienads]

Well, the chair turned out to be a failure. I brought it inside to make sure the height was right for the table. When I leaned back a little, it started to break. Think Mel Gibson in The Patriot:

bD3C77SWrUE

Fortunately, I didn't fall on my ass. Nor did I throw my chair across the room. I didn't make my chair strong enough with enough supports, but I don't feel like trying to remake it. Looks like we'll be buying chairs.

I finally got back to finishing this table, since it's been about 4 months since I started it. Staining is done, and this is the second coat of poly. I used Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20140413_131322_904_zpsad388f8e.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20140413_131322_904_zpsad388f8e.jpg.html)

Please ignore the saw marks in this pic. Looks like I didn't do a good enough job trying to get those out:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20140413_131225_317_zpsb519522a.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20140413_131225_317_zpsb519522a.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20140413_131209_102_zpscf2d40ea.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20140413_131209_102_zpscf2d40ea.jpg.html)

The ploy is still wet in theses pics. I'll put on another coat after this one dries.

My favorite part of the table is at the end. The grain here just looks amazing:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20140413_131256_104_zps34f1bef8.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20140413_131256_104_zps34f1bef8.jpg.html)

[Irving]

I don't see saw marks, but I might not have an experienced enough eye. Is that poly thick enough to completely block up the smaller cracks? You don't want it to be too much of a pain to clean. Otherwise it looks amazing.

[Sharpienads]

I don't see saw marks, but I might not have an experienced enough eye. Is that poly thick enough to completely block up the smaller cracks? You don't want it to be too much of a pain to clean. Otherwise it looks amazing.

Thanks. The saw marks are those dark curved lines on the end of the table. The were made by a circular saw. The poly is not thick at all, somewhere between water and olive oil. I know what you mean about the cracks, though. We used to have a table that collected crumbs and other debris in the cracks. But I'll just have to put up with it. The hose attachment on the vacuum works well. That's how I've been cleaning out the cracks before staining, applying poly, etc.

[blackford76]

Very nice. I envy you guys who can build stuff out of wood. All my carpentry projects end the same way, firewood!

[rockhound]

there is a company out of PA, the barnwood boys, they make furniture out of reclaimed barn wood, i just bought a corner cabinet that we purposed as a new vanity in the new half bath, i am not sure if they make chairs, but if they do it would be a good match and you can order them unfinished so you can match the color.

all handmade amish furniture

[Sharpienads]

I FINALLY finished this project! It only took me about 6 months, but I think it turned out pretty good.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20140523_164540_444_zps9e4172d4.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20140523_164540_444_zps9e4172d4.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m591/Sharpienads/IMG_20140523_164614_010_zps62c85eb7.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/Sharpienads/media/IMG_20140523_164614_010_zps62c85eb7.jpg.html)

[Tinelement]

That turned out awesome! Nice work.

[Irving]

Very well done. I've learned that I'd rather a project take a long time and be done the best I can, than have me hurry through it.

[RCCrawler]

Looks great, I just went today and picked up some reclaimed lumber that was from a rail car built in the late 1800's to build the top for our new table. My top will be 9' long, 44" wide and about 4" thick, it's going to be a heavy SOB.

[Sharpienads]

Thanks guys.

Crawler, that table is gonna be massive! Sounds awesome, make sure you post pics of your build.

[hollohas]

Awesome! Great work, love it.

[sniper7]

Looks great!