A couple of years ago, I came across a YouTube video exclaiming that I could build a Farmhouse Table for about $50 with minimal tools. I hated my dining table at the time, and it was falling apart due to the cheap “wood” and crummy hardware. A lot of store-bought tables are posing as fine furniture with decent enough looking finishes at the various furniture stores, but they all fail miserably after everyday use.
You may have seen the video of this Farmhouse Table, however, I am going to share my actual experiences and actual cost for me to build this table. I want this to be a realistic demonstration because anyone can make this look easy in an edited video, but when you start cutting a 4×4 with a handsaw, shit gets real.
Where did I buy my materials?
While I was living in Guam when I made this table, I did have a local Home Depot with comparable prices to the Continental United States. When I started all I had was: a hammer, an aging cordless drill, and a handsaw. I set out to the local Home Depot in order to purchase some dimensional lumber…meaning this is wood that has been cut down, cut to size, and has been surfaced or planed already…this means that it was ready to use for a guy like me with minimal tools. I also bought wood glue, screws, nails, wood stain, a clear polyurethane finish, and a paint brush.
The Lumber:
The table consists of pine boards, some 2×4’s (also pine), and a 4×4 (you guessed it: also pine). Okay, so pine is commonly used a soft-wood and will be labeled as “Common Board” at Home Depot. My table has been in use for over two years with two children and a large dog beating the crap out of it everyday, and it’s holding up just fine. Plus, the appeal of the Farmhouse Table is that is has that rustic farmstead feel to it, a few dents only add to the “look”.
I tried to find boards that had a little ‘cup, twist, and warping’ as possible. Take the time to sort through the boards at Home Depot or wherever you decide to find the lumber to get nice straight boards with minimal defects. You may find that you like the knots in the board while some people like no imperfections. NOTE on dimensional lumber: if a board has been surfaced already then the dimension of say a 1″ x 10″ board is actually about 3/4″ x 9.5″; this is because the board has already been milled for use. Also a 2×4 is about 1.5″ x 3.5″ in dimension.
The Tools & Supplies:
My absolute must-have tools for this project were a tape-measure, a hammer, a drill, and a handsaw, The handsaw is optional as you can have Home Depot cut the materials to length for you. Another optional item is some type of clamp to help align various pieces and help guide cuts.
Other needed items are wood glue, nails, screws, a sanding block, wood filler, wood stain ( Minwax Honey 272) , and polyurethane (Minwax Clear Gloss).
Wood Shop: Don’t worry, I used whatever space I had available which ended up being my front patio.
Note: pictured below you might see the use of pocket holes; this is because I built this table a second time for a dear friend and I altered my techniques–I will share later in the article those methods!
Time to make some Sawdust!!!
The video I watched utilized a nice miter saw which probably cost a few hundred dollars, but I am a determined guy who wanted to saw by hand (great idea in 90 degree heat). So the saw I bought was a Pull Saw, (or Japanese pull saw) which means the blade cuts on the pull vice the push of a traditional saw. I actually cut the 4×4’s myself, but I recommend getting them cut to size at the store if you can. The 2×4’s were easy enough to cut by hand. Quick Tip: Use a straight edge like a ruler or another straight piece of wood to guide your cuts
Cut List:
I sized my table to be about six feet long and three feet wide (72″ x 37″ to be exact).
(4) 1″ x 10″ planks @ 53 inches
(2) 1″ x 10″ planks @ 37 inches
(2) 1″ x 4″ planks @ 70 inches
(5) 1″ x 4″ planks @ 33.5 inches
(2) 2×4 planks @ 33.5 inches
(2) 2×4 planks @ 26-9/16 inches
(1) 2×4 plank @ 63.5 inches
(4) 4×4 posts @ 29 inches **You can cut these according to your preferred table height
Table Top Frame:
The frame (also known as the apron) is the structure that the actual table top sits on. It is constructed with the pine board planks, glue and nails. Put the frame together as shown below. Apply a fair amount of glue to the joints, and nail the boards together. The nails act as the “clamp” for the glued faces of the wood…the real binder is the wood glue itself which is quite strong. Each 33.5 inch 1″ x 4″ plank is space 16.75 inches from each other.
