# Farmhouse table: Start to finish



## Bigg081 (Jan 27, 2019)

This is my first commissioned piece of this size. My best-friend’s wife wants an 8’ farmhouse table. Looked up styles and plans and seems easy enough. 
I figured I could attempt to do a start to finish build thread. Just gotta remember to take pictures!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bigg081 (Jan 27, 2019)

Load of lumber. Just under $100 for everything.

Reactions: Like 7


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## Tony (Jan 27, 2019)




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## ripjack13 (Jan 27, 2019)




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## woodtickgreg (Jan 27, 2019)




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## rocky1 (Jan 28, 2019)

Few ideas here that may be of interest...

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Informative 1


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## Mike Hill (Jan 28, 2019)




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## Wildthings (Jan 28, 2019)

rocky1 said:


> Few ideas here that may be of interest...



In the last two weeks I have watched all their videos "YOU GOT THIS"


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## Bigg081 (Jan 28, 2019)

Update:
No progress but I have reviewed and decided on my plan of attack. LOTS of Kreg Jig and pocket holes!

Reactions: Like 3


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## Wildthings (Jan 28, 2019)




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## Bigg081 (Jan 28, 2019)

Here is the link if anyone is interested:
https://www.buildsomething.com/plans/PC5F98F92F899D3B7/FarmhouseXBaseTable

Reactions: Like 1 | Useful 1


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## ThomasT (Jan 28, 2019)

rocky1 said:


> Few ideas here that may be of interest...



Love that video.

ThomasT


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## Brink (Jan 28, 2019)

Why not joint and glue the top?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ThomasT (Jan 28, 2019)

Bigg081 said:


> Here is the link if anyone is interested:
> https://www.buildsomething.com/plans/PC5F98F92F899D3B7/FarmhouseXBaseTable



Hello Shane,

Following along, your pick for a plan looks good.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Bigg081 (Jan 28, 2019)

Brink said:


> Why not joint and glue the top?


I don't have a joiner but will do the same with a table saw. Everything will be glued as well as screwed. Something this size and weight, I want the extra support over the glue.


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## rocky1 (Jan 28, 2019)

Old man built one back in the early 80s, bored it in 4 spots and put ready rod through to pull it all tight, then capped the edges. Still using it, been refinished a time or two, and I think he said he pulled one cap to tighten the ready rod once in all those years. Humidity down here is a killer in something like that.

Reactions: Like 1


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## lonewolf (Jan 28, 2019)

I hope you understand the issues if dealing with wet wood. The construction grade yellow pine is only dried to 19 percent .there is also the issues if fast grown plantation grown wood with the pith.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Useful 1


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## Bigg081 (Jan 28, 2019)

lonewolf said:


> I hope you understand the issues if dealing with wet wood. The construction grade yellow pine is only dried to 19 percent .there is also the issues if fast grown plantation grown wood with the pith.



I'm not concerned. Down here in FL the humidity is so high we normally only get wood to 15%. I have a great contact with a huge kiln. He builds furniture and flooring from locally sourced wood. He never tries to go below 15% and has never had a problem with anything shifting or warping. I spent the extra couple bucks and went for the "Prime/Choice" lumber and its all extremely straight. Very surprised. 
Client wants really rustic. Even more rustic than I am willing to go. If it was up to her, the boards would have have the round edges and would barely be sanded. I have explained why not to do those things and she has given me reasonable creative freedom.

Reactions: Like 2


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## rocky1 (Jan 28, 2019)

Oh my... Brother had a job like that. Was working on a church remodeling job, and they had the carpenters build them a cross to go behind the pulpit. Ladies in the church said it was too clean looking, it needed to look rugged, as in "The Old Rugged Cross" kinda thing. He said he drug it out in the yard, asked the lord to forgive him for what he was about to do, and commenced beating hell out of the cross with a framing hammer. Got done and drug it back in, and they said it still wasn't rugged enough. Called me up looking for old timber tools that might serve his purpose, I hooked him up with an old adze, and an axe, and a couple other goodies. Said that cross really looked rugged when he got done, seen pulpwood in better shape, but the women thought it was BEAUTIFUL!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Bigg081 (Feb 2, 2019)

Got everything cut up for the bass. And one of the sides assembled. Working with this type of lumber is such a pain because it’s twisted, warped or crooked. 
I’ve never been much of a precision woodworker. It’s just not my thing. But when the job calls for precision it dries me nuts if I can’t be 100% perfect.
The client wants rustic and even as rough as it is, it still has some tweaking and taking a hammer to it!

