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Materials:
- One 4' x 8'sheet of oak veneer plywood
- 40" of 1"x 2" pine
- Carpenter's glue
- 16 - #8 1-1/4" wood screws
- Sand paper
- Milk paint and/or urethane
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Tools
- Jigsaw with scrolling blade
- Clamps
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Cut List:
- Top - 38" square
- Legs - Two pieces 38" x 24"
- Slots - Eight pieces - 1" x 2" x 5" pine
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Steps:
Mark out a 38 inch square |
Use a pail lid to round the corners |
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Jigs Up
Cut the sheet of plywood in half to make two 4' x 4' pieces.
On one piece, mark a 38" square and cut it out.
Using a large pail lid, trace a radius that rounds off each
of the four corners of the square.
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Cut along the lines with a jigsaw |
Table top after cut-outs |
Detail |
| Next, sketch out a curvy 'tummy-indent' (roughly 4" deep,
depending on the physique of your little artist) on one of the
four edges. Jigsaw along this line until the piece drops to
the floor. Then use that piece as a template to mark and cut
the other three tummy-indents. |
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Mark out two 38 inch by 24 inch rectangles |
Detail of the table legs |
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| Cut the remaining 4' x 4' piece of plywood (parallel to the
grain) at 38", leaving you with a piece that measures 38"
x 48". Cut this piece in half (perpendicular to the grain)
so you have two identical 38" x 24" leg pieces. Now
we have to turn those rectangles into tree-trunks. |
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| Find and lightly mark a guideline through the center of each
leg piece (at 19") to help your eye as you sketch the outline
of a tree trunk. Make the outline asymmetrical and knobby, like
a gnarly old oak.
Jigsaw along the lines you've drawn. Now, using the finished
leg piece as a template, trace its outline onto the remaining
piece of plywood. When both pairs of legs are cut out, lay
them on top of each other so they match. You're about to cut
a slot joint, and if that doesn't sound exciting you must
be jaded.
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Cut out the slot |
Mark and cut out the second slot
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Playing the Slots
Locate the center guideline (that you made earlier) and use
a ruler to draw a parallel line on each side of center, 3/8"
away from the guideline. Repeat the same process on the second
leg piece.
Now the tricky part; Mark the approximate vertical center
of the parallel lines on one leg piece (roughly 12" up).
This is the line that will tell you where to stop sawing at
the top of your slot. Let's call it the Top o' the Slot Spot,
just to be cocky.
Clamp the first leg piece and cut out that 3/4" wide
slot.
Now, lay the piece with the brand new slot on top of the
second leg piece. Mark the bottom piece right at the Top o'
the Slot Spot. Then, on that second leg piece, cut the OTHER
half of the slot.
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If the legs wobble on a flat surface, file one of the slots
a bit |
Slide the two pieces together |
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Reality Check
Okay, when you're finished, each leg should have a 3/4"
wide slot, but one is from the top down, and the other is from
the bottom up, so that they fit together.
Slide the two pairs of legs together, slot into slot, and
check for stability. The 'feet' should sit evenly on the floor.
If they don't, try filing the Top o' the Slot 'til all four
feet are securely touching the floor.
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Attach guides for the table legs |
Painted and sealed table top with installed guides |
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| Center the tabletop on the legs and mark lines on the underside
of the table along the edges of the legs. Glue and screw eight
pieces of 1" x 2" pine along the marks to create grooves
for the leg pieces to slide into. Add hook-and-eye latches to
lock 'em. |
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Finished Table |
Finished Table detail |
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| Sand and paint the trunk and top. Now mix up some paint and
paste and call the little ones.
(To prevent spillage, I was tempted to jigsaw circular cup
holders into each corner for paint. But perhaps that just
teaches children to be overconfident. It's your call.)
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Artisans'
work featured on this episode:
(click pics for Artist info and larger
images)
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