Need project advice: Ikea Malm occasional table

It's going to be hard to make that with a joint that will hold well. If I were going to build it I'd use a pine 2x12 and joint the legs with finger joints or dovetails. Alternately you could use a series of sturdy dowel tenons, something in the 1" range. Just be warned that most dowels sold in home centers are rather randomly sized.

I'm with Clay, I'd probably do box joints for this... I would probably put some corner brackets on the inside (you could always rout out space for them so they're inset and a lot less noticeable), too. And, again, I'm with Clay on the would use 2xs. You could probably get away with a a few 2x6s to get closer to the dimensions of that table (which could use some pocket holes to keep them together). If you want to go the easy route and put this together with pocket holes or (and I wouldn't recommend this) glue and finish nails, you definitely need to add additional reinforcement. Like... a few of these on each side http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=67407-1277-MP121BC&langId...

I saw this in the store and I have some more ideas about how to build it.

The actual table is made with honeycomb construction, and based on the weight I'd say they used 1/4" plywood for the walls and the internal ribs, possibly with a fiberglass wrapper. I was not impressed with the joint between the top and the legs. It was clearly bolted on and felt like it was going to fall apart within a year (a common problem with most Ikea furniture, which looks and feels very poorly made).

If I were going to build this as a console table that can slide over a bed, as the original Ikea product is, I would keep the honeycomb structure, but I would build some sockets into the legs and the top to accept some wicked long tenons, and I would secure them with glue rather than a metal fastener.

This is actually pretty simple construction to do, if you have the tools. But it's time consuming unless you have a shop set up for this kind of work. Start by using 1/2" plywood. Baltic birch or a cabinet grade domestic plywood would be recommended. Don't use the cheap junk they sell at the home center. This 1/2" product is heavier than what Ikea uses, but a honeycomb made from it will be easier to handle in the home shop.

You might be able to build this with a circular saw and a cutting guide, but your life will be made easier if you use a table saw to get more accurate cuts. Downside is that $500 is about the least you can spend for a good table saw. You also can't use the cheap blades they sell at the home center. Those are all thin-kerf blades, which wobble and don't leave a good glue edge. I recently had to spend for the good blades, at about $65 each (and I need one more). Completely worth the money, but hard to convince yourself of it until you see the cheap blades producing scraps instead of usable product.