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Vintage Storage Dining Table

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vintage dining table
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Difficulty
Intermediate
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How to build a vintage style storage dining table.  Free woodworking plans by Ana-White.com

Photo by Meggrs

Dimensions
vintage dining table dimensions
Dimensions are shown above.

Preparation

Shopping List
  • 1 - sheet 3/4" plywood ripped into strips 19", 22" and 5 1/2" , all 8 feet long
  • 1 - 1x2 @ 4 feet long
  • 1 - 2x2 @ 6 feet long
  • 1 - 1x4 @ 6 feet long
  • 50 x 36 tabletop
  • 2 - knobs or handles
Common Materials
1 1/4 inch screws
2 inch screws
Elmer's Wood Glue
Elmer's Wood Filler
120 grit sandpaper
primer
wood conditioner
paint
paint brush
Cut List
  • 2 - 3/4" plywood @ 19" x 29 1/2"
  • 4 - 1x6 @ 5 3/4"
  • 2 - 1x2 @ 17 1/2"
  • 2 - 3/4" plywood @ 22" x 27"
  • 2 - 1x6 @ 36"
  • 2 - 2x2 @ 36"
  • 1 - Tabletop 50" x 36" (planked or you can use plywood trimmed or edge banded)
  • 2 - 1x4 @ 17 1/2"
  • 2 - 1x4 @ 16 3/4"
  • 1 - 1/4" or 3/4" plywood @ 17 1/2" x 18 1/4"
  • 2 - 1x6 @ 18 1/4"
Cutting Instructions

When you cut your panels from plywood, consider ripping into strips 19" and 22" wide, and then cutting your pieces from those strips. This will ensure greater accuracy. To save on materials, consider cutting scraps into 5 1/2" wide widths and using these strips to replace 1x6 boards in plan.

Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Drill
Circular Saw
Jigsaw
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

You can use either 3/4" pocket holes and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws and glue or 2" screws to attach. Keep outside edges flush and square. TIP: If you are using pocket holes, go through the entire plan and mark all pocket hole locations and get drilling before any assembly.

Step 2

Next, add the drawer guides. Take a second to ensure the drawer area is square, as you will only have a 1/4" of total play around the drawer.

Step 3

Attach top of storage box to sides.

Step 4

Take your time drawing carefully out your end patterns. The ends do not have to match my suggestions, but they do have to match each other. Once you have one cut, use it as a pattern to cut the other. Clamp the two cut ends together and sand all rough edges until the two match. Then attach to the center storage area with screws and glue.

Step 5

Step 6

You can make your tabletop from just about anything. The best solution is joining hardwood boards together on the underside with 3/4" pocket holes and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws. Another option is to use 1/2 sheet of hardwood plywood, cut to 47" x 33". Then attach edge to edge 1x2 frame around all sides to create a sturdy and decorative wood edge to the tabletop. Would be beautiful in Purebond Plywood for sure!

 
Round edges of 2x2s to smooth and attach to underside of table as noted in diagram.

Step 7

Now the tabletop should just fit right over the base. Attach through sides into the 2x2 supports with 2" screws.

Step 8

For this drawer, I just went the simplest possible route, figuring the drawer is not high use and wanted to keep it simple. This drawer is just a 1x4 box with plywood on the bottom.

Step 9

Make sure the drawer fits in the opening. I like to rub the drawer bottoms with candle wax to make for a smoother slide.

Step 10

And then just position the drawer faces over the drawer boxes, shimming so there is an even 1/8" gap all the way around, and attach with 1 1/4" finish nails. Then also attach from inside with 1 1/4" screws. TIP: Attach hardware first to drawer face so you don't have to drill through a second layer of 1xs to access the hardware screw - depending on your type/style of hardware.

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.
Project Type
Table Plans
Round Dining Tables
Dining Table Plans
Room
dining room
Style
Cottage Style Furniture Plans
Farmhouse Furniture

Comments

Skye Giroux (not verified)

Thu, 02/16/2012 - 08:27

I LOVE this table - I've been in love since Pottery Barn first put it up on their site! I'm sooo happy you made a plan for it, because even though I don't have a dining room and therefore no space for a table larger than bistro size, I can't wait to live vicariously through everyone else who builds it :)

Guest (not verified)

Thu, 02/16/2012 - 08:31

Very cool plan Ana. I thought that this table may be a tilt top table. As a FYI, tables like this (with the top that tilted back and made the table into a bench) were a very popular and useful piece of furniture during the American Colonial Period in history. Houses were small, and furniture needed to be extremely useful. There was little room for a decorative piece of furniture. So the table / bench evolved from the fancier earlier version of a tilt top tables (not a bench also). (I noticed that on the Pottery Barn site, it says FIXED trestle table). I wonder if this table could be modified so that the top would pivot back? Thanks for this plan Ana!!

Ana White

Thu, 02/16/2012 - 09:16

Always a step ahead!!! I did not know that this style table is actually inspired by the vintage tilt top tables. By simply using bolts and holes to attach top to sides, the table should tilt. Thanks for making me smarter!

noonoo

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 06:24

This one caught my eye as I had been researching early furniture. It's hard to see in the picture from the popular woodworking website, as it's so dark. The more primitive style would use holes like you suggest but with short dowels threaded through. So four dowels one in each corner. The front two dowels would be removed and the table would tilt using the back dowels as the hinge. All the dowels could be removed and the top could come right off too. The dowels could be just ordinary cylindrical or shaped so they had a bulbous knob at the end to grab hold of more easily. The base could be smaller too if it's more of a one seater that you want and a decrease in table top size. If making the top using planks of wood instead of one big piece, the planks need to be horizontal to your back when you're leaning against it when it's tilted, for strength.