MATERIALS
- (3) ⅞" x 12" x 16" Artists' Wood Panels
- (12) Table Legs 6-8" long
- (8) 5/16" x 2½" Wood-to-Wood Dowel Screws
- (4) 2½-inch Deck Screws
- (1) 3-foot section ¼-inch Wood Dowel for Plugs
- Wood Glue
- Wood Filler
- 220-grit Sandpaper
- Primer
- Paint
Mark Pilot-Hole Locations on the Panels
Measure the distance between the outer and inner corners of the panels’ frames, and mark the center points. Use locking pliers to remove the hanger bolts from the legs, and center the top of a leg on each mark to make sure it lands within the frame.
Drill Pilot Holes
Place a piece of scrap wood under the panel to protect your work surface. For two of the panels, drill ¼-inch pilot holes through the marks you made in Step 1; these will accommodate the dowel screws. For the tabletop, which will be attached with deck screws, drill 3⁄32-inch pilot holes and countersink for the screwheads.
Trim Eight Legs to Size
Use a miter saw to slice off the narrow bottoms of eight legs for the top and middle tiers. (The remaining surface should be at least three times the diameter of the dowel screws that hold the tiers together.) If needed, tuck a shim beneath each leg, as shown, to make sure your cut is square.
Drill Holes in the Bottoms of the Trimmed Legs
Mark the centers of the bottoms of the legs you cut in Step 3. Drill ¼-inch-diameter, ⅝-inch-deep holes at these marks for the dowel screws. (The tops of the legs will already have holes in them from the hanger bolts you removed in Step 1.)
Attach Dowel Screws to Four Legs
Twist dowel screws into the tops and bottoms of the four legs that you’ll use for the middle tier. Tighten them by hand at first, then use locking pliers to turn them until they’re sunk about halfway into the legs, with the unthreaded portion of the screws exposed.
Build the Lower and Middle Tiers
Thread the dowel screw at the bottom of a middle leg through the underside of the lower panel. Hold the leg firmly and twist a lower leg onto the exposed screw until both legs are snug. Repeat for the remaining middle and lower legs.
Plug Top Holes in the Upper Legs
This will let you attach the tabletop with thinner deck screws. Insert a dowel into the top hole of an upper leg, mark the dowel where it meets the leg, and cut the dowel at the mark. Add glue to the leg’s top hole, and hammer in the dowel until it’s flush. Repeat for all legs. Let the glue dry before drilling shallow pilot holes in the dowels for the screws.
Finish the Table
Fit the middle panel frame-side down onto the screws in the middle legs, and twist the upper legs onto the exposed screws. Place the tabletop frame-side up and centered on the legs. Drive deck screws through the pilot holes in the tabletop and into the legs. Cover the screwheads with wood filler, then sand, prime, and paint.
