Farmhouse Table - Part 1

Not too long ago my husband and I were sitting around and decided we needed a new table for our back patio.  Our current patio table is a small, glass top, round table.  It also only has 3 wrought iron chairs.  That table has been around far too long, and now that there are 6 of us, we need something we can ALL sit at and enjoy outside.
As I was hunting around for plans, I came across a WONDERFUL website with 100's of free plans on it.  If you like to build, and you like free, I suggest you check out the Ana White website.  It is absolutely amazing!  You can find almost anything on there, and that is where we found the plans to our farmhouse table.  Make sure you print these out, you need to have them as a handy reference.
What makes this table so amazing is that you can also find the same thing on the Anthropologie website, but for a cool $2,000.  How about building your own and spending less than $200?  (Now Shanty2Chic did this table off of the Ana White plans and spent $65.  Lumber must be cheaper there, because it cost us a bit more after lumber, screws, stain, and finish.)
This isn't a tutorial showing you EXACTLY how to build this table, the plans are what you print out above.  This is more of a GUIDE to help you along where we got a little lost.  We are novices at this, so maybe you won't get lost like we did sometimes.
Here is the last amazing thing before I dig in and tell you how we did this:  This is the VERY FIRST project that my husband and I have built.  (If we can do it, anyone can.)  It just takes a little time, patience, and math.  Remember to always measure twice, and cut once.  We made a few mistakes, and I am going to show them to you with this guide so you know what to look for and don't do the same.
First thing you want to do is go and buy your lumber.  Try and make sure you are getting grade 1 lumber.  You can't usually find this at the big guys, it's usually a local guy.  The big store chains have grade 2 or less.  What's the difference?  Cracks, bowing, and off angle cuts for grade 2 and below.  You really have to search thru that lumber to find good pieces.  I would suggest the local guy who has grade 1, and then you don't have to worry about it. 
A table saw or a hand held circular saw.  One way or another, you need something to cut the wood.  
You will need a TON of 2 1/2" screws.  I would suggest getting the Kreg 2 1/2" screws, and preferably about 150 of them.  You will need just about every one of them.  
You need a sander.  A mechanical one is easy, but be careful.  You can quickly ruin your masterpiece if you aren't familiar with one.  I sanded down most of our table by hand.  Yep. Hand.  We put a lot of hard work into this table, and I wanted it to show.  Remember to always sand WITH the grain, never against it. 
Grab your drill, you are going to use it A LOT.  (I really like using my drill, I have no idea why, I just do.)
Next thing you need is a good ole Kreg Jig.  Only THE most awesome piece of equipment ever made in my opinion, besides the drill.  Life is easier with the Kreg.  You can find these at your local stores, big and small.  Price check them, I think Amazon may have the best price, but double check if you want to save.  If you are a Prime member on Amazon, shipping is free, and you get it in 2 days. Check it out, watch the videos, and then pat yoursef on the back for making your life SO much easier with the Kreg.  Besides, you are going to get the building bug after this and still need it! Now let's get started with building our table.   You should have your plans, lumber, and equipment ready to go.  Our Farmhouse table before it was born Start making your cuts.  Pay very close attention to when the plans say to cut parallel, and to cut OFF parallel.  
This was our biggest mistake.  Check out the numbered cuts below.  1 and 2 are WRONG.  This was our first trip back to the store to buy an additional 2 x 4.  Number 2 is an easy fix.  We accidentally cut off parallel, when the instructions clearly state 30 3/8" parallel.  Just cut the ends parallel.  (These are the two boards that are in the middle, underside of the table top, so obviously our cuts were not going to work.)  Good cuts and bad cuts The number one is also an easy fix.  Here it is below.  We just happened to cut the wrong end of the 2 x 4 when we made the mistake.   This is the reason you are suppose to measure twice and cut once. We apparently needed to read twice. Don't worry about the bad cut on the angles if you did this. Save them!  I found a use for them already!! Do you like gardens? Vertical gardens? Gardens made out of pallets?  How about gardens made out of pallets with FEET?  Check out how I used the bad cuts here and recycled them in this post. 
Once you have that all straightened out, or hopefully don't ever make that mistake, it's time to put those pieces together.  This is what is going to create one of your table "legs".  Always double check to make sure you are flush and your angles are correct. Use your angle to make sure your boards are flush and straight. These have to fit together perfectly. Follow along with your plans, break out the Kreg, and start putting these babies together.  Things go really fast once you start.   This is a picture of the individual piece. The big 2 x 4s don't fit in well, so we clamped this piece from our Master Kreg kit. Here is what you should have after using your Kreg and putting your pieces together.  Here is what you have once they are put together.  Now do the other one, and you should have this. The beginnings of a table Keep adding your pieces per the instructions. Then add the rest, and finish as you decide between rounded or angled.  You have two options, the rounded feet, or the angled feet.  I went for angled, I didn't like the round.  Choose your path and go from there. Here is what you should have now. (Sorry for the fuzzy picture) One leg done, now to add the other and you are almost done! Now do that all over again, it goes fast, and then you are almost done! Can you believe that? Good, you're not really. Sanding and finishing takes a while.  I was just trying to pump you up because the unfinished table IS almost done at this point.  Just a few more boards and then you start the table top.  It should look something like this about now, and again, pardon the fuzzy picture.  Here is what you should have so far! Now there is one more thing I want to mention, and I promise to have a good picture.  Our measurements for one reason or another were off on the two middle angled boards.   The plans call for these to be 30 3/8", but ours were too short.  So we made an adjustment.  I am not sure if anyone else ran into this problem, but see below what I mean. Instead of 30 3/8" our two boards had to be cut at 32 1/4". What do you think so far?  Ready to build one of these beautiful tables?  Here it is again: If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or leave them in the comments.  I promise to get back to you within a few hours usually, but definitely within a day.  
I will have the second part of this up for you tomorrow!  It will cover doing the table top, sanding, staining, and the final finish.
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