Additionally, you will need to place the (2) 2×4 33.5 inch boards 7.5 inches from the end boards. **Ensure the 7.5 inches measurement is from the end to the center of the 2×4. This board will allow the table top bread board ends a place to be nailed into.
Table Top:
This table top is a breadboard design where the lengthwise boards are butted with a perpendicular board on the ends of the table, which is a very simple but nice design. What I did was lay out my boards on the frame to ensure there was even spacing on each edge overlap. Additionally, find the edges of the boards that match up cleanly and evenly, this will help with the gluing process later and cut down on any gaps you may want cover with wood filler as well.
Start attaching an end board, which is one of the 1″ x 10″ 37 inch board, by laying a bead of glue on the frame, laying the board down, and nailing the board in place from the top.
Once the first board is in place lay down glue on the rest of the frame and place the remaining boards on top as shown above and nail them to the frame––I marked some of the locations in the photo above to give an idea of where to start. The four parallel table top boards will need a bead of glue on their edges as well. When laying the boards next to one another, hold them firmly against each other while nailing them down for a more secure top.
Alternative Method for Attaching the Table Top: Pocket Hole Screws
Pocket hole screws are an excellent and easy method for the beginning woodworker, but they continue to be a versatile jointing method for the experienced woodworker. Here I used the Kreg R3 Jig which comes with the drilling block, a special clamp, the special drill bit, and a square headed bit for fastening the pocket hole screws which it also comes with.
The Legs:
Flip that table top over and lay her down…gently.
Place a table leg, the (4) 29 inch 4x4s, in each corner and attach with (2) 3 inch wood screws on each side of the corners of the table frame into the 4×4. Pictured below is an alternate method for attaching the legs. Quick Tip: pre-drill the holes with 1/8th inch drill bit first to avoid splitting the wood.
Leg Support Stretcher:
Arrange the remaining 2×4 boards (1) 63.5″ and (2) 26-9/16″, into an “I”. Next, attach the 26-9/16″ boards near the bottom of the table legs with (2) wood screws. Finally attach the 63.5″ 2×4 as a stretcher to the middle of the 26-9/16″ supports with (2) wood screws as shown below.
Now we sand, sand, and sand some more!
Fill any gaps to your liking with wood filler…I finagled with the wood filler for way too long and tried to make everything perfect, which in the long run was a waste of my time for a table that is supposed to have rustic feel to it. Sanding can be done with a simple sanding block from the hardware store.
Once the sanding is complete, and you’ve wiped the surfaces of sawdust, stain can be applied. I used a Minwax Wood Stain to my liking, and used a rag to wipe it on (I just read the instructions on the side of the can, nothing fancy). I gave it a day before I applied the clear polyurethane finish.
When applying the clear poly, I used a several light coats and sanded with a fine steel wool between coats—this allows the subsequent layers to bind better and also provides a smoother looking finish. Alternatively, you could purchase a wipe-on polyurethane, which I used on my second farmhouse table.
Closing Thoughts:
There you go a finished Farmhouse Table that is holding up really well, and if the table top gets a little beat up I can always sand the top down and reapply the clear poly finish. I am extremely happy with this table and have great pride knowing that I built it myself, and my family is enjoying it everyday. I hope you have even better results.
**A note on wood movement. Many higher end tables using finer hardwoods are concerned with wood movement, especially with the bread board ends. My table was not put together will large clamps and tight tolerances or fancy floating tenons, but I have not experienced any adverse wood movement which is caused by changes in the wood humidity/moisture content. The second table I built with the pocket hole screws is also doing quite well with no adverse effects.
