COMPLIMENTARY
WOODWORKING PLAN
COFFEE TABLE PLAN
This downloadable plan is copyrighted. Please do not share or redistribute this plan in any
way. It has been paid for on your behalf by JET Tools, a division of WMH Tool Group.
D. Roy Woodcraft
ideas in wood
Denis Roy 2003
2002
Features:
Q Simple Construction
Q Elegant Appearance
Q Lower Surface
Q Elliptical
Versions
& Round
Tools Needed:
-Jig Saw or Band Saw
-Drill
-Belt Sander (recommended)
-Table Saw (recommended)
-Basic Hand Tools
Included in Plan:
8 Grid Diagrams detailing
contoured parts
7 Parts Lists
8 Cutting Diagrams
7 3D Assembly Diagrams
8 Step by Step Instructions
.
1 D. Roy Woodcraft
ideas in wood
Denis Roy 2003
2002
This simple coffee table can be built in either a round or elliptical shape. You have a lot
of freedom to choose the size of table you wish to build as well as the finished appearance
through your choice of router bits used to finish the edges. Built of solid wood, you also have
great control over the style through your choice of wood. Solid oak gives a somewhat formal
appearance while pine gives a more casual, rustic appearance. It would also look spectacular if
built of cherry or walnut. It is an ideal project to showcase that special piece of lumber with the
unusual grain pattern. The prototype shown is built from western red cedar. The surface
consists of a single large slab of cedar which is a very spectacular piece of wood. The coffee
table surface is the perfect means of displaying this highly unusual find.
To build this project, start by choosing between the elliptical or the round variations. Your
next choice is in stock thickness. Since this table has no skirt, it is best built of 1 ½” thick stock
throughout. If building from softwood, cost is not really an issue. Hardwood, however, costs
substantially more if building in this thickness. Feel free to build the top from ¾ or 4/4 stock.
Since the height of the table surface should be 16” above the floor, you may have to choose the
alternate leg style to achieve this. The standard leg is designed for use with a 1 ½” thick table
top and the long leg is designed for use with a ¾” thick table top. Dimensions given in the parts
list are for the standard leg length. The long leg is detailed in its own grid diagram.
Since the round version and the elliptical version differ in materials quantity, the materials
list and parts list are presented separately for each version. Choose your version and be careful
to consult the correct lists. The basic project is presented firstly as an elliptical table. The
changes necessary to build the round version are presented later in the plan.
Qty Materials: Elliptical Table
24 1/2 linear feet of 2X6 solid wood stock
9 1/2 linear feet of 1X6 solid wood stock
4 2" #8 wood screws
4 3 1/2" #10 wood screws
Parts List Elliptical Table all dimensions in inches
Part # Description Qty Length Width Thick Material
1 legs 4 14 1/2 5 3/8 1 1/2 2X6 solid wood
2 Upper surface center board 1 48 5 1/4 1 1/2 2X6 solid wood
3 Upper surface second boards 2 47 1/4 5 1/4 1 1/2 2X6 solid wood
4 Upper surface third boards 2 37 1/2 5 1/4 1 1/2 2X6 solid wood
5 Lower surface center board 1 39 1/2 5 1/4 3/4 1X6 solid wood
6 Lower surface second boards 2 36 1/2 5 1/4 3/4 1X6 solid wood
Step 1:
Cut to size the boards that comprise the upper surface, according to the parts list.
(#2,#3, #4). Note that you can make up the top using whatever board widths you prefer,
modifying to suit the stock you have. Your rough shaped blank should be a total length of at
least 48 inches long, and 24 inches width at the center. Repeat with the boards for the lower
surface, #5 & #6.
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Lay out your boards on pipe clamps as illustrated. Dowels, splines or biscuits between
the boards are not necessary for strength. Biscuits will definitely assist in alignment of boards
so use your biscuit joiner if you have one. If not, the boards can be pulled into line using C
clamps and short lengths of 2X4. Clamp the 2X4 crosswise across the assembly when gluing
up. Take care to alternate the growth rings in the wood to minimize future warping. Any minor
cupping in the wood will tend to cancel out between boards when the growth rings are properly
alternated as in the illustration.
Step 2:
Line up the boards along their center lines. Glue up the boards using yellow cabinet
makers glue. This type of glue is preferable due to its quick set-up time and gap filling qualities.
It allows you to glue board edges with edges prepared only by the table saw. The use of a
jointer is certainly a benefit but I’ve glued up many such panels using only the table sawn edges.
Wipe up squeezed out glue using a sopping wet rag. A third clamp placed at the center of the
panel, on
the top, will
tend to
cancel the
tendency of
the panel to
bend
downward.
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Step 3: Denis Roy 2003
2002
Create full sized templates for tracing your contoured parts using this grid diagram. If
building multiple tables or if you wish to save templates for future re-use, trace the contours onto
stiff cardboard or onto 1/8” thick hardboard. You can also draw the grid directly onto your stock,
then using the parts as templates.
Start by drawing your grid onto the template stock in pencil. Plot a series of dots at the
points where the object line crosses the grid line. Keep track of which grid line you are at with
one hand while you plot your points with the other hand. It can be helpful to number every 5th
grid line on both the drawing and on the template grid to help you keep track of your position.
When you have the series of dots that represent the outline, connect them either
freehand or by tracing french curves around the dots.
