dining room table plans
thanks for watching! i started by cutting down 7 walnut 6/4 boards to about 7 feet long. if you don’t have a jointer and planer, you can always buy dimensioned lumber. i flattened one face of each board on the jointer, then ran that face along the fence to flatten one edge. i then used the planer to flatten the opposite face and the table saw to straighten the opposite edge. laying everything out, i marked where i wanted to cut the slots for biscuits. you don’t have to use a biscuit joiner, but it makes the glue-up much easier. i glued up the table in 2 sections, then glued those 2 sections together. i used some steel angle iron as cauls to help keep the sections flat.
i used a guide and a circular saw to trim the edges of the table. i marked the middle of each of the 7 boards on the breadboard… …and used a router, a guide bearing, and a jig to cut mortises in the breadboard. the middle mortise is a “tight mortise†(no wiggle room)… …but for the other 6, i moved the jig left and right 1/4 of an inch to make “loose mortises.†this allows room for the wood to expand and contract as moisture levels change. here you can see the middle mortise is tight, while the other has wiggle-room. in the actual table, all the mortises are tight mortises. i made the tenons of mahogany and cut them to the correct thickness and width on the table saw.
i used a round-over bit to match the radius left by the router guide-bearing… …then cut each tenon to length on the miter saw. checking the fit. i transferred the middle of the exposed part of each tenon onto the breadboard. then transferred the middle in the perpendicular plane to mark my drill points. i drilled out all the holes then reassembled the breadboard to transfer the drilling locations to the tenons. i drilled about 1/32 inch closer to the table than i had marked.this causes an offset known as “draw-boringâ€â€¦ …and will pull the breadboard tight to the table when the pins are driven in. all of the tenons in the tabletop are glued joints. remember, these are all tight mortises.
i cut the pins from a 3/8 inch pre-made oak dowel androunded the ends on the belt sander. i used a router and an edge guide to extend the slots inthe tenons except for the middle tenon to allow the pins to move. only the middle board is glued to the breadboard. this pin is glued all the way through. the wood should expand/contract from the middle, sothis joint is locked in place. but for the rest of the pins, glue is only applied above where they will meet the tenon. this will allow them to slide left/right in the tenon as the tabletop expands/contracts from its middle. i cleaned up the long edges of the tabletop with a newly acquired track saw. i laminated alder boards together to form legs thatare 3.5 inches square and 29 inches tall… …and cleaned them up on the jointer and planer.
i cut them to length on the miter saw using a stop-block. i laid out the legs where i wanted them then measuredand cut the apron appropriately… …and added 45’s for the legs to attach to. then i basically just doubled everything up… …measuring, cutting, and gluing/clamping as i went. i used a rabbeting bit to cut slots that will be usedto attach the tabletop to the base using mirror brackets. i clamped the legs in place and drilled holes for4 inch lag bolts, then attached the legs. to finish the base, i spackled the knots and thensanded everything smooth with 220 grit sandpaper. i applied 3 coats of white latex paint, lightly sandingbetween coats.
i filled knots in the tabletop with epoxy resin. i sanded up to 220 grit… but no one wants to watch that! i finished the tabletop with rubio monocoat “pure†oil.it’s a great product, but a little expensive. lastly, i attached the base and top with metalmirror brackets. like/share/subscribe if you enjoyed! thanks for watching!