Benchright Round End Tables

round end table
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Make this side table inspired by Pottery Barn Benchwright Side Table! Free DIY plans from Ana White!

farmhouse coffee end table set

I've been wanting to share these plans with you for quite some time now!  I loved the style of the Pottery Barn Benchwright End Tables so much, I had been saving them to build for myself.  But with a book to work on (just finished the final edits this last week!) and a two houses in one to build for our moms, when Ashley from Shanty2Chic requested the plans, I knew I had to let them go.  That way we can all enjoy the plans sooner rather than later!

Here's from Ashley:

I love the tables! I was a little intimated to build my first round piece of furniture however, the string and nail technique made it very simple. I used my Dremel Trio to cut the circles and my compound miter for all of the cuts. This was probably one of the most challenging builds I have conquered and I'm so glad I didn't shy away from these plans because I learned a lot through this build process! I now have two great end tables to show off for only $25 each!

Ashley has lots more photos and details here that you will want to check out!

Dimensions
farmhouse side table
Dimensions are shown above.

Preparation

Shopping List
  • 3 – 1x3 boards 8 feet long
  • 1 – 2x3 board 8 feet long
  • 2 – 1x4 boards, 8 feet long OR 24” round tabletop
  • 1 1/4" pocket hole screws
  • 2” brad nails
  • Decorative bolts or nails

*If you can't find 2x3s (Our Home Depot stocks them) you can rip a 2x6 into two 2x3s. 2x3 needs to measure 1 1/2" x 2 1/2".

Common Materials
1 1/4 inch finish nails
120 grit sandpaper
primer
wood conditioner
Cut List

BASE

  • 6 – 1x3 @ 15” (Bottom Shelf Boards)
  • 4 – 2x3 @ 23 1/4" (Legs)
  • 8 – 1x3 @ 13” (both ends beveled at 45 degrees off square, not parallel, long point to long point)

TABLETOP

  • 1 – 1x4 @ 24”
  • 2 – 1x4 @ 23 1/2"
  • 2 – 1x4 @ 21 3/8”
  • 2 – 1x4 @ 16 1/4"
Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Kreg Jig
Drill
Miter Saw
Power Sander
Drill Bit Set
General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Instructions

Step 1

Build your bottom shelf as shown here. You can use the Kreg Jig or just a wood block underneath to attach.

Step 2

Then add legs to bottom shelf as shown above.

Step 3

Followed by the side aprons.

Step 4

And then the top aprons. I recommend 3/4" PHs and 1 1/4" PH screws here.

NOTE: To attach top with PHs later, drill 3/4" PHs facing upward on aprons.

Step 5

Step 6

Attach top to base. You can use decorative nails or screw through aprons.

Finishing Instructions
Preparation Instructions
Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.

It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.

Comments

PedroAA

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 01:23

Nitpicking, I can see that the jigsaw'ed edges are showing a bit in the photo.

From my personal experience in rounded edges, I would say that the best way to make them smooth is by using a belt sander (not as hard as one might think), or use a router with a center rotating point, to make it from the start 100% round and smooth.

Remember though, that making the cut with the router option only works for totally round, constant radius edges (if the radius changes, as in side table sides or such, you cannot use the fixed center router accessory).

mindy (not verified)

Sun, 09/16/2012 - 08:19

Question! The lowes and home depot that are near me do not carry 2 x3 boards. They looked at me like I was crazy and said it does not exist. They also said if I tried to split a 2 x 6 it would split. Got an suggestions?

mindy (not verified)

Sun, 09/16/2012 - 08:36

Question! The lowes and home depot that are near me do not carry 2 x3 boards. They looked at me like I was crazy and said it does not exist. They also said if I tried to split a 2 x 6 it would split. Got an suggestions?

Bander (not verified)

Sun, 09/16/2012 - 10:44

Ask about a 2x3 stud instead of a board. 2x3 is a stud size, like 2x4 only not as common. If you end up getting the 2x6, you will be ripping (cutting) it to size on a table saw, not splitting it. People do this all the time and it doesn't split the wood.

It sounds like they may have been confused because you were not using words in the way they are used to, but they should have taken the time to understand what you needed.

DWL

Thu, 08/21/2014 - 11:52

Hi Diane,
I had the same problem. I'm almost done with the table and will post pics in a few days, but the pocket holes on the beveled ends set me back significantly. First, with the 45 degree bevel, a 3/4 pocket hole is too short - it breaks through at the angle and leaves nothing to hold on to. To fix this, I adjusted the length of the pocket hole to 7/8 which solved the problem (i left the drill bit at 3/4 and adjusted the blue drill slot only). Unfortunately, this didn't solve my next problem, which was how to screw into the angled legs without the sides being pulled out of place. For me, whenever I attempted to screw the ends onto the legs, the pocket screw sucked the end towards the outside of the table (hard to explain, but I assume this happened to you as well). In the end, I ended up putting the pocket holes on the outside and used Kreg plugs to fill in the holes. After sanding, it looks fine and since I will be painting the table, the little ovals won't be noticeable. I definitely feel your pain... Hard to imagine how other people found it so easy!

F16Lambo

Tue, 01/27/2015 - 17:32

Wish I'd have seen your comments earlier, I've been having the same results with the inside pocket screws. Did you leave the pocket hole at 7/8 setting when you flipped the board and drilled on the outside? What about pre-drilled finish nails and glue instead? Thanks, Don