This sturdy dining table made from steel and solid wood can be built in 4 hours for less than $200.

SUPPLIES:

2by12s or 2by10s
Purchase at Home Depot
2by12’s are the most affordable solid lumber but vary in look and finish. Pick through the pile and look for boards that have a nice grain and minimal warping. I used 12 foot long 2by12’s that I bought from Home Depot. You can make this table any size you want but I recommend having them cut in half at home depot into 6 foot lengths that are easier to transport. For a longer table I would recommend using 8 foot long 2by10’s or 2by8’s to minimize warping.

¾” Black iron pipes
Purchase at Home Depot
Iron plumbing pipes are a versatile DIY component that can be used to make just about any kind of structural support. I prefer higher than normal tables but the height can always be adjusted by switching out pipes. Iron pipes are not the cheapest material but they will last a lifetime and can be re-purposed over and over again.

Here's the list of pipes I used:



Screws and Scrap wood to connect table top
Scrap or purchase at Home Depot
To fasten the 2by12’s together I used some scraps of ¾” pine and 1 ½” screws. I used 1” screws to connect the pipe flanges to the table top. Plywood or metal brackets would also work.

Stains and Sealers
I experimented with three different finishes:

 White Wash Finish  
Purchase at Home Depot
1 part white matte interior house paint to 4 parts water mixed thoroughly

 Grey Wash Finish  
Purchase at Home Depot
1 part grey matte interior house paint to 4 parts water mixed thoroughly

 Sealant Finish  
Purchase online
Polyurethane or acrylic will protect wood with a hardened plastic finish but I would rather have stains and scratches than the feel of plastic. I used a natural wood counter finish called BIOSHIELD. It is made from linseed oil and beeswax. It provides protection without toxicity which is always nice for surfaces your loved ones eat off of.

TOOLS:

If you have the wood cut to length at Home Depot then the only essential tool is a cordless drill. An orbital sander is an affordable tool that makes sanding a breeze but doing it by hand works just as well. I used my cordless circular saw to trim the boards and cut supports out of scrap pine.

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Layout the boards and round the edges
If you had your boards precut for you at Home Depot just pick the sides that look the best and arrange them in the order you want. I used a knife to round the edges of the ends to give it a worn look.





STEP 2: Fasten the boards together
Lay the boards down on a flat surface and screw the supports to the table top boards. 2by12s will never be completely flat so do your best and don’t worry if they are a little uneven.





STEP 3: Assemble the pipe legs
Screw the pipes together and attach the assembled legs to the upside-down table top. You might have to adjust the pipes for a bit to get a relatively level surface.







STEP 4: Flip and sand
I initially sanded the tables with 120 grit sand paper and finished with 220 grit.





STEP 5: Stain
White and Grey washed finishes are a great way to give the boards a weathered washed-out aesthetic. Diluting water based interior house paint thins the paint and allows the wood grain to show through.



 Sample 1: White Wash  
1 part white matte interior house paint to 4 parts water mixed thoroughly

 Sample 2: Grey Wash  
1 part grey matte interior house paint to 4 parts water mixed thoroughly

 Sample 3: No Stain  
No stain or paint just the BIOSHIELD countertop sealant



Experiment with different colors and mixtures. You can dilute the paint as much or as little as you want. The more you thin it out with water the more the wood grain will show through.

 Sample 1:   1 part red matte interior house paint to 6 parts water mixed thoroughly

 Sample 2:   1 part red matte interior house paint to 2 parts water mixed thoroughly

 Sample 3:   only red matte interior house paint no water





STEP 6: Seal
I used a natural wood counter finish called BIOSHIELD on all the table tops. It is made from linseed oil and beeswax. It provides protection without toxicity which is always nice for surfaces your loved ones eat off of. Polyurethane or acrylic will protect wood with a hardened plastic finish but I would rather have stains and scratches than the feel of plastic.







Other Options: Use pre-made legs!
If the pipes are not your thing try some pre-made legs like these ones I bought from hairpinlegsforless.com.



Good luck making your own table, and please email or tweet photos to @benuyeda or ben@homemade-modern.com. For more detailed instructions, dimensioned drawings and different variations of the project, check out our soon-to-be-released book.

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