How to Build a Rustic Farmhouse Table - Trestle Style X Frame
3 Materials
$100
2 Days
Easy
In this video I will take you through the basics of creating a Farmhouse table. There are many different styles and even the styles I use myself vary from table to table. I hope this helps you get a foot in the door when it comes to DIY and creating your own dining room table for your home!
I start out by cutting 8 - 2x4s at 42 inches. I then setup a stop block on my miter saw and cut 8 - 2x4s at 15 inches at a 45 degree cut.
Cut 2 - 4x4s at 22 1/2 inches for the center post of the X frame. Center and screw the 42 inch 2x4s to that post. 4 per leg.
Screw the 15 inch 2x4s to the frame. Make sure everything is level. I use two extra pieces of wood cut at 22 1/2 (same as post) to help balance things out to ensure the 15 inch brackets go on properly. (Watch video)
When you screw the 2x4s to the 4x4 be sure to leave space in the middle to drill holes so you can attached the middle brackets and connect both ends like in the picture below.
Connect the brackets (2 - 2x4s at 41 inches) on the bottom and top. I don't use pocket hole screws for this part because this is your main frame and they won't be strong enough. I drill the screws half way through.
Cut 2 - 2x4s at 27 inches from long end to long end at 31.6 degrees. Degrees and length may vary depending on your table width and height.
I cut the top of the table boards down to 72 inches, glue and pocket hole screw all the boards together. I then trim off less than an inch on each side to clean up the ends.
Wait until your glue is cured before lifting as you could flex and crack the wood or ruin the entire piece. Its heavy so make you grab another person!
I nail, glue and screw a trim piece on all sides with 45 degree corners.
Sanding, the best part. No, not really. Go through all your grits and don't be lazy! The better job you do sanding the better the finish will look as far as staining and clear coating. Yes, sanding will determine how well your clear coat turns out. 80,120 or 150, 220, sometimes 400.
I lightly stain the entire frame. It does not need to fully cover all the wood. You are going to age it. Go back and paint the frame with the color you prefer, cheap latex paint is fine, I prefer flat or satin.
As you can see I missed a spot behind the bracket, but I went back and touched it up later! lol. Now this part is critical, if you sand too soon you will get clumps and it won't sand properly, if you wait too long you will have a rough time trying to sand the paint off and accent the edges with aging. I normally wait until it is just slightly tacky but not wet. Just be sure to check on it every 10 minutes. Dry time for latex paint is very fast. I typically go back and sand after 20 minutes. Maybe sooner.
Wow! Look at those results! Be sure to clear coat your table with a polyurethane, water or oil based is fine. Lacquer is also great if you want quick results. Be sure to sand between coats and layer it at least 3 to 4 times. Thank you for checking out my tutorial, if you liked everything, please go to my youtube channel and subscribe for more great videos, I would definitely appreciate it!
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Watch the full video and complete step by step process on my youtube channel! Thank you for viewing my Project!
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2 of 19 comments
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beautiful work!!
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nice job. nothing better than something you made.
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Awesome dining table and love the benches as well. Did you make those too?