# Plans for a "chunky" kitchen table



## GerryAttrick (Jan 14, 2015)

My wife wants a rustic kind of table for our new house similar to the one in the attached picture. For some reason she has decided that it needs to fit 3 people each side and two at each end which means it is going to need to be somewhere around 2.4m long and 1.5m wide.

As she wants it lime washed I plan to use Pine and preferably stock with some minor split,knots and imperfections.

At the moment I am looking for some plans of tables with the legs passing through the table top as shown in the picture.

Any advice or pointer to suitable plans would be appreciated


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Can't help Alan but someone will have some advice for you.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Big and heavy, huh? I guess as long as it will fit through the doorway, you should be good to go.

I saw a farm house table on Steve Ramsey's WWMM seb site. It is made from 2x10 and 4x4's. Guaranteed to be heavy. There is a Sketchup file drawn by the guy that built the table free for download. It is similar, just not as big as you are describing. But you might get some ideas.

Here is the link...Farm House Table.
Free Woodworking Plans by Me-Mos | Woodworking for Mere Mortals

Good luck. Remember, post some pics. We like to read the pictures! 
Mike

Edit: Also Google HOUZZ and browse through their kitchen table examples.


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## AndyL (Jun 3, 2011)

1.5m sounds very wide for a dining table, I think your guests who are facing each other will feel a long way apart. A 4ft/1.2m width is quite a big table, even to seat 10 or more. You might want to try mocking something up in situ using a 2.4 x 1.2m sheet of ply just to test the size before you start construction.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

I tend to "accidentally" drop those home decor magazines on the way in from the mailbox.


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## GregLittleWoodworks (Dec 9, 2014)

Draw your own plans and you will most certainly appreciate the project more...
I never build anything from plans other than the plans I design and draw out on paper. I find it keeps things more fun that way and not just mechanically following the steps someone else created.


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## bob156235 (Jun 14, 2009)

I made mine 42" wide and don't find it wide enough to sit two people comfortably. A 24" span per person is a commonly "standard".


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## bcfunburst (Jan 14, 2012)

*Rustic Table*

The first important thing is your own ideas. You have a head start there. Plans can expand from there. You might even find some great used lumber @ low cost.
I would suggest you do a search on YOUTUBE. They might even tell you how to build. You might also source out your needs with a book <Illustrated Cabinetmaking> by Bill Hylton/American WW. The book is my go-to source for any construction questions I run into on a project. It's worth every nickel!!
Good luck with your project. It sounds like a lot of fun. Hope you will keep us posted with your photos too.


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## GerryAttrick (Jan 14, 2015)

Thanks guys. A couple of sites to look at later today. SWMBO has me booked for the end of a paintbrush for most of the day!

I think the size she wants is too wide (and maybe too long). I suggested 1.2m width but it did not find favour although it was not dismissed out of hand. I was also concerned that the length might cause the top to sag and to ensure it doesn't I'd need to make the top quite robust (thick). I have not decided on the thickness of the top and that is one reason for looking for some plans- to give me an idea. 

The house is not built yet but I might mock something up sizewise in Sketchup and see how it looks in the space available. I guess a lot depends on the chairs that she decides on.

Our new home is at the beach and she is keen to get that "outdoors" look.

She can't find what she wants to buy so I have suggested that, with a new Router and a few "essential" tools I might be able to make something. The cost of the tools would be less than a decent table. That idea passed the test so the router is on order:dance3:

I pretty much have my idea in my head but need to convert them to something I can follow as I go.

Time to drag out a pencil & paper first


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hey Alan; It strikes me that what you probably want is 4 legs with a nominal 2x4 frame set into the legs flush with the inside faces, and dropped down the thickness of your 3/4" plywood top.put a couple of extra stretchers across the 2x4frame for support.
make the plywood top as big as you want but notch around the 4 corner posts. install a 3/4"x 1 1/4" trim vertically on the ply edges...everything should work out so that the trim isn't proud of the legs at fronts. Let mounting hardware be your friend!


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Sounds like a plan, Alan. 

Our family is a yours, mine and ours. 

