Drop leaf table plans

This step by step by step diy woodworking project is about drop leaf table plans. If you want to learn more about building a nice table for your home, we recommend you to pay attention to the instructions described in the article. There are so many designs and plans to choose from when building a table, so make sure you tale a look over the related projects as there are so many options.

Before starting the actual construction project, we recommend you to plan everything, as to save money and to keep the costs under control. Adjust the size and the design of the table to suit your needs. In addition, we recommend you to invest in high-quality materials, such as pine, redwood or cedar, as they have a nice finish and are highly durable, especially in a humid environment.

If you don’t have a rich expertise in woodworking field, you should ask a friend to give you a hand with the project. There are many things that you could go wrong, so make sure you plan everything and invest in quality materials. Select the lumber with attention, making sure the components are perfectly straight and in a very good condition. Use a carpentry square to check if the corners are right-angled. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

Made from this plan

Building the drop-leaf table

Materials

A – 4 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 20″ long LEGS
B – 2 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 26″ long, 3 pieces – 33 3/4″ long FRAME
C – 3 pieces of 1×12 lumber – 29 1/2″ long, 2 pieces of 1×8 lumber – 29 1/2″ long TABLETOP

3 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 8 ft
1 piece of 1×12 lumber – 8 ft
1 piece of 1×8 lumber – 8 ft
piano hinge
2 1/2″ screws
1 1/4″ screws
glue, stain
wood filler

Tools

Safety gloves, glasses
Miter saw, jigsaw
Chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, carpentry pencil
Drill machinery and drill bits

Tips

Apply several coats of wood stain to the wooden components
Fill the holes with wood filler and smooth the surface

Time

One Day

Building a drop-leaf table

Building the frame of the table

The first step of the woodworking project is to build the frame for the table. Cut the components out of 1×3 lumber after making sure you took accurate measurements. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the short components and insert 1 1/4″ screws into the perpendicular components. Check if the corners are square and add waterproof glue to the joints.

Building the legs

Build the legs for the drop leaf table out of 1×3 lumber, making sure you pay attention to the diagram described in the image. Smooth the cut edges with sandpaper.

Fitting the legs

Drill pilot holes through the top of the legs, align them with great care and secure them to the frame of the table by using 1 1/4″ screws. Plumb the legs with a spirit level and check if the frame is perfectly horizontal.

Fitting the tabletop

Lay the 1×12 slats on a level surface, making sure you don’t leave no gaps between them. Drill pocket holes through the frame of the table and insert 1 1/4″ screws into the slats, after centering the structure properly.

Fitting the leaves

One if the last steps of the project is to attach the leaves to the sides of the table. Use the appropriate hardware to secure the leaves to the structure.

Drop-leaf table plans

Last but not least, we recommend you to take care of the finishing touches. Fill the holes with wood filler and let it to dry out for several hours. Afterwards, smooth the wooden surface with fine-grit sandpaper and vacuum the residues.

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