Reclaimed Wood Table

After using a cheap plastic card table as my only table for nearly two years I decided it was time for a change. I had seen some large wooden tables that I liked and figured that I could make one myself. I also used reclaimed wood to make this table so it's a bit cooler looking (and environmentally friendly!).

The finished product is heavy, but not too bad. I'm using Douglas Fir which is a bit soft. Marks will show on the table, but to me that is okay. You may want to adjust your wood choice if you like something different.

Step 1: Assemble Your Materials

To make this table I used three pieces of reclaimed Douglas Fir. Each piece was 3"x10"x5'. I ended up buying five of them from M Fine Lumber in Brooklyn. They came from this 25' piece of wood that they were nice enough to cut into pieces for me.

As far as other consumables go you'll need some wood glue, tenons (or biscuits), and some table legs. I got some of these from Ikea. Here's the link to the legs.

I also used a hammer and vice grips to remove nails, a circular saw, a mortiser, a rubber mallet, sander, and a drill/screwdriver.

Comments

[juju_bijoux]

EXACTLY the tutorial I was looking for.

Thanks Bud :)

[cardboarddude]

miami vice grips lol

[nevarxxxraven]

damn bob villa over here. nice work

[vsardiñas]

Hey drocko, I'm going to build a similar table and was planning to make it 40"W x 90"L.
Do you think I could use the same Ikea legs? That model only comes in one size (24 3/8") and the other ones they carry seem too flimsy for a table that size.

[alavanja]

I want to make a table just like yours,
but,
since it will be heavy, and I might need to move it from time to time,
do you think it is possible to install wheels on the bottom of the
IKEA frames?
You being an engineer might know.

Thanks in advance,
and keep on creating great things like this table.

Vanya

[tabrown05]

Did you alternate the orientation of the growth rings to help the table stay flat?

[Codah_01]

Looks great! This might sound like a mundane and unimportant question, but what kind of sander did you use?

[drocko]

I am (or was) a Festool nut, so the sander is a Festool Rotex RO-150.

[Lukulele]

Nice appearance but some alternatives to the Domino for the majority of viewers would have been nice as most folks can't afford Festool. Dowels, biscuits, or even a well racked group of clamps and Titebond III will align and hold just fine. The Arm-R-Seal is an excellent choice for fir, heart pine, or virtually any hardwood but 3-5 coats on a porous species of wood will build depth, aid in cleaning, and help (somewhat) toughen the top from denting and scratching. It also "pops" the grain and enhances the color of vintage wood. Nice clean look table

[Vince_33]

@Lukulele: assuming the different sections are accurately planed at right-angles, would glueing be good enough?

[thekiyote]

I was wondering about that with the Domino! I don't own one (and can't afford one :-P) so I was wondering if some dowels would be a good substitute! Good to hear that it is!

[paulwright]

Hey, I have to say I love this table, and am going to make a desk to fit perfectly into my study.

I was just wondering (as I have basically zero experience with woodwork) when you said:

"Next you're going to want to use your saw to make sure all the corners are at 90 degree angles. I used my circular saw, but a table saw would probably be better. Actually what would be great is a jointer. I don't have one of those though, so I'm making do with what I have."

What does this actually mean. Are you assuming the wooden planks are square to begin with, and just want to make the ends at 90 degrees, or did you make the whole plank square?

I can understand if my question is confusing, but you say you don't have a jointer, and I am wondering how you got your planks to look so perfect and fit together using a circular saw?

Thanks,
Paul

[drocko]

Hi Paul,

The wood was pretty close, but not quite square. The secret is the Festool plunge cut saw and guide. Their saw fits perfectly into a metal guide that I can line up with the edge of the wood (or any edge I want). It also has a protractor that fits to the guide to allow me to cut at any angle.

Frankly, a used table saw is probably cheaper and would do a better job, but space is at a premium where I've lived and I move a lot. This project was actually done two apartments ago! The Festool tools are small and pack up quite nicely.

If/when I move into a place that has a lot of space I will set up a woodshop with a tablesaw.

If you are using this Instructable to help with your desk, for this part just make sure the wood is cut nice so it fits together well. That's really all that is important. Good luck with your desk!

-Dave

[miscbws]

Thanks for posting step-by-step - I was so impressed with your table that I decided to try it myself. My first project so I needed lots of guidance. Mostly the same except I used a biscuit joiner and tung oil finish. I give you credit for the design when I have people over. Thanks again

[angelabchua]

This looks fantastic!

[joanna01]

wow!! beautiful table :) so those Ikea legs are strong enough to support the wood? They don't sway?

[kkhaldia]

Could you attach the wood using brackets?

[dan_ce]

Nice table. But how did the lumberyard saw it up for you if it still had HUGE nails in it?

