This Instructable is to teach how to make an 8'' wide hexagonal picnic table with detachable benches. This plan includes instructions on how to build two halves of the table since it can be burdensome to transport a table this big, but with a few minor adjustments, it would be relatively simple to make one full table piece.

Step 1: Collect the Necessary Materials

For this project, you will need

1. About 5 pounds of 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 inch screws

2. 38 bolts of 3" - 8"

3. 38 nuts

4. 76 washer

3. 24 ninety degree angle brackets

4. For 2x6" wood, we recommend getting two 8' pieces, nine 10' pieces, and six 12' pieces

5. For 2x4" wood, we recommend getting thirteen 10' pieces

6. For 1x4" wood, we recommend getting five 8' pieces

7. For 4x4" wood, we recommend getting nine 8' pieces

Step 2: Cut the Necessary Pieces for a Seat

1. Grab a 12' long piece of 2x6''

2. Measure one piece 56 3/8'' long and another piece 63 3/8'' long.

3. Cut a thirty degree angle off these two lengths with a miter saw. Make sure the angle faces inward and they come together to form a trapezoid.

4. Grab a 8' long piece of 4x4"

5. Measure the wood into four increments of 17" each. Note, these need to be as precise as possible, since these are what make the table level, especially if they're going to be placed on a solid surface like concrete.

6. Cut the 17" pieces

7. Grab a 10' piece of 2x4"

8. Measure and then cut the wood into two pieces each 8 7/8'' long.

Step 3: Assemble the Seat

1. Use a 3 1/2 bolt with two washers and a nut to attach two legs to a piece of the 8 7/8 piece of 2x4".

2. Line up the 2x6" pieces so that the 30 degree cuts line up perfectly. This will mean there is a 3/8 inch in between the two boards.

3. Glue the leg to the bottom of the 2x6' pieces. The legs of the benches should be placed about 5" from the shorter piece of wood on it's shortest corner.

4. Use small screws and an angle bracket to help attach the legs to the top of the seat

5. Screw the 1x4'' board into the legs

Step 4: Create All Seats

1. Follow steps 2 and 3 to create the other 5 seats.

2. Once all completed, the seats should be able to fit together in a hexagonal shape

Step 5: Cut Pieces Need for the Top of the Table

1. Grab multiple pieces of 2x6" wood.

2. Each measurement must be cut three times, to create the half a hexagon shape, and they are all cut at thirty degree angles. The pieces sizes from largest to smallest are:

-50 3/4

-44

-37 3/16

-30 6/16

-23 5/8

-16 13/16

-10 1/16

-3 1/4 (Note: this piece is hard to cut, and if you would prefer, you could also combine the three pieces in the center and cut one slightly larger. I would recommend measuring the size needed for the piece once the table is assembled to make sure it fits perfectly.

Step 6: Cut the Rest for Half of the Table

1. Using an 8' 4x4", measure four 30" pieces and cut. Just like the seat legs, these are important to get as precise as possible, especially if the table is going to be kept on something sturdy like concrete.

2. Grab a 10' 2x4" and measure two 100 5/8" pieces. Cut these out with the saw. These will be the long spokes of the table

3. Grab another 2x4" and measure four pieces 49 5/8" long.

4. Glue two of them together with the 4'' side touching to make the spoke sturdier and stronger.

5. On one end of the spoke, measure 3/4 on one side and 2 1/4. The longer piece will be cut with the saw at a 30 degree angle while the shorter side will be cut with a hand saw at a 60 degree angle. We used another set of directions to complete this when we made the table, and they have some great pictures. Their hexagonal picnic table is made with attached legs, and their spokes are made out of only 1 piece of 2x4". They discuss how to cut the spokes in step 2, 'Shape the square ends of the spoke'. The link to these instructions is https://www.buildeazy.com/hex-table-with-seat-1.ht...

6. On the other end of the spokes, cut a 30 degree cut along the 2" side of the board so the spokes aren't seen.

7. Grab another 2x4", and once the table is put together, measure how far the bottom long spoke it to the outside legs. Since the legs can move around, and the pieces may be spaced slightly different, its best to wait to cut them precise. Our pieces tended to be around 40''.

Step 7: Assemble Half the Table

1. Place the 2'' side of the long spoke on the floor

2. Take the two shorter spokes, and have the thirty degree cut touch the longer spoke on its 4'' side. The two spokes should touch by the sixty degree cut.

3. Bolt these together from the 4'' side of the long spoke that's not touching the short spokes. You can also use other brackets or other additions to try and keep the spokes sturdier.

4. Place each piece of the top of the table in descending order with about a 3/8 space between them. Then, put four screws in each piece to hold the top of the table in the spokes.

5. Pick the table up and place it on top of the six legs with one leg under each corner, and two in the middle, on each side of the spoke.

6. Drill each leg into a spoke with a 8'' bolt, washers and nut.

Step 8: Create Other Half

1. Repeat steps five, six and seven to create the other half of the table

2. To create one large table, only make two long spokes (one for the bottom and one for the top) and attach the short spokes on both sides to the long spoke.

3. To keep the table together, we bolted them together just by drilling holes along the two spokes. It really has no effect where, since these are not structural.