My work table

I had some extra wood from a project and I decided to convert it into a work table, giving it the normal table height rather than a standing bench height.

Making it myself was preferable to going out to a store and buying some heavy, smelly particle-board table.

Using real pine wood (and no plywood), I built a simple but very useful table that is 3 feet by 6 feet and is an ideal desk height of 28 inches. For a standing desk you could use perhaps 36 inches.

Materials

• Three long planks, each 6 feet by 1 foot by 3/4 inch.
  • Note, depending on where you buy these planks, they may be only 11 inches wide.
• Four 2x4 legs that are each about 28 inches long and were cut for me at Home Depot for a pittance.
• Two 2x4's for connecting the long boards, each is about 3 feet long. I call these the lateral 2x4's.
  • In reality, the planks may well be only 11 inches wide, in which case you'll need lateral 2x4's that are 33 inches long.
• One piece of 2x4 that connects the long boards at the middle, it's about 2 feet long.
• One 6 foot long rear stabilizing board that is 5 1/2 inches high and 3/4 inches thick.
• One 6 foot long front stabilizing board that is 2 1/2 inches high and 3/4 inches thick.
• Innumerable wood screws. Some must be long enough to penetrate one of the 3/4 inch pieces plus a 2x4, others must be able to penetrate two 2x4's, and some need only penetrate two 3/4 inch pieces.

Procedure

I usually build this table where it will be used. When it comes time to move the table elsewhere, I can just remove the legs (an easy task) as it will be too large to get through the door. Removing the legs involves merely unscrewing a few screws.

First connect the long boards to the lateral 2x4's by placing the 2x4's down and putting the long board on top of them, then getting the angles to be perfect (90 degrees). You can put the lateral 2x4's at the extreme ends, or not, as you prefer. I did not.

Second, put the 2 foot long 2x4 in the middle and connect that to the long boards. At this point the surface of the table is built and stable.

Third, prepare to connect all four legs. Connect the legs to the lateral 2x4s first to ensure the angles are perfect 90 degrees. Then turn over the table onto the legs, preferably against a wall, and drill in screws from the top of the table into the legs. Each leg is now stabilized by 2 screws.

Fourth, put the rear and front stabilizing boards on, screwing them into the legs, the top of the table and the lateral 2x4s.

The table should now be done and fairly strong. Use thicker wood and thick screws to make it stronger. Additionally you have add lower stabilizing pieces to really make it strong.