Note that the ellipses each have a two mirror lines. Create a template for the quarter
ellipse only, to ensure that the resulting parts are symmetrical. Draw the center lines on your
stock, ensuring that they are at 90 degrees to each other. Align your quarter template along the
two lines. Trace the template on one side of the center line, flip the template along the center
line and draw the opposite side. The quarter ellipse template will need to be traced four times to
give you a complete, symmetrical ellipse outline.
Once you have your outline drawn on your stock, cut the surfaces to their shape using a
jig saw or band saw. Smooth and refine the edges using a belt sander.
Step 4:
Using a ½” radius router bit, round over the upper edges of the upper and lower surfaces. Using
a plane or a very coarse belt sander, shape the lower edge of the upper surface as shown. The
edge should be contoured to make it look semi-circular, tapering off beneath to a point about 2
¼” from the edge. The finished appearance will make the table look thinner than it’s actual
thickness. The lower surface of the table has a square bottom edge. Complete final sanding of
both the upper and lower surfaces of the table.
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Spend extra time sanding the upper surface to a high standard as it will be highly visible.
My cedar slab table produced a wavy appearance when sanded, which looks very much like the
beach. This was totally unexpected and it became part of the unique personality of the table.
Step 5:
Create a template for the leg profile, referring to the appropriate grid diagram. Note the
two different leg lengths represented on two separate grid diagrams. The standard length leg is
14 ½” long, which gives a 16” table top height when used with the 1 ½” thick top surface. The
long leg is designed for a ¾” or 1” thick table top. The notch in the leg should be adapted to fit
the actual profile of the lower surface. Use your router to create the same profile onto the end of
a scrap of
wood.
Use this
as a
template
to trace
the actual
profile
onto the
leg.
5 D. Roy Woodcraft
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Step 6:
Cut the legs to shape using a band saw or jig
saw. Smooth and refine the edges with a belt sander
or drum sander in a drill press. Using either a 3/8” or
½” radius router bit, round over the edges of the legs,
keeping square the edges within the notch and the flats
at the top and bottom of the leg.
At the height of the notch, drill a 3/8” diameter
hole, about 3/8” deep. This hole will receive a wooden
plug later. Within the hole, drill a 3/16” diameter hole
through
into the
center of
the notch.
At the top
of the leg,
drill a 3/16”
hole from
the center
of the
“throat”
through to
the top, at
a slight
angle, as
shown.
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Step 7:
Choose four
points near the ends of
the lower surface and
position the legs, as
shown. Find a position
for the legs that is
visually pleasing,
taking care to keep
them evenly and
symmetrically spaced.
One leg at a time,
remove, apply glue,
and reinstall with a 2
½” #8 wood screw. If
your lower surface is
made of hardwood,
you may want to drill a
small pilot hole to
prevent screw
breakage. Repeat this
with all four legs.
Plug the holes
with wooden plugs, glued and tapped in with a hammer. Tapered plugs are the best, cut with a
plug cutter mounted in a drill press. Cut the plugs from a piece of waste stock of similar colour
and grain pattern. When the glue is dry, sand the plugs flush with the surface of the leg.
Step 8:
Carefully position the
table top over the legs. Note
that the legs may have to be
pulled a little to ensure they
are upright. Into each leg,
drive a 3 ½” #10 woodscrew
upward into the table top.
Watch that your screws do not
penetrate the table top,
especially if it is only ¾” thick.
You may need to substitute
shorter screws.
7 D. Roy Woodcraft
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Round Version:
The basic assembly of the round version is the same as the elliptical version, so description will
be brief. Substitute the following materials list, parts list, and cutting diagram for the earlier
versions.
Qty Materials: Round Table
25 1/2 linear feet of 2X6 solid wood stock
11 linear feet of 1X6 solid wood stock
4 2" #8 wood screws
4 3 1/2" #10 wood screws
Parts List Round Table all dimensions in inches
Part # Description Qty Length Width Thick Material
1 legs 4 14 1/2 5 3/8 1 1/2 2X6 solid wood
7 Upper surface center & 2nd boards 3 36 1/4 5 1/4 1 1/2 2X6 solid wood
8 Upper surface third boards 2 33 5 1/4 1 1/2 2X6 solid wood
9 Upper surface fourth boards 2 26 1/4 5 1/4 1 1/2 2X6 solid wood
10 Lower surface center & 2nd boards 3 27 5 1/4 3/4 1X6 solid wood
11 Lower surface third boards 2 21 3/4 5 1/4 3/4 1X6 solid wood
Top Assembly:
Assemble the round table surfaces as shown in the following illustration. Refer to the
glue-up instructions given earlier. When the glue is dry, mark the center of the panel. Press a
pin or small brad into the center of the panel and tie a string to it. Tie the opposite end of the
string to a pencil, at the appropriate distance from the center, and draw the circle. The
diameter of the upper surface should be 36” and the lower surface should be 26 ½”.
Cut out the circles and sand the edges, refining the shape with the belt sander. Profile
the edges as described in step 4.
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Leg Assembly:
Create the legs as described in steps 5 and 6. Mount them evenly around the lower
surface as shown in the illustration. Install them according to the description given in step 7.
Install the top over the legs as illustrated. Refer to step 8 for instructions.
