Build Your Own Patio Table

Kendra and I really enjoy eating outside but we were having some trouble finding a patio table that we liked in our price range. Most of the ones that caught our eyes cost more than $400.  My favorite was the Chelsea by CB2. I really liked the design but the price was ridiculous.  So what did I decide to do? Build it myself.

The original table has a metal frame with wooden slats but I decided to build the whole thing from wood. It took a little time and elbow grease but the end product came out really well.

Materials:

4x     1.5″ x 1.5″ x 27.5″ (Legs)

2x     1.5″ x 1.5″ x 36″ (Ends)

2x     2″ x .75″ x 59″ (Sides)

3x     1.5″ x .75″ x 59″ (Supports)

16x   3″ x .75″ x 36″ (Slats)

2″ Screws

3/4″ Screws

Wood Putty

Sand Paper

Paint

Wood Stain

Clear Sealant

 

The first step is to screw the legs and sides together.  I originally tried to over-complicate the process by connecting the pieces with doweling pins.  After failing to get the wood glue and pins to set sturdy, I just decided to use screws.  When drilling the guide holes, make sure you can get deep enough to allow for the screws to indent slightly in the wood.  You’ll fill these in later with wood putty so don’t worry about the gaps.

I did end up using the doweling pins to attach the slat suports to the sides.  I was able to use clamps to hold the pieces together while the wood glue set. These ended up being pretty sturdy.

Once the sides dried, I screwed the sides to the ends. Align the sides with the insides of the legs and along the bottoms of the side.  You also add another support board in the center.

 

At this point, it was time to sand down the whole frame and putty all holes and seams.  While waiting on this to dry, I went ahead and sanded the slats and applied the stain. Once the putty dried, I sanded those areas again to make the seams smooth.  Then I painted the frame.

 

After applying several coats of paint and stain, it was time to screw on the slats.  I used an extra board as a straight edge to keep the slats in line. Unfortunately, the board I used was a little bowed so my slats didn’t end up being perfect. It still came out well, however. I put several layers of deck sealant on the table once it was put together.

Since building the table, we’ve spent a whole lot of time on the back deck.  I’m pretty sure we’ve already used this table more than the dining table I built in the winter.