How to Build a Wood Picnic Table
Building a wooden picnic table that you and your family can enjoy for years to come is a surprisingly easy weekend project. Wooden picnic tables can be built from cedar and left to age naturally or made from pine and painted and sealed, if your budget doesn't allow for the more expensive cedar boards. Either way, they cost considerably less than a ready-made patio set. Anyone can transform 14 10-foot long 2-inch by 4-inch boards into a full size picnic table that has a six-foot long table top and two five-foot long benches. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 14 boards, 2-inch by 4-inch
- Measuring tape
- Table saw
- Pencil
- Miter saw
- 6d nails
- Hammer
Instructions
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1
Use a table saw to cut three of the 2-inch by 4-inch boards in half, creating six 60-inch lengths. Mark all of the pieces H.
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2
Cut four of the boards into four 72-inch lengths, four 30-inch lengths and four 15 1/2-inch lengths. Mark the 72-inch lengths J, the 30-inch lengths B and the 15 1/2-inch lengths E. Set aside the excess from each board.
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3
Cut two of the boards into two 72-inch lengths and four 15 1/2-inch lengths. Mark the 72-inch lengths J and the 15 1/2-inch lengths E. Set aside the scrap.
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4
Cut two of the boards into two 72-inch lengths and two 34-inch lengths. Mark the 72-inch lengths J and the 34-inch lengths G. Set aside the scrap.
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5
Cut two of the 2-inch by 4-inch boards into 2 64-inch lengths, two 31-inch lengths and 4 12-inch lengths. Mark the 64-inch lengths C, the 31-inch lengths A and the 12-inch lengths D.
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6
Cut the remaining piece into three 33-inch lengths and mark them F.
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7
Flat miter both 4-inch ends of the pieces marked A at 45 degree angles.
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8
Cut the the left hand side 4-inch end of the pieces marked G with a double mitered cut, 25 degrees in from 1 7/8-inch from the bottom and 65 degrees in from 1 5/8-inch from the top and the right hand side 4-inch ends with a 25 degree flat miter cut.
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9
Build the two end sections, one at a time, by aligning two pieces marked B, adjacent to each each other vertically, with a 17-inch clearance between the inside 4-inch faces, center one of the A pieces flush to their top edges and one of the C pieces flush to their bottom edges and drive two 6d nails through the four joints.
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10
Build the four bench supports, one at a time, by aligning two pieces marked E, adjacent to each other vertically, with a 5-inch clearance between the inside 4-inch faces, center one of the D pieces flush to the top and outside edges and drive two 6d nails through the two joints.
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11
Attach the bench supports to the end sections, one at a time, with the D pieces aligned horizontally with the C piece and the outer Es flush with the C piece ends, by putting two 6d nails through the two joints.
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12
Attach two of the F pieces to the C pieces, with the 2-inch faces up, between the E pieces on the left and right end sections, with two 6d nails. Attach the third F piece centered between the two A pieces.
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13
Attach the 25 degree miter cut ends of the G pieces next to each other, centered on the top F piece with the 65 degree cut on the other end flush against the inside center of the C pieces by putting two 6d nails at each joint.
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14
Place three of the H pieces on each of the bench supports and the J pieces on the table top A pieces with a 3/4-inch clearance between each board and nail them in place with two 6d nails at every joint.
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Tips & Warnings
Carriage bolts can be used in place of the 6d nails to allow for easy dis-assembly and storage.
Wear safety glasses while using power tools.
References
- Photo Credit picnic table image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
