How to Build a Shaker Table | Build It | Ask This Old House

Tom Silva and Kevin O'Connor build a historic-looking Shaker table. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)

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Cost: $150 for maple wood and cost of base kit
Time: 5 to 6 hours
Skill level: Moderate

Shopping list for How to Build a Shaker Table:
1x4 maple, for tabletop. Get four 6-footers.
Shaker candle stand base kit, for legs and table base
Piece of plywood, used for jig
Wood glue, to glue boards together for tabletop
Antique wood finish

Tools for How to Build a Shaker Table:
Router, to cut tabletop
Straight bit, for router
Roundover bit, for router
Power sander, to smooth tabletop
Miter saw, to cut maple to length
Clamps, to keep wood together during drying process
Tape measure
Hammer, to create pilot hole
Power drill, to drill in screw for jig
Mallet, for assembly

Steps for How to Build a Shaker Table:
1. Measure and cut seven 1x4 pieces of maple to 2-foot length.
2. Put wood glue on the side of each piece and glue them together.
3. Clamp the pieces together, put the assembly on raised blocks and wait several hours for the glue to dry.
4. Once the board assembly is dry, sand it down flat using the sander.
5. Find center of the board assembly by measuring both sides and put a small nail hole in the center.
6. The tabletop should be 22 inches around with an 11-inch radius. Make a piece of plywood into a jig by placing a screw 11 inches from a hole made by the router bit.
7. Line up the screw in the jig to the hole made in the center of the board and drill it in securely, but loose enough so the jig is able to spin around the board.
8. Use the straight bit in the router and fit it into the template hole in the jig.
9. Start the router and spin the jig around the board. Make three slow passes around the board to avoid any splintering.
10. Smooth over the edges of the tabletop with the router using the roundover bit.
11. Sand down the tabletop, base, and legs.
12. Finish all the pieces using an antique oil and rag. Put on several coats. Be sure to rinse all the rags in a bucket of water to avoid spontaneous combustion.
13. Screw the wooden bracket from the kit to the underside of the tabletop. Be sure to place the wooden bracket perpendicular to the wood grain to prevent it from curving.
14. Attach the legs to the base easily by inserting the flange screws into slots on the legs and hammering them in.
15. Cover the dowel of the leg base with wood glue and attach it to the underside of the tabletop.
16. Tap it down with a mallet to secure.

Build It:
This Old House general contractor Tom Silva, This Old House host Kevin O’Connor, and special guests including Jimmy DiResta, take you through step-by-step DIY projects in this popular video series. From end-tables to cutting boards to wine racks to chicken coops and more, learn how to build from the best pros in the game. Segments include mention of all tools and materials needed to get the job done.

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How to Build a Shaker Table | Build It | Ask This Old House
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