What’s even better than sitting down to a home-cooked dinner with your loved ones? Enjoying that hot food on a gorgeous farmhouse table you’ve built yourself!
Ready to get started? Here’s your shopping list:
- (2) 2×10 144” board
- (1) 2×4 120” board
- (2) 4×4 96” board
- (1) 1×4 72” board
- 2 1/2” wood screws
- 2 1/2” jig screws
Now it’s time to assemble your tools. There’s a reason why a sliding compound mitre saw is usually the first saw a DIYer adds to their arsenal. It’s a powerhouse tool that you can use it to cut so many different types and sizes of wood.
We love Makita’s 10” Sliding Compound Mitre Saw for projects like this. It has a soft-start feature to eliminate start-up shock — helping your movements remain calm and smooth — and its electric brake motor stops the blade quickly once it’s released, making it safer for beginner woodworkers.
To make this farmhouse table, you’ll use your mitre saw to cut pieces for the legs bases, leg supports, and the “X” supports (which give it that farmhouse flair we all love). You’ll use a table saw to rip the tabletop boards down to the proper width.
Here’s your cut list:
- (4) leg base, 2x4x30″
- (2) leg support, 4x4x24 3/4″
- (8) X supports, 4x4x18 1/8″
- (4) table top boards, 2x10x72″
Get started by assembling the legs of your farmhouse table. You’ll use wood glue and 2 1/2” wood screws to attach the 2x4s to the 4x4s. This will form two “Ts” where the 4x4s runs vertically and the 2x4s run horizontally.
Next up, you’ll attach the “X” supports, which will give your table that signature farmhouse style. Each X support will have a 47-degree angle on one end (which will rest against your 2x4s) and a 43-degree angle on the other end (which will rest against your 4x4s). Use wood glue and countersunk wood screws.
Cutting angles is easy with a mitre saw. Just be sure to measure twice and cut once, especially if you’re new to angles. Remember that the longest side of these pieces should measure 18 1/8”.
Attach your table’s feet to your leg bases using some wood glue and a few finish nails. This part is optional, but it will give your table a nice “finished” look.
While a farmhouse table might look like it’s been made from one huge slab of wood, most are actually smaller boards secured together. Use your table saw to rip the 2×10 boards down to 8” widths. (Pro tip: It looks best if you cut away both sides of the board to remove those fresh-from-the-lumber-yard rounded edges.)
Assemble the tabletop using pocket holes and pocket hole screws on three of the boards, and be sure to space them evenly so it looks clean. Then all that’s left is to attach your tabletop to your base with screws — or, if you want your table to be easy to take apart (in the event of a move), use threaded inserts and bolts.
To make sure your table stays sturdy during even the rowdiest family dinners, add a center support beam that runs between the two legs. If you want a more industrial look, try using a metal pipe (secured with flanges) instead.
Plug any holes with wood filler, give the whole thing a good sanding, and then you’re free to stain or paint your farmhouse table. Seal it with a satin-finish polyurethane to protect it from stains and spills, and you’re ready to make memories around your beautiful, hand-built farmhouse table. Nice work!
