How to Build a Red Oak Dining Table

The project of building a dining room table can be enhanced when you make the decision to use red oak. Red oak adds to the beauty, durability, and simplicity to any piece of furniture. To top it off, a handmade dining room table made from red oak can truly become a family heirloom to be handed down for decades without losing its quality or value. To best show off the oak, a classic and simple design for a table creates clean lines and lets the oak be seen. With little skill or woodworking know how, anyone can build a solid red oak dining table.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1-by-6-inch red oak boards
• Hammer
• 2-inch nails
• Wood glue (optional)
• 3-by-3-inch legs
• Level
• 1-by-8-inch red oak boards
• Sandpaper
• Clear coat or red oak stain

1. Create a square with four 3-foot 1-by-6-inch red oak boards. This will be the support. Nail the boards together and use wood glue along the joints for added durability.

2. Set a 3-by-3-inch leg inside a corner of the frame. The legs should be 3 feet long. Line up the leg so the top is flush with the edges of the frame. At this point it should look like an upside-down table. Nail the leg to the frame using two nails on each side of the leg. Add glue, if desired.

3. Repeat the process for the other three legs. If you choose to use glue, then let it dry completely before flipping the table over. After flipping the table over, make sure the table is level. If the table is rocky, sand down any legs that seem to be the problem until the table is sturdy.

4. Set five 5-foot 1-by-8-inch boards over top of the frame. They should be spaced evenly, about 1/4 inch apart and have equal overhang on the sides, and the top and bottom. Attach the top boards to the frame by nailing two nails per boards all the way across the table width, along the top and bottom.

5. Sand the table along the top and edges until it feels smooth. Adding a clear coat or red oak stain will help accent the beauty of the red oak top and show off its appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• Red oak is not recommended for the table legs because of the cost of such large boards. However, it is an option if you want to use it.