Looking for a stylish and functional furniture project? In this guide, we’ll walk you through building a modern poplar end table designed by Nathan from Nathan Builds. With a total material cost of around $40, you’ll have a beautiful piece of furniture that you built yourself!
Materials and Tools Needed
- 2-inch thick kiln-dried poplar slab
- Wood glue
- 150 grit and 220 grit sandpaper
- Pocket hole jig
- Dowel jig (optional)
- Biscuit joiner (optional)
- Tabletop fasteners
- Saw (circular saw and miter saw)
- Clamps
- Finish sprayer for polyurethane
Step 1: Preparing the Tabletop
Start by planning down the kiln-dried two-inch thick rough cut slab that will be used for the tabletop. This step ensures a smooth surface for your table. Once that’s done, square up the sides using a straight edge on the most concave side. This will allow you to cut a straight edge on the opposite side.
Step 2: Cutting the Tabletop
After squaring the edges, flip the slab over and use the new clean edge to cut the concave side. To ensure a flush glue-up, cut the slab in half and clean the edges further.
Step 3: Cutting the Legs
Next, begin cutting down the leg pieces. Use the straight edge trick again to rip all the leg pieces from that first clean cut. The legs will consist of three different lengths of wood. Clamp the four pieces needed for each length together before cutting them with the miter saw to ensure they are all the same length.
Step 4: Sanding and Doweling
Sand all pieces down with 150 grit sandpaper. For the tabletop, which is made up of two pieces, use a doweling jig to cut holes for the dowels. This step isn’t necessary but helps keep everything aligned during the glue-up.
Step 5: Glue and Clamp the Tabletop
After preparing the dowels, glue and clamp everything together. Here’s a heads up: you might encounter some warping issues with the boards, but go ahead and continue as planned!
Step 6: Cutting to Size
Once dried, cut the top down to length using a straight edge and circular saw. Make sure your blade depth is sufficient to cut through the wood completely.
Step 7: Assembling the Legs
Now it’s time to assemble the legs using pocket holes and glue. These pocket holes are a great way to build quickly while ensuring strength. Use the Kreg jig to drill the holes, then glue and assemble the two long sides of the base.
Step 8: Dealing with Warp
If you find the top is too warped to use, cut it down into four pieces. Then, level each piece by using a flat MDF board as a base and shims to ensure a flat surface. Hot glue the pieces down to keep them in place while you run them through the planer.
Step 9: Biscuit Joining
For the glue-up, you can opt to use a biscuit joiner for added convenience and alignment. While this step is not necessary, it can make assembly easier.
Step 10: Attaching the Top
To attach the top to the base, use 14-gauge tabletop fasteners. These allow for natural wood movement and are a cost-effective solution. Cut out the slots for the fasteners using the biscuit joiner or table saw.
Step 11: Finishing Touches
Finally, apply three coats of water-based polyurethane using a finish sprayer to protect the wood. This step enhances the beauty of your table and ensures durability.
Conclusion
This project showcases the fun and challenges of woodworking.