Build A Rustic Farmhouse Coffee Table
$45
2 Days
Easy
It was time for a change. The coffee table my wife and I had turned 12 years old, and we were ready for something else.
I knew that I wanted to build my own coffee table because, well, I have American Workshop and all its tools for my use. But I needed to find that right design. After looking at basically every coffee table design out there, I decided to go with the rustic farmhouse look. What can I say, I grew up in a small farm town, and I still like the style. I began by making the frame out of one 1"x6" pine board. I cut the legs out of a 4"x4" pine post and attached it all together using the KREG Pocket Screw Jig.
Next, I added three support pieces so the frame wouldn't twist, which is what pine likes to do. Again, I used the pocket screw machine to attach the support pieces to the frame. I cut a 1/2" piece of MDF board to give the table added strength. With three small boys at home, I knew that this coffee table would pretty much just be a diving board for them.
Once I had the MDF attached to the support pieces underneath, I place the seven 1"x6" boards on top. I wrestled with the decision of whether or not to joint them all and glue them together or leave all the pieces individual. Because I was going to the rustic look, I decided not to connect the top pieces with each other and instead just screwed them to the piece of MDF underneath.
I knew that I wanted to use a dark finish for the coffee table, so I went with a Mahogany red stain. I put two coats of the stain on the frame and legs, and I put three coats of stain on the top. After the stain had cured, I ended up putting 4 coats of water-based polyurethane on with light sanding in between each coat. Like I said, I have small boys, and I wanted to make sure the top stayed protected.
The coffee table ended up being about 47" long by 36" wide which fit perfectly in our living room. And I was right; my boys immediately tested its strength by jumping on it. But it held up and I am very happy with how it turned out.
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