Tables & Chairs

Every woodworker worth his salt should be able to knock together a decent table and set of chairs. As with all woodworking projects, design needs to match function. That’s why we have assembled table plans of all sorts, from picnic tables, to dining tables, to coffee tables and the wood chairs you need to use them. No matter what your current need is, you’ll find inspiration here in designing your projects, and adding that all-important touch of beauty.

I Can Do That: Contemporary Coffee Table

Take the easy way out: Find sizes without measuring.

By Robert Lang
Pages 62-63

This small coffee table is a great introduction to building furniture. It doesn’t require much material and it’s an opportunity to develop your skills. This project is sturdy, attractive and easy to build. All of the parts come from standard widths of lumber. I used poplar from my local home center, and I made the table from one 6′-long piece of 1×8, one 8′ length of 1×6 and two 8′ lengths of 1×4.

Start by gluing the top from two pieces of 1×8 and one piece of 1×6. If you are cutting the parts from 6′- or 8′-long boards, leave them a couple of inches long, then trim them to the final length after the glue has dried.
The goal during glue-up is to keep the faces of the boards aligned. Use a couple straight strips of wood below for a level work surface and, if you need to, clamp straight pieces across the top and bottom to hold the edges in alignment while the glue dries.

Let the glue dry overnight, then trim the top to length. Clamp a straightedge across the top to guide your jigsaw or circular saw to make the cut. When the top is at its finished size, set the blade of your combination square at 2″ and draw lines in from each corner on the underside of the top.

Download the PDF of this article for the drawing and cutlist:
Contemporary Coffee Table

Video: Learn a quick and easy method for finding the center of an edge with a combination square.
Plan: Download a free SketchUp model for the “Contemporary Coffee Table.”
Articles: All the “I Can Do That” articles are free online.
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Free Plans: Titanic Deck Chair

Last week marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and as such we received a number of requests for the “Titanic Deck Chair” article, which originally ran in 1999. In honor of that fateful night a century ago (and in response to popular demand), we’re making the article and full-size plans … Read more »

Free Plan: Porch Swing With A Curve

This clever porch swing design from ‘Backyard Projects for Today’s Homestead‘ uses bent lamination sides to support the slats and to create the arms. Clever, and an interesting project. Download the free PDF plans by following the link below. Free Porch Swing Plan

Free Plan From Thomas Moser

The updated and revised version of Thomas Moser’s classic “How to Build Shaker Furniture” is now available for pre-order. You may be asking, “What’s updated and revised?” We thought we’d offer a peek, and also let the author himself tell you what’s changed — in the world, and in the book. Click on the link … Read more »

I Can Do That: Limbert Outdoor Cafe Chair

A great chair to make in pairs (or more), this outdoor version of a classic Charles Limbert Arts & Crafts cafe chair is simple to make using basic home center lumber and only a few common tools. Very little woodworking experience required. Download the Limbert Chair Plans Here

I Can Do That: Outdoor Garden Bench Project

Built from pine boards available from you local home store, this outdoor bench can be built with only a jigsaw and screw gun. A simply coat of paint to match your decor and you’ll be sitting pretty! This project is one of many from ‘Backyard Projects for Today’s Homestead‘. Click here to download your free … Read more »

I Can Do That: Lap Desk

Portable productivity with a nod to steampunk style.

By Mag Ruffman

The glorious thing about being self-sufficient is that you can usually figure out ways to create what you need.

My latest need arose after a bad case of Burning Thighs Syndrome, a malady caused by sitting on the couch typing on a laptop computer. With my quadriceps performing as heat sinks for the laptop’s toiling battery, I had the hottest legs in Canada.
PLAN: Download the free SketchUp plan for the Lap Desk.
ARTICLES: All the “I Can Do That” articles are free online.
Download the complete “I Can Do That” manual. Read more »