Outdoor Trestle Table

Step 2 The Legs

For the legs, we built the tops and bottoms the same - a 26.5 inch long 2x4 with a bevel on the ends. The bevel is 3.5 inches wide, and ends up with the board thickness of 3/4 of an inch. For the bottoms, we added 3.5 inch square pads to make it sit better on the ground. Those pads are screwed in with 1.5 inch drywall screws. Make sure they sink into the wood to keep them from touching the ground (to avoid scraping the concrete etc.).

To make the bevels, we made a quick jig (see picture) and set the circular saw at an angle by trial and error. That cut most of the way through, and we finished it with a hand saw and belt sander. You can also just cut them by hand - our hand saw was dull at the time. :-)

To bolt the tops and bottoms of the legs, we used 5/16 inch diameter, 4.5 inch long lag screws and washers. We first tacked the 2x4 on with 2 inch drywall screws to hold it down while drilling for the lag bolts. To line the legs up with the top/bottom:

1) mark the place where the board should go - just outside the board dimensions so you can see the marks when the board is there
2) drill the hole for the washer - 3/4 inch hole about 1/4 inch deep
3) use the drywall screws to hold it in place - don't put them in the 3/4 inch holes, though
3) drill the smaller hole for the threads - right into the leg
4) remove the drywall screws and drill the larger hole for the lag screw shaft
5) bolt down the top/bottom