So, you've decided to make one yourself - from scratch!



Here's something that I've drafted up following several requests. I'll work on it more when I get time, perhaps even turn it into a separate Instructable.



Here we go..



**Some references to assist:

Inches to millimetres: http://www.glen-l.com/resources/tbl-inch-millimeter.html

Types of wood joins: http://www.ripsdiy.co.za/woodjoins.shtml



**Shopping list (after reading details below first):

Fancy edging (described below)

Bullet-head nails ranging between 3/4inch long and 2 inches long

Mitre saw and box (or drop saw if you have one)

Caster wheels (if you want this on wheels)

Wood to make the table - lots x 3/4inch thick panel. (do your measurements first)

Screws ranging between 1 1/2 inch and 2 inches long.

Sandpaper - something like 180 grit for rough stuff and 600 - 800 grit to prep for painting.

Wood filler to hide any bad holes you make (that matches your wood type - eg: pine for pine)

Wood stain + brushes/rags

Satin or gloss finish.

Wrought iron (or similar) handles for the drawer.

Corner straps (these are just light tin painted or powder coated black)



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For the main bulk of the table, you basically need to make a rectangular box.

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Rough measurements:

(bearing in mind that the couch in the photo is a three seater - sometimes it would be nice to have the table longer, others it would be nice if it was smaller. Adjust to suit your needs.)

40 inches long (two sides)

24 inches deep (two ends)

16 inches high (all this wide)

(you may consider reducing/increasing the height a little depending on your couch/seating)



Panel thickness:

About 3/4 inch thick will give it some decent weight. You may consider 5/8inch thick too.

Mine is 3/4.



There are three options to make the box.



1.

Buy pre-joined panels to cover those measurements - which will be more expensive, but quicker and neater.



2.

You could join boards of wood to make the top and side panels

(EG: use dowel/biscuit joins to glue 6inch wide, 3/4inch thick planks of wood together to make panels of 16 inches wide for the sides )

You will need to plane and sand these flat once joined. That will add a fair bit of extra work.



3.

Use ply wood and then use pine edging to hide the ply ends (specifically on the table top).



To join the wood to form the box shape:

You could use butt joints (this is what my table is) or if you use ply, you might want to hide the edges with mitre joints.

Again, here's the link to types of wood joins: http://www.ripsdiy.co.za/woodjoins.shtml



If you are going for the rustic look, nail holes aren't an issue in the outer edges - they add character.

Don't forget to use wood glue for extra strength and clamp it while the glue dries.



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Wheel/corner braces:

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On the inside of the bottom corners of my table, there are triangular bits of wood that are used to hold the rectangle square. They are glued and screwed (clamps helped here).



Size: Mine was about 6 inches on the short sides (get two 6inch square boards and cut them diagonally)

You will need 2inch or longer screws to get through your 3/4inch box and a decent depth into your triangle.



To work out the height from the bottom edge, the rough calculation is

wheel height minus 1/4 inch if you are going to use the table on polished boards.

wheel height minus 1/2 inch if you are going to use the table on carpet.

wheel height minus a bit more than a half inch if you have thick carpet or shag pile :)

(Thicker carpet means your table will sink into it.. hence more clearance)



I recommend decent rubber wheels, particularly if you have polished boards, but that will depend on your budget and taste.

(Remember they pretty much won't be seen).



Don't buy wheels that are too big - remember they have to rotate in about 2 1/2 inches of room depending on their mounting plate.

If you do buy wheels that are too big you will either have to return them or make bigger corner braces, which will bring the wheels further into the centre of the table and reduce stability.



Hopefully your fancy edging will be at the right height to cover the screw holes in your outer edges - mine was. If not, you can fill them with wood filler.



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Drawer:

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Play around with dimensions here until you get what you want, but don't forget to leave some space at the top and bottom above/below your drawer for the moulded cornice pieces to give it a fancier finish. Leave more space at the top if you want to have a deeper tray beneath the table top.



If you are careful, you should be able to cut a hole in the side and use that as the face of the drawer (small drill bits and very careful jigsaw cutting with a guide to keep your cut straight). Easier if you are going for the rustic, rough/ready look.



If you want your drawer to slide through both sides like mine, I would recommend cutting them both at once before the box shape is assembled. This will ensure it is accurate and will reduce the overall weight while you are working on it too.

If you want it to look less rustic and more calculated, I would suggest cutting the hole smaller than you want, discarding that wood and cutting new panels for the face of the drawer, so that it fits exactly.



For the drawer sliders, you want to make a little ledge between the holes on the longer sides.

You can see the best example of this in Step2 where I was dismantling the coffee table.

Do this by butt-joining the two bits of 3/4inch x 2inch bits of wood along the long edge.

They are as long as the gap between your two long sides - don't forget to measure.

You will obviously want one on each side of the drawer and two of the same for the top edges, so the draw doesn't tip badly when it is half open.



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Fancy wooden edging:

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Go to your local carpentry/home hardware store and get some edging.

I don't know what the proper name is or what they call it where you are.



(Best examples of this are in Step2 or the final product)



It will usually be made out of pine. It may be called "cornice", or they may call it "routed" edging or simply edging. It may be in an area that has picture frame or skirting boards.



You need enough to go around the top and bottom edges (depending on the look you are going for).



Once you get it home, you need to Mitre cut this. Make sure you measure correctly and that you cut the correct angle! You are trying to match the outer edge of the table with the inner edge of your edging.



Mitre cuts will require a powered drop saw (I don't have one of these yet) or a mitre box and tenon saw (you can often buy these in a joint pack).



Glue and nail these to the box. Quick clamps may help (unless you can talk a friend/wife/kid into holding it for you). You want the top edge to match that of the box - same for the bottom.



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Table top:

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Using one of the same three methods you used to get panels for the box, you need to make a table top.

The table top should have roughly 3 inches hanging over on each side of the box.

So, you are aiming for 46inches x 30inches.



Or, considering your cornice, you might want to measure the length and width of the top edges once you have installed that and make sure there is at least one inch hanging over the edge for your fingers to grip when you open the top.



*If you bought a pre-assembled panel, or joined planks of wood to make the panel, you may consider putting a 1 1/4inch edge on each end of the table top (factor this into your final measurement) for a fancier finish.



*If you decided on ply wood for your panels you will want to put and edge all the way around to hide the ply edging (trust me, it looks better). This will require mitre cuts again and nails longer than



See steps 1 - 9 of this Instructable for cantilever hinges..



To finish, fill any nasty holes and sand with 180 grit, then 800grit sandpaper.

If you want, apply a stain (to match your tastes/existing furniture etc).

Do a very light sand between coats with the 800grit sandpaper.

Apply finishing sealer (I like satin personally) and again lightly sand between coats with the 800grit.



Install drawer handles and corner straps.

