After seeing the R6000 (US$400) price tag for a mango wood dining table, I decided to make my own at a fraction of what it would cost to buy one. The project was actually very easy and only took a weekend.

In this project you will find instructions for making the table, as well as an easy method for whitewashing the table to take away the naturally yellow colour of pine.

I won't mention names, but the dining table shown here retails at R6000 (US$400). I was interested in buying the table, but upon close inspection (and as you can clearly see in the photo above - bottom right) the table on display was warped and there were quite a lot of cracks already starting to appear in the wood. Give it a few more months and the entire table would need to be refinished - not quite worth the asking price.

Click here to materials, supplies and tools required.

I enlisted the help of a friend who does welding to make the steel leg frames for the table, and these only cost R800 (us$50) for the pair. The wood for the table cost R1100 (US$ 70) at my local Builders Warehouse, and that includes the fact that I used a 32mm thick pine rather than go for a thinner 20/22mm pine. So, at the end of the day my much stronger and sturdier table came in at a cost of around R2000 (US$127).

Step 1: Make the Table

Preparation

Trim a 3mm edge at both ends of each plank to remove the protective sealer and give you a nice, smooth edge. Also check that all the planks are exactly the same length, or trim as required.

1. To join the individual planks together I will be using biscuit joints. If you don't have a Biscuit Joiner you can use a Kreg Pocket hole Jig, or simply glue the planks together. All these methods use wood glue between the planks and are clamped overnight. Place the planks with their face down on a flat work surface.

2. When cutting the slots, or using a pocket hole jig, it is important to make sure the planks are absolutely flat. To do this I placed a clamp at every position where slots will be cut. If you don't do this, you run the risk of having the planks at differing heights across the width of the table.

3. I cut four slots along the total length of each plank. After cutting, the planks were placed with the slots facing up, wood glue poured into the slots and the biscuits inserted. These were then left to settle for a couple of hours.

GOOD TO KNOW: This method allowed me to clean away any glue that oozed out and also let the biscuits absorb and swell to lock in place before joining to the other side. Since I am using a particleboard work surface, I don't want the glued planks to stick to the work top as well.

4. After leaving for an hour or two, glue was poured into the opposing slots and all the planks slotted together. You may need a rubber mallet on hand when joining the planks together to give them a bit of help. I clamped the entire table with my Bessey clamps overnight. If you don't have monsters like these in your workshop, place something heavy on either side hold everything together while the glue dries.

5. The crossbeams were glued and screwed into each individual plank using 4,5 x 50mm screws. This not only reinforces the table, but it is where the steel leg frames will be mounted.

6. To finish off the edges around the table I used my Dremel Trio and a 'V' cutting bit to chamfer the edge at a 45-degree angle.

7. The entire table was then sanded, first with 120-grit to ensure an even finish and then with 240-grit to make it nice and smooth.

Step 2: Finishing the Tabletop

Finishing

I'm not a big fan of pine purely because I don't like the yellow colour. Then I came up with the idea to give the table a very light whitewash finish to diminish the naturally yellow colour. Note: If you want a darker finish, apply Woodoc Gel Stain in your choice of wood tint and then apply a Woodoc Interior Sealer.

I used matt white and poured this into a container, slowly adding water and testing this on scrap blocks of wood until I achieved the level of whiteness necessary to take away the yellow. See the blocks above: Bottom block is raw pine - Top block is too white - I went with the middle block. Some whitewashing methods require that you use a wire brush over the surface to raise the grain before applying the paint. Pine, however, is a softwood and the paint is easily and quickly absorbed into the surface.

I used a sponge to apply and had a second (dry) sponge on hand to wipe away excess as quickly as possible. Working from one end to the other - one plank at a time - dip the sponge into the paint and squeeze out excess before wiping along the length as quickly as possible.

GOOD TO KNOW: Continuously stir the watered-down paint as you work.

To ensure the table is protected, I applied 3 coats of Polywax sealer. I don't want a gloss finish on the table and the matt is more natural once dry. Follow the instructions on the can for proper application. You can see that the sealer has not yellowed once applied and will ensure the table is adequately protected. Periodic application, say every 18 to 24 months is necessary.