[drocko]

They used a chainsaw to hack the 25' beam into five 5' pieces.

[EmmettO]

I like the project! My wife has been saying we need a new kitch table and I have a bunch of old wood. I'm surprised at how many people still go with wood glue. I'm sure it works adequately but I'm a big believer in Gorilla Glue. I do all my woodwork with it and it's crazy strong stuff.

[lovejobworknomore]

dude youve got xpensive tools, works even better in your hands

[zoundsPadang]

Gorgeous. Really really nice. I'm planning on opening a coffeehouse in a few years (student loans are a pain in the butt) and I was thinking about doing a big, common, reclaimed wood table and now I KNOW I'm going to. If you want to come out to Chicago in a few years and help you can earn free coffee. ;)

[drocko]

Hell yes I would road trip out to Chicago with the tools to do this! Let me know when.

[zoundsPadang]

Dude, welcome to the army. I swear I'm not going to have to hire anyone I don't know to get this place fitted out. Look out for a PM.

[jwilliamsen]

Not only a Festool saw but a saw, guide, workbench, AND a Domino. Now I *know* you could have bought a jointer - lol.

[drocko]

Ah yes, it's a matter of space! All of the Festool tools easily break down and can be stored (which is handy in NYC). This is why I don't have stuff like a drill press or table saw. Someday I'll have a nice workshop in the country!

[jwilliamsen]

Yeesh - for what you paid for a Festool saw and guide, you COULD have bought a jointer - lol. That piece of wood is *perfect* quartersawn BTW - it'd be hard to pick a better piece for a table :)

[siedpe13]

lol vice grips

[lej619]

great job!I have one somewhat like this ..but was made from an old door.

[hughscott5]

Awesome project!! Saving it in my "to do" folder right now!! :)

[Euphy]

Beautiful table and well presented project. That's a cracking piece of timber you picked up too, incredible grain.

[PlayPatterns]

this is great. If you're in NYC and need materials for more projects, I highly recommend taking a trip to "Build it Green" in Astoria - I could get lost in there....

[owl box]

Nice stuff, you might want to consider using Tung Oil if you have to finish any more wood. Natural, and waterproof. Well done, looks great.

[coswine]

I did the same thing this winter, but I used large biscuit joints and an old sewing machine base for the legs. In fact, your instructable was one of the things that got me motivated to finally do it. I used old floorboards from a barn, circa 1850. Nothing beats the character you find in reclaimed lumber. Cheers to a great instructable!

[crowtrapper]

Beautiful job. About 30 years ago I had a wool-sorting table in our old woolshed - used for shearing sheep here in Aus - and the table was falling apart (100 years old or more by then) so I reclaimed the wood from it and made a somewhat rustic dining table. It has nail holes in it etc, the surface is waxed with beeswax, but all the old marks are there. The table seats 10, it is about 8 ft 6" by 3 ft, and it has a thousand stories to tell now. That table is now a family heirloom! My kids will never part with it (built by their Dad) and I am not dead yet but already they are arguing over who will get the table! So to all you reclaimers of old timber I say go for it!

[popdisaster420]

Your home is beautiful, the wood floors and brick walls are awesome. Thanks for the instructable, I'm going to try this one on a smaller scale. =]

[warrenlemay]

Nice job on the table. Cool work bench where did youget it.

[drocko]

 The workbench is a Festool MFT 800. It integrates with their tools and clamps very well. I think they have discontinued that model but it looks like you can pick it up from some dealers that have it in stock for a discount. There's a new model of MFT table that's bigger and lighter and better or something as well. 

[brunobl3]

Fantastic work!! I love to use reclaimed wood in my works too. Congratz!

[westbank]

Wow !!! Nice minimalist table. I was wondering what are the dimensions of your table. Thank you

[Aleksandr Skotbot]

Your reclaimed wood table with ikea legs beats the hell out of my ikea wood table with ikea legs! ): but I covered mine with bottle caps, and then plexiglass. (: great piece.

[lalunette]

What a great write-up. We did something similar for our table (seats 10) at the cottage but the legs are also made of wood. Good idea to use recycled timber.

[tday99hotmail]

Fantastic looking table! How is it holding up? I might just try this myself.

[drocko]

It's holding up quite well. I use it every day!

[geraldgrogan]

Great project. Can you post a link to where you purchasd these table legs? In particular, I am looking for the exact name or part description at Ikea to assist in finding them easier. Thanks.

[drocko]

Thanks! These arethe legs and I've added a link to the supply page.

[chadimoglou]

Pretty Sweet Man. I am quite inspired.

[roccopeterbilt]

Looks Good. I noticed that while you may not have a jointer, you've got a good bit of money tied up into tools, Festool tools are crazy pricey, like their new $1300 chopsaw! They mak nice stuff, but too salty for me.

