Table of Contents
Fixing the table and seats
Step 8: Stand the two end frames
Step 8: Stand the two end framesThis step requires three people (to make life easy): one to hold each end frame and one to clamp a temporary holding piece to the top of the end frames.
Refer to the plans to see how far to space the two end frames.
Step 9: Place the outside boards
Step 9: Place the outside boardsLay the very outside table boards and outside seat boards in place.
That is four boards altogether; the two very outside table boards and the outside boardA piece of sawn, or dressed lumber of greater width than thickness. Usually 19mm (3/4") to 38mm (1 1/2") thick and 75mm (3") or more wide. on each seat.
Using the plans as reference, ensure that the boards are placed correctly and with the right amount of overhang each end.
Step 10: FixTo secure with nails or screws. the outside boards
Step 10: When positioned correctly, clamp and fix the four outside boards by drilling and nailing with ONE NAILA short nail with a large flat head used for securing roofing felt, plasterboard, sheet metal to wood etc. ONLY at each meeting.
This enables the whole unit to be slightly twisted if need be.
Using a big set-square, check that the unit is square (that the seat and table boards are at right angles to the end frames), make any necessary adjustments and then drill and add a second nail at each meeting.
Step 11: Fix the intermediate boards
Step 11: Fix the intermediate boardsLay the intermediate boards in place evenly spaced. They can be temporary held in place with wedges (see photograph).
When positioned correctly, fix by drilling and nailing with two 90mm (3 1/2″) flat-head galvanizedCovered with a protective coating of zinc. nails at each meeting.
TIP: Do not nail in a straight line. Zigzag the nails a little, this will help prevent possible splitting along the support members, especially with straight grain woodTimber, lumber. The hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees.
your plans were awesome and easy to follow. I modified the table top with 2×6’s and it worked Great! Alex, Ft. Worth TX
Hello
I would like to thank you for your Picnic Table plans. They were very easy to follow. My brother and I made this over a weekend with no power tools apart from a drill. Came out great and was good fun doing it…
Best regards,
Paul, From Penang, Malaysia.
Hi i would like to submit my picnic table photos that i ‘ve recently built, with the plans from the web that was very simple and ease . I built in 4 hours and had lot of fun with my son, the only thing that i would like to know is the stain ,would have been better to stain the wood before the assembly ? I’ve had a hard time staining between the boards of seat and table top , if have any suggestion let me know …..
thanks
Philipe do Carmo,Connecticut
Good evening,
Your plans, were a great help to construct the pick-nick table. Took me only almost two working days, but the results may be seen, therefore a photo included.
Thanks and regards.
Leen Groeneweg
Here are some picnic tables that I made that look similar to the one on your site. They range from 4ft – 8ft. They are very simple to make.
k
Photo of the (big) Picnic table I made from your plans! Coated with weather sealant.
Also just a few other photos I thought I’d share. The last one is of my 95-year-old grandmother enjoying the Garden Chair I made from your awesome plans. (My first woodworking project.) Thanks again for the website. I love it!
Derick
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A.
Dear Buildeazy,
I would like to say thank you for the free plans for the picnic table. Please see the attached files about my seat and picnic table.
Thank you for your kind guidance.
Best regards,
Tokar Gabor
Just wanted to say thank you for the great plans and easy to follow instructions. I completed the picnic table and finished it off with a nice gingerbread stain all in one evening.. Here are some pictures.. Wayne Mahoney Newfoundland, Canada
Hi Guys,
Built the traditional picnic table (2m long seats and top) yesterday, very easy to follow plans and everything fitted without hassel. Took me about 4 hours to complete and is an excellent size and height.
I have attached a pic.
Stephen Wood
I’ve just finished making this picnic table and I’m very pleased with the result. I made it out of oak 2 1/4″ finished planed thickness. So it should last for years and years. I live in Italy and am fortunate that I got all the wood virtually free from a manufacturer of oak wine barrels ( the really big ones!) all the oak that he rejects because they have a slight problem eg knots or small fissures I buy for the price of firewood i.e.approx $10 for 220 pound (100kg).
One problem that I did find fortunately very early in the construction was that your excellent plans and instructions had a fundamental error. The conversion of imperial versus metric measurement was wrong. In Italy I work in metres but on this design I had to work in inches which worked out perfectly OK.
Now looking forward to the next project and keep up this excellent web site I know that it gives lots of people like me a lot of pleasure.
Best regards.
Thank you for the free picnic table plans. Attached are pictures of the table I built based on your instructions. I searched the internet for several free picnic table plans available and decided on yours. Im glad I did because it was easy to build and turned out great.
I made modifications to your base plan:
– I made my table 96″ long to fit 8 adults even more comfortably
– I did not use bolts, but rather screws from the inside of the table to keep fasteners out of sight
– I added more seat and table supports on the underside
– I used pocket-hole screws everywhere possible to screw from underneath the table to avoid having screw-heads visible
Thanks again
Jordan Self