How to Build Your own Drafting Table

The words drafting table or drawing board bring to mind an image of a desk with a non-movable flat or movable vertical top. Making a homemade drafting table may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. Follow these quick steps to quickly make a drafting table that you can proudly display and use.

Things You'll Need

• Sawhorses
• Plywood or MDF
• 2-foot long by 2-inch wide oak molding
• Level
• Drill
• Bolts, washers and nuts
• Paint
• Saw
• Hinges
• Bumpers

Instructions

Build a Flat-Top Only Drafting Table

1. Buy two sawhorses of the same size. Also, purchase a lightweight piece of square formaldehyde-free plywood or fiberboard (MDF) slightly wider than the width of your sawhorse. The wood should be no less than 1/2-inch thick and no more than 3/4-inch thick as extremely thin plywood can warp over time and extremely thick, heavy-weighted plywood may cause the desk to collapse. Buy one 2-foot (at least) long, 2-inch wide piece of untreated oak molding.

2. Set up your two sawhorses and place your piece of plywood or MDF on top of the sawhorse beams. Re-adjust the plywood and beams until the "drafting table" not only looks the way you want it to, but also flat and stable as verified with your level.

3. Gauge the location of the sawhorse beam (width and length) beneath your sheet and mark a spot 2 inches in from the left and right sides in line with the center of the beam.

4. Place a heavy object on the plywood to hold the top in place and drill a hole (5/16th inch or wider) through each spot completely through the beam.

5. Thread the bolts through the holes, securely fasten with washers and nuts under the beam and paint your new collapsible flat-top only drafting table in the color of your choice.

Build a Movable Top Table

1. Buy one large-beamed, heavy-weighted sawhorse. Also purchase a lightweight piece of square formaldehyde-free plywood or fiberboard (MDF) and molding as directed in Step 1 of Section 1.

2. Cut your piece of molding to the length of your plywood or MDF and screw it securely onto the back middle part of the top. Affix one of the following types of hinges to just past center width of the sawhorse beam: flush or self-closing. If using small hinges, affix two to three evenly spaces hinges along the beam.

3. Hold your top vertical and centered to the sawhorse with the molding lying flush on the top of the beam. Screw the hinge mounting plates(s) to the bottom edge of the molding. Depending on the type of hinge that you used your desktop can now rest flat against the top of the sawhorse to create flat-top drafting table or sit vertically at an angle to the sawhorse.

4. Paint your new mobile and movable top drafting table. Add polyurethane furniture bumpers or doorstops to the back of your top in line with the legs of the sawhorse to stop the top from banging against the leg or from suffering cosmetic damage over time.

Tips & Warnings

• Never use formaldehyde resin or treated plywood, particleboard or MDF for this project as toxic formaldehyde can cause allergic reactions and cancer. Also, keep in mind that sealing formaldehyde containing wood does not reduce the chances of allergic reaction or cancer as wood and sealants break down and release formaldehyde in a gas form.