[Mesach]

"After using a cheap plastic card table as my only table for nearly two years" After reading this, I thought that the author was doing this because they were trying to save money and wanted to be green too. But when I saw the first Festool piece of equipment, then the 2nd and 3rd piece, I realized that they had the cheap plastic card table, because they spent alot of money on the tools. next time, spend 1/2 the price on some good tools, and then build alot more stuff, but since you already have the festools, can I be your friend?

[Ockham]

I like how your workspace is in the middle of your apartment. My wife would kill me if I "set up shop" in our living room. Well done.

[drocko]

Hah yeah... Well there are two reasons I can do this, the first is that I live alone. The second is that I use a dust extractor that connects to the tools and removes most of the dust. I'd rather have a dedicated workspace but I don't have the space. It makes me be more creative and it keeps me from buying too many tools! :)

[shooby]

I hear ya. Same hear, small apartment and not enough space for the drill press and table saw I covet.

[shooby]

*here

[shooby]

Great job. How much did the wood cost you?

[kdoerksen]

This is a great build. It reminds me of a beautiful table I saw at a gallery in Vancouver, BC: Doug Lane's Three Plank Table ($5425.00 CAD) You probably saved a bit of money building your own!

[drocko]

Wow! His is a bit more refined than mine. I imagine my table cost me around $250 if you don't count the tools. The table I saw that gave me the idea was at CB2 and cost about $900. It was also not made of real wood, which was important to me.

[friger]

That is a handsome table, well done!

[Coati]

Nice looking piece,simple and elegant.Another place to get reclaimed lumber is dumpster diving at construction sites,I would suggest looking as often as possible,depending on the phase of construction you can get anything from rough lumber to cabinets and furniture.

[electronicghost]

what is the name of the Ikea legs you used?

[drocko]

They are called Vika Moliden.

[Major-Wood]

Reclaimed lumber can be especially expensive. The mortises are not necessary if you are comfortable with a deadblow mallet and your clamps. What would be more important would be a board across the grain about a foot in from either end. These should be screwed on through "pilot slots". You want to use a slot instead of a pilot hole to allow for expansion and contraction. This is important because the probability of this glue-up warping is fairly high. However you prepare the joints for gluing up, there is one trick to keep in mind. What we tend to do is joint one edge with the top face against the fence (using a jointer, but this method can be adapted to other tools) and the joining edge with the top away from the fence. This way, if your tool is slightly out of square, the other will be out of square exactly the same, but in the opposite direction, which makes for a flat surface. Clamping methods are also very important. The clamps needed to glue up this top properly would be fairly heavy duty pipe/bar clamps. You need to use your clamps to adjust the top so you don't build a warp into it. This means using clamps on both sides of the slab. Use a good long straightedge to see if it is nice and straight. Keep in mind that almost always as you tighten a clamp, the center of the glue-up is going to want to bow away from the clamp.

[superdave 57]

Trucking Companies can be a good source of very nice lumber from old trailer floors. They are already joined, a bit rustic and usually they are more interested in sending old trailers for the aluminum ...the wood is something they have to get rid of.

[drocko]

Ah that is a good tip. The place that I bought this from told me that most of their customers are construction companies that use the wood for concrete forms, etc.

[jeff-o]

I'm still tossing around ideas on what to make my new work table out of. Reclaimed wood is still a possibility - how much did those pieces of fir cost?

[drocko]

I spent $250 at the lumberyard. This includes the wood and the cost of cutting them into five 5' pieces (the other two pieces are set aside for another project). These are NYC prices so I would bet that you could get it cheaper if you are outside of the city.

[jeff-o]

I wouldn't doubt it. There is a place pretty close to me that sells reclaimed lumber (including massive pieces from old barns) that would probably have some good stuff. I really ought to call them. I'd probably get something in hardwood though, and not so thick.

[saltoricco]

Very well done. Good idea using the IKEA base.

[Rob K]

My brother has a table made out of a 300 year old church door. 4x8 boards natural oak banded with iron straps and rivets the size of tennis balls.

[diocite]

You could have jointed the edges of the boards with a hand plane. You can pick up #7s or #8's relativly easy at flea markets. Just be sure that you remove all the nails.

[Weissensteinburg]

It turned out really attractive..well done!

[killerjackalope]

Nice job, looks like a good sturdy table, one thing that I would suggest is small diagonal braces for the legs, just in case someone heavy leans on it or they try and move and they catch it on something. That's personal experience with broken tables talking by the way.

[pocketlama]

Very nicely done tutorial, now I'm going to have to try it for my new place where I will finally have room for a real table - RAH!

[LinuxH4x0r]

Great job. Just be really careful and use a metal detector if possible when using reclaimed wood. A nail could cause a bad accident. 4.5/5