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| Pre-glued Top Option |
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Using a pre-glued panel is the quickest and easiest way to make your tabletop.
After you purchase the pre-glued panel all you need is a circular saw to cut the top
to length and width. This is the option we chose for our coffee table,
the lists above reflect the tools and materials needed to make a top using this option.
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| Glued Top Option |
If you prefer to create the top from scratch, you can make it from 1x material.
This is an excellent option if you want a clear-coated solid oak table.
You can use anything from 1x4 to 1x12 boards for the top. Cut your boards
at least 2" longer than the final length you want for the tabletop
and edge-glue
them together. The glue-up's width should be at least 1" wider
than the intended width of the top.
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| Plywood or Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) Top Option |
You can also use 3/4" plywood or MDF for your top. If you want the look
of oak or birch without gluing the top, you can cut a piece of oak or
birch faced plywood to the size you need for the top. Cover the raw
edges of the plywood with iron-on edge banding and your top is ready.
If you choose 3/4" MDF, cut it to the size you need then you can
either paint or
laminate the top.
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| Make the Table |
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1. Make the top from the material of your choice above. Cut the top to size.
2. Mark the underside of the top for the leg top plate locations. As a rule
of thumb, the top plates should be located 1" to 2" in from
the edges of the top.
3. Screw the leg top plates to the underside of the top as marked.
4. Screw the leg into the top of the bracket.
5. Sand
the entire table.
6. Paint,
clear-coat
or stain the entire table.
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CONSTRUCTION NOTES
- If you're going to laminate the top, finish the legs and laminate
the top before connecting the legs to the top.
- If you use a pre-glued panel, a panel you glue yourself or
3/4" MDF that you intend to paint, you can use a router
and a bottom piloted bit to add a decorative edge to the top.
- If you want a more modern look, add apron pieces between the
legs. Cut pieces of 1x4 to fit between the legs. Cut 3/4"x3/4"
strips 1" shorter than each apron piece. Hold the apron
piece in place and use 1 1/4" screws to secure the strips
to the aprons and the underside of the table.
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For our coffee table we used a full-sized 47 1/2" x 24" pre-glued
pine board for the top. After sanding the board with 220 grit sandpaper,
we routed a decorative edge into the top. We chose 15
1/4" country pine legs for their elegantly simple design. The entire
coffee table was stained with white pastel wood stain to simulate milk
paint or old-timey whitewash. Finally, we added two coats of clear satin
polyurethane to protect our finished piece.
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