When we bought our house, the dining table was a small round metal thing with a glass top. I built a table out of 2x's and with a plywood top. It was about 66 inches long and 42 wide. My wife put down a table cloth and that is what we used for several years. It would sit 6 easily. No one ever complained or laughed at it. In fact, most didn't even know it was built using construction lumber.

To this day, the older girls still remember that table. 

Good luck.
Mike

OH. BTW, did you mention it is a beach house? Check out this coffee table I built for a lady photographer friend with a lake house. She sent me a msg that "said can you make one like this for me" (a pic was included). She said it was in her doctor's office and he wouldn't give it to her!  I built it from 2x4's (legs) and white pine ripped to resemble boards on a pier. She loves it! And so does a friend of ours with a house on the Galveston Beach front. So, I have built two of them. No plans, just ruler, pencil, and kraft paper.

Note: The first picture is the original she sent me. The others are of my version of it.


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## GerryAttrick (Jan 14, 2015)

DaninVan said:


> Hey Alan; It strikes me that what you probably want is 4 legs with a nominal 2x4 frame set into the legs flush with the inside faces, and dropped down the thickness of your 3/4" plywood top.put a couple of extra stretchers across the 2x4frame for support.
> make the plywood top as big as you want but notch around the 4 corner posts. install a 3/4"x 1 1/4" trim vertically on the ply edges...everything should work out so that the trim isn't proud of the legs at fronts. Let mounting hardware be your friend!


Thanks DaninVan,

Its in line with my ideas but I was hoping to go less than 2x4 for the frame. Maybe 1 x 3 but I would have to see how balanced that would look. The top will be solid pine boards (maybe 150/200mm (6/8") not ply, and I am thinking maybe 25mm (1"). I'll incorporate the stretchers as you suggest.

I planned to fit the frame to the legs using mortise & tenon joins although I guess the other option would be to notch the tops of the legs to accept a one piece frame. On balance I think the mortise & tenon would give me more satisfaction (and justify the router  ).

Sorry about the mix of imperial and metric but we deal in metrics here and I have finally trained my old brain to use mm and not inches.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Your plans are perfect...you don't need to buy them. 
Good luck...post pics!


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## Botelho007 (Sep 23, 2012)

*Legs.*

Some ideas.
I hope to help in the project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGbjhjJkKUE
Reclaimed Wood "BIG RIG" Table (Part 2/6) - Legs


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

Botelho007 said:


> Some ideas.
> I hope to help in the project.
> 
> That was interesting, Cláudio. Thanks for the video link.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

If no one else mentioned it already, consider mortise and tenon then bolt the legs to the table top and plug the exteriors. This would facilitate moving, future adjustments and maintenance. 

The table shown kinda reminds me of the tables at one of those medieval themed banquets.

Otherwise ignore this post.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Ah yes, the Medieval serving wenches! Those were the days...*sigh*


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## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

Alan,

Gidday from the other side of the ditch. Just in case this helps, We have a large deck at the back, 3.5m x 9.6m. We have 2 tables on it - each 1500mm square, butted together to make one table 1500 x 3000. At those dimensions, we can comfortably fit 2 on the end, and 5 on the long side. (Just in case you were wondering, we have run out of chairs even with 14 of them...) At that size, the size itself can be an issue. Moving is always a 2 man job, even though they are 2 separate tables. I would suggest you consider how much the table will sag under its own weight at that length. Personally, I would make sure the middle of the table is supported somehow. Maybe a leg in the middle, in the centre, not the edge, or some heavy rails. And for the record, we wouldn't give the table up easily.

Darryl.

P.S. The 3.5m width is just enough for a 1500 wide table.


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## GerryAttrick (Jan 14, 2015)

MT Stringer said:


> Sounds like a plan, Alan.
> 
> Our family is a yours, mine and ours.
> 
> ...


Mike,

The table length does worry me and the need to possibly trade off the size of the frame versus the possibility of sagging. Weight is not such an issue as it is unlikely to be moved around frequently. Hopefully I can get her to settle for a slight reduction in length and maybe even make it a square 8 seater....10 seems way over the top- but I am not about to tell her that!!