Reactions: Like 6 | Way Cool 2


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## Bigg081 (Feb 4, 2019)

Got the second base/leg assembled yesterday. We decided to use wood filler on the seams to get rid of the gaps. Mostly from the rounded edges of the lumber and from the screw holes. I was somewhat please with the fit of the pieces we cut. Nothing was off by much, maybe 1/16 at most. 
The base will be painted and the tabletop will be stained. Messing with the color of the stain was very time consuming. Client wants it to be gray to look somewhat weathered. There aren't a lot of gray stains readily available at the local hardware store and we wanted to be able to have an easy/quick return if needed. The pine is so light and yellow that the gray stain has a blue hue to it. 
A couple scrap pieces and a few different experiments later.....we found our color! Wipe on a thin layer of Kona (aka dark brown wood stain), wipe off and follow it with the gray. Repeat both steps and BOOM! It looks great. Surely we could do it with two wiped/wiped off layers of Kona and then the gray but we aren't risking it. Same steps = same color....I HOPE! 
I'll try to post some pictures later to show progress and the color. Also, thanks for those of you following this. I am by no means an expert in what I am doing. Just having fun and its great to know y'all are getting something out of it....even if its a laugh.

Reactions: Like 4


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## Bigg081 (Feb 4, 2019)

Both bases assembled. 



Left sample is too blue. Right sample is just right.

Reactions: Like 8


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## FLQuacker (Feb 4, 2019)

Painted or stain on the bases?

DUH..nevermind

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Bigg081 (Feb 5, 2019)

FLQuacker said:


> Painted or stain on the bases?
> 
> DUH..nevermind


Hahah. Yea....paint.


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## Bigg081 (Feb 8, 2019)

Wife painted the base today. We took 1/2” off both sides of the 2x10s to get a good seam for the table top. 
Lots of pocket holes tonight. The table top is rock solid!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Bigg081 (Feb 9, 2019)

Bread boards installed and started on sanding.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Bigg081 (Feb 18, 2019)

Finally had plenty of time in the shop the last couple days. Here are the final pictures.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 2 | Way Cool 1


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## Bigg081 (Feb 18, 2019)

We will deliver the table Wednesday. Just brought it in to take some pics for our page we are starting.


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## ThomasT (Feb 18, 2019)

Like the dark color, turned out very nice

Have a great day,
ThomasT

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## DKMD (Feb 18, 2019)

It looks great! I like the coloring for the bases and top.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Karl_TN (Feb 19, 2019)

Table turned out great. Curious how you connected the cross beam to the legs?


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## Arn213 (Feb 19, 2019)

Very nice! Funny enough I have the exact same chairs, except mine has a blue damask (no not dumb ass) on the back.......does your wife and mine shop at the same place, just different state? 

That is a proper shape table for that size dining room. I have a round dining table just because it fits the space it is in and don’t like reaching that far towards the center to grub on something good.


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## pinky (Feb 19, 2019)

Looks great! How were the breadboard ends attached?


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## Bigg081 (Feb 19, 2019)

Karl_TN said:


> Table turned out great. Curious how you connected the cross beam to the legs?


 Initially we thought about doing a mortise and tenon. But my skill levels quite that high yet so we went with pocket holes on the top and bottom. I was concerned about overall strength but it is very secure.


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## Bigg081 (Feb 19, 2019)

Arn213 said:


> Very nice! Funny enough I have the exact same chairs, except mine has a blue damask (no not dumb ass) on the back.......does your wife and mine shop at the same place, just different state?
> 
> That is a proper shape table for that size dining room. I have a round dining table just because it fits the space it is in and don’t like reaching that far towards the center to grub on something good.


I forget where we got the chairs. Actually the table is a little big for this space. I think the pictures just make it look like it fits well. There is not enough space to sit comfortably at the ends. We just brought it inside for pictures and staging. Our friends house has a much more open dining room space.


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## Bigg081 (Feb 19, 2019)

pinky said:


> Looks great! How were the breadboard ends attached?


 Pocket hole screws and glue.

Reactions: Like 1


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