A table is a necessary attribute of kitchen furniture. Today, manufacturers use a lot of materials to produce tables. There is a great variety of table leg shapes, there are more than twenty of them. The traditional version has four legs. In most cases, standard models have a square or rectangular tabletop.
A three-legged table is usually round. It can be used as a small coffee table or as a dining area.
Tables with two legs are also produced; they can be of different types, but the most common models are those with two X-shaped legs or strong ones made of solid wood.
Content
Mounting methods
Many craftsmen know that incorrectly secured legs are the primary reason for the table to wobble and tilt. There are adjustable supports that can correct a large percentage of tilt, but still, high-quality assembly is of primary importance.
There are several options for attaching legs to tabletops:
| Fixation with surface plates | Let's say you bought legs without the appropriate hardware. To install them, you'll need eye and lug bolts for larger tables and threaded dowels for smaller ones. |
| Fixing with T-nuts | This mounting option is suitable if you intend to restore the front surface of the table and thus give the interior an updated look. You should have T-nuts, eye bolts and eye bolts. |
| Fastening with screws | This is a common and time-tested method of attaching the table surface to the sidebars without using additional fittings. Suitable for classic furniture. |
| Application of Z-shaped holders | Using small iron Z-fasteners is another popular method of fixing. The main advantages of this method are low cost, simple and reliable installation. |
| Application of wooden clamps | A lightweight and durable method of attaching a tabletop without using commercial hardware. These are similar to Z-shaped holders. They can be made from any scraps, as long as the grain orientation is maintained. |
| Using figure eight holders | These metal fasteners are widely used for fixing tabletops. They come in two types - with washers of the same size and with washers of different sizes. |
| Application of slotted spacers | In this case, 2 or 3 auxiliary spacers with rectangular grooves, the length of which is 10-15 mm, are attached to the frame rails of the set. |
Necessary materials
The materials used to make tables are very different, we will tell you about some of them.
- Solid wood of different types is suitable for this, for example, coniferous, oak, etc. If you are a beginner, it is better to use pine, as it is easy to process. It should be remembered that such furniture fades, absorbs odors, liquid, and does not tolerate temperature changes. The advantages are that the material is environmentally friendly, strong, and looks elegant.
Solid pine for making a table with your own hands - Chipboard is a fairly popular material for furniture production. Dry wood chips and resins are used in production. Among the disadvantages, environmental risks can be noted. The advantage is a relatively cheap price.
Chipboard is an inexpensive material option for making a dining table - MDF – compared to chipboard, it is more environmentally friendly, but also more expensive. Wood chips, carbide resins, and modified melamine are used in its production. Disadvantage – it easily catches fire, and there is a risk of fire even from rapidly heating objects.
MDF is suitable for making a table, it is of higher quality and more environmentally friendly - Furniture board is the complete opposite of MDF and chipboard. Acceptable price equivalent, durable and environmentally friendly material. Made from glued bars, pressed together.
Furniture board - square or rectangular sheets of wood, which are made by gluing together wooden blocks along the width or length - Metal – stainless steel is used in most cases. Such a thing will be expensive, but such a table will attract attention.
Stainless steel products are easy to maintain, durable, practical and versatile in use.
These materials are suitable for both the tabletop and the legs. Legs are also made of plastic, chrome, forged. When choosing, rely on your preferences.
Necessary tools
To make it you will need the following tools: a plane, a grinding machine, a jigsaw, a saw, a drill, drill bits, sandpaper, a screwdriver, screws, glue, dowels, clamps, a tape measure, a pencil, protective equipment - glasses, gloves.
Manufacturing process: step-by-step instructions
First, you must make a drawing. Decide what kind of legs you will attach - purchased or made by yourself. The shape can be any.
If the tabletop is 0.8 m wide, then the legs should be 1.2 m long. To make the tabletop smooth, sand it with a sanding machine. There should be no gaps between the joints. To prevent the tabletop from deforming due to high humidity, the boards should be laid with the opposite texture.
At the ends of the boards to be joined, you need to drill holes 8 cm deep, keeping the gap between them at 10-15 cm. Sand the prepared areas and apply glue to the edges, dowels and holes. Insert the dowels into the holes, thus joining the tabletop. Remove excess glue.
Using glue and screws, we connect the cross and grain boards to the legs. On top of the latter, we make two recesses to attach the tabletop. We wait twelve hours and install it. We cover the structure with varnish, stain or paint.
Important! When applying stain, consider the following: choose the thinner wisely, the surface before coating should be carefully sanded, and the main thing is to properly adjust the gun (the shape of the torch should be oval, and the layer you apply should cover the existing one by half).
Having familiarized yourself with the options for attaching legs to the tabletop, you will not have any trouble making a table with your own hands, thereby updating the interior with such an original thing.
