Plank Oak Dining Table Build....(47 pics)

We bought and gutted the house a couple of years ago….spent over a year remodeling it and finally moved in last July. We spent months looking for a large (seat 10) plank oak dining table. Anything we found was too dark, too ornate, of just too gaudy! Also, anything halfway close to what we wanted that wasn’t made south of the border was unbelievably expensive!...and way out of our price range.

We originally started our search with a couple of empty toilet boxes, a couple of 2X4’s and cardboard from the new fridge. We had already bought a set of 10 chairs we liked. We mocked up a table to set our size range and began the search.



After months of searching furniture stores, antique malls, on-line, Canton trade days, etc. we gave up and decided to build it ourselves. I have never attempted anything like furniture/cabinet making before. I’ve built many things over the years but not like this. I had a vision of what I wanted so put pencil to paper and started designing.

At the same time we were having a hard time finding a table we liked (and could afford) I noticed the “rig boards” we see on drilling locations were mostly oak! Most were pretty trashy but you could find decent ones too. I started asking if I could have a couple here and there…over several months I had a fair collection. Rig boards are primarily used to separate rows of drill pipe, casing, etc. but serve many novel and ingenious roles on a drilling rig location. They are approximately 1 1/2”-2 1/2” inches thick, random widths and random lengths…mostly 8’-12’ long.





My wife wanted the table in the house by June 5th which was my son’s HS graduation/my 50th B-day….so, about two months ago we started by sorting and selecting the better boards. We spent hours (and 5 sets of blades) running them thru the planer to get them the same thickness.



Many boards were bowed and curved. We took a chalk line and popped a straight line on the outside radius of the curved boards. We “eye-ball” ran them thru the table saw to get one straight side then used the fence to cut the other side. After 3-5 passes thru the table saw we had workable “dimensioned” lumber….it took about 5 weeks (working days off) to take the rough lumber to this point.

A trip thru the joiner, almost 200 biscuits, and a little clamping later we had a table top!

Once the boards were together, I cut the ends square and we attached the end pieces.

Putty time!

And started working on the base.

I used steel plates to attach the cross braces to the leg bases.

After the putty was sanded down I took a hypodermic syringe and some black leather dye to darken the larger putty spots (mostly knot holes). I applied a light coat of stain. The wood was very, very hard (5 sets of planer blades hard!) so the dye would soak down into the putty but not as deep into the oak…a little sanding later and you had dark holes vs. light ones. When the table is stained the black blends in while the putty would stick out like a sore thumb….I tested this on a couple of scrap pieces before trying it on the table.

A final sanding, some stain, and a few coats of polyurethane….it’s done. Took me, my BIL, and 5 HS boys to move it from the shop to its final resting place…..solid oak isn’t light! The table is 129” by 43” and 1 ½” thick.



We like it…not bad for my first attempt at anything like this. I think it fits the rest of the house nicely. Just wanted to share the results of a lot of hard work.

A couple better shots of the table top.




Time to relax!





Leftovers....

Very nice that's some impressive work sir.

Serious talent on display there sir. You have an heirloom grade table there.

All I got is.....WOW!

Greatness!

Mighty fine job! Bet that is the families most liked and appreciated piece in the whole house

Mighty nice!

Well done!

Very nice!!

That is really awesome. Great job and write up. How much?

Well done!!!

I know now why they cost so much! I don't even want to know how many hours I put into it....Spent about $200 on materials and $450 on a joiner, belt sander, and biscuit joiner. Easily less than $700 in the whole table.....excluding my time! I guess I work cheap!

Was trying to be funny, meant how much do you want for it? That table should be in your family long after you're gone. How cool for your great grandkids to say " my great-grandfather made it, you know I told you about him. The crazy one that used to pick up snakes".

Oh, believe me.....I know what you meant! I've already had four people try to place orders for one....I just smiled and told them, "You can't afford it!"

Wow, thats an awsome job.

That came out great. I wish I had all the tools and space to do projects like that.

That is some really great work! As has already been said, it will definitely be passed down for generations.

Beautiful work!

I really like the boards that you used. Lots of character. The one with the crack all the way down the middle with the quarter sawn rays in it is fantastic.

Looks like you had some good helpers. Your pictures remind me of my Uncle whom I would help build furniture for. The craft he gave me allowed me to put myself through an University.

We built several tables like that one over the years. Most of his customers were ultra wealthy oil men. I once asked him how much he was going to charge for a piece of furniture one time and he said "I don't know yet we haven't finished it." I asked what would happen if it was to much and he said "They wouldn't have ordered it if they didn't have enough money to pay for it".

If you ever decide to build another table like this one order your materials from Sweeny Hardwoods They will joint/surface and straight-line rip your lumber for a very reasonable rate. It will save you a ton of time.

You Sir, are a true artist. The fireplace looks great too, along with the kitchen. The table is a true work of art. And the fact that the family was involved makes it that much more special

Beautiful work, sir. Great job. That's probably a $5k table, if not more.

Beautiful work .

You just created an heirloom. Many generations will enjoy that. It is beautiful. You did an amazing job. I really like the fact you use recaimed lumber. I have a 120 year old barn on my place all made from cypress. I wish I could tear it down (it's beyond repair) for the lumber. The property owner will not allow me too because of the sentimental value it has to her.

If I ever get to retire, I swear not a day will go buy that I'm not covered in sawdust.

That turned out really nice, great job!

The joys of having a nice workshop. I miss mine all the time. When my family moved to Frisco in 1995, we bought a house with a large dining room. We did the same thing and built our dining room table to our dimensions. When we sold the house 10 years later, the buyer wrote into the contract we had to leave it with the house. I took that as the greatest compliment.

Amazing work. Glad to see it turn into a family project. Be proud Thanks for sharing.

Just an awesome job that you did there. While I understand wanting to buy something already built, nothing can compare to doing it yourself!!!! This table will become a family heirloom that will last hundreds of years. Be sure to carve, or even better, burn your name and the date into the bottom of it somewhere. Long after you are gone, that will still be there.

great job, that would hold up a truck

Very Nice, Hats off to you sir!!

Thanks for all the kind words...the boys are already "discussing" who will inherit it....LOL!

Absolutely Awesome

Great work- lots of labor there!

Very nice man

That's something to be proud of.

Wow, that's awesome! Great work. Glad the finished product came out better than the blueprints

Awesome job.

Simply outstanding.

I wish I had the patience needed for a project like that. Very nice!!!!

Nice work! It turned out awesome

Looks awesome! Great job.

Very impressive and it really looks awesome.

Looks great

Thank you all...the entire family appreciates your kind comments!

fantastic!

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Boys wanted to see 2K views...almost there...keep lookin'....

That looks great! A job well done, sir. That table makes my little entry table I built last year look like childs play.

really good work!