I like the "fish design" and can see that being quite appealing for a beach place. I will file that away for a possible future project if thats OK?

Alan


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## GerryAttrick (Jan 14, 2015)

darsev said:


> Alan,
> 
> Gidday from the other side of the ditch. Just in case this helps, We have a large deck at the back, 3.5m x 9.6m. We have 2 tables on it - each 1500mm square, butted together to make one table 1500 x 3000. At those dimensions, we can comfortably fit 2 on the end, and 5 on the long side. (Just in case you were wondering, we have run out of chairs even with 14 of them...) At that size, the size itself can be an issue. Moving is always a 2 man job, even though they are 2 separate tables. I would suggest you consider how much the table will sag under its own weight at that length. Personally, I would make sure the middle of the table is supported somehow. Maybe a leg in the middle, in the centre, not the edge, or some heavy rails. And for the record, we wouldn't give the table up easily.
> 
> ...


Darryl,

I love that design for the outdoor table - especially the way the lazy susan is inset. How did you set up the turning feature. Is it the normal l/s turntable on a shelf underneath of does it fit into a rebated cutout with some other bearing around the edges?

I can see a similar idea as a smaller "coffee table size" on our covered deck and it would make a nice surprise one Christmas.

Alan


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

GerryAttrick said:


> Mike,
> 
> I like the "fish design" and can see that being quite appealing for a beach place. I will file that away for a possible future project if thats OK?
> 
> Alan


By all means Alan, be my guest. The dimensions are basically 2 feet x 4 feet overall. I cut the shape of the fish after I had the table assembled but before staining it.

Note: Even though it was a freehand drawing, it does resemble the little "Gold Fish" snack crackers.


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## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

GerryAttrick said:


> Darryl,
> 
> I love that design for the outdoor table - especially the way the lazy susan is inset. How did you set up the turning feature. Is it the normal l/s turntable on a shelf underneath of does it fit into a rebated cutout with some other bearing around the edges?
> 
> ...


Alan,

This table we bought, not made. It is a standard lazy susan style sitting on supports under the table to keep it all flush. The bearing it sits on is about 3/4 the size of the lazy susan. I made another table with an inbuilt lazy susan years ago, and the kids lived it. I used a 4" nail as the axle and marbles in a track as the bearing. It was still working well when we gave it away about 10 years later.

Darryl


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## GerryAttrick (Jan 14, 2015)

I love that nail and marbles idea. One of the problems I have struck is the fact that lazy susans outside tend to rust up depsite claims they are waetherproof/rust resistant. That gives me yet another idea to file away!


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## MT Born (Oct 29, 2014)

*Another "chunky table"*

Speaking of chunky tables, I wanted to build a table that would suit our tuscany style house. I borrowed ideas from a couple of different plans i found on the internet and then set out to make something similar but also unique. The top is 44x58 so it will seat 6 comfortably.
I used 2x6 and 4x4 construction grade pine. A kreg jig and lots of pocket hole screws in the top to try to avoid warping and twisting. The finish is a coat of Minwax red walnut stain followed with a coat of minwax ebony and several coats of Minwax satin varnish. The bolts in the bottom lap joints are just decorative and I intentionally made the lap joints proud for effect.
http://www.routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=92833&stc=1&d=1423800197
http://www.routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=92841&stc=1&d=1423800197
http://www.routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=92849&stc=1&d=1423800197
http://www.routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=92857&stc=1&d=1423800197
http://www.routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=92865&stc=1&d=1423800197
http://www.routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=92873&stc=1&d=1423800197


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## GerryAttrick (Jan 14, 2015)

The design is different but the texture and exposed grain is what she wants with a (at this stage) lime wash finish. Did you have to use any special technique to show the grain or does it come thru with just the stain?


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## MT Born (Oct 29, 2014)

With the dark stain the grain the is pretty pronounced. I have never used a lime wash finish so I couldn't say. Perhaps some one else on the forum will weigh in. Good Luck!


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