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Project Difficulty:
Moderate
Estimated
Project Time: 1/2 day
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Made from standard 2x4 and 2x6 lumber, this project requires a minimum of cutting. Carriage bolts and screws accomplish all joinery.
Exterior stain, and/or sealer, if the table is not built from treated lumber
Hearing protectors (when using a circular saw)
Safety goggles
Dust mask (when cutting lumber and sanding)
Nails and fasteners:
12 carriage bolts (3/8" x 3"), washers, nuts
60 deck screws, 2-1/2" (make sure they're decking screws, not drywall screws, which will rust and stain the wood)
Tools:
Brush or pad to apply wood sealer or stain (as needed)
Wrenches and ratchet handle/sockets
Bar clamps to hold pieces together through drilling and assembly
Measuring tape
Adjustable (combination) square,
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Framing square
Pencil
Safety glasses or goggles
Sanding block or power sander with 120-grit sandpaper
2 sawhorses
Utility knife
Circular saw
Electric drill or cordless drill/driver with screwdriver tip and wood-boring bits
Cardboard for template
Masking tape or other type of drill bit stop
Protractor to mark the 60-degree leg angle cuts
Lumber:
1 pc. 12' long 2x6
6 pcs. 8' long 2x6
1 pc. 12' long 2x4
Cutting List:
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Tabletop supports
2 pcs. 28-1/2" long 2x4s
Seat supports
2 pcs. 57-1/2" long 2x6s
Legs
4 pcs. 2 x 6 x 32"
Tabletop and seat boards
9 pcs. 2 x 6 x 48"
Center brace
1 pc. 2 x 4 x 27"
Diagonal braces
2 pcs. 2 x 4 x 19-1/4" (approximate size; the final will be determined when the table's assembled, so don't cut these until that step)
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If you host many patio dinner parties, you may dream of having a separate table for the children. And kids likely will enjoy sitting at their own, real picnic table. This child-sized A-frame table is sturdy and durable, and most kids will find the table height ideal. Yet, it still seats adults comfortably for those occasional visits to "the kids' domain."
This picnic table will be long-lasting if built from cedar, redwood, or other durable outdoor woods. Alternatively, you may use pressure-treated lumber, which is especially tough and decay-resistant. Consider using it at least for the table legs because they're in constant contact with the ground.
To fortify your table, you may want to apply sealer or a semi-transparent, water-repellent stain, keeping in mind that no finish will protect wood forever. Don't despair that the table's on its last legs when the seat and tabletop begin to weather, because they can be restored simply by sanding and refinishing. Even if they eventually begin to rot, they can easily be replaced by undoing a few bolts or screws and inserting the new piece.
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1.
Assembling the Frame
The two identical "A"-shaped end braces are composed of 2x6 seat supports, 2x4 tabletop supports, and 2x6 legs. The four 2x6 legs are 32 inches long with a 60-degree angle cut at each end. (Figs. 1 to 3)
1) Cut all the pieces to length.
2) Use a protractor to mark 60-degree angles on both ends of each leg, and then cut the angles.
3) If you want to cover your work surface with a stable, protective drilling surface, simply top scrap 2x4s with a sheet of plywood. Place this assembly on top of your work surface--whether it be sawhorses or the floor--before you drill.
4) Form the picnic table legs in an "A" shape, with their bottom outside corners spaced 52-1/4 inches apart, and their top outside corners at 23-1/2 inches apart. Center the tabletop support flush with the top edges of the legs, and the seat support 9-1/2 inches above the bottoms of the legs. Clamp all pieces in place.
5) Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes through the clamped supports and legs.
6) Use the pilot holes as guides to drill recesses for the bolts and washers part-way into the inside of the legs. (A 1-1/8-inch-diameter recess drilled 1/2-inch deep should suffice, but measure your washers first to be sure they match this diameter.) Note: Do not drill these recesses all the way through the legs. A piece of masking tape wrapped around the drill bit 1/2-inch from the tip can serve as a depth gauge.
7) Finally, drill a 3/8-inch hole in each previously made pilot hole/recess to accommodate the shank of each bolt--insert its carriage bolt, washer, and nut as you go to keep the pieces in alignment. When all holes are drilled and the bolts are in place, tighten the nuts securely.
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2.
Assembling the Seats and Tops
The four seat boards and five tabletop boards are each 48-inch long 2x6s. If you haven't cut them to length yet, do that now.
1) Draw a vertical (squared) line 8-3/4-inches in from both ends of each board. (Fig. 4)
2) Start two screws along each line you just marked, about 1 inch from the top and bottom edges. Drive the screws in only part way. (Fig. 5)
3) Each of the two seats include an inner and outer board. The next step is to attach the outer boards to the end braces (the "A"-shaped legs/supports assemblies).
First, have your personal elf hold up one of the two end braces while you place a seat board flush with the outside edge of the seat support, as in Fig. 2.
Now, drive one of the partially started screws all the way through the top of the outside seat board into the seat support's top center edge. (For steps 3, 4, and 5, postpone driving the second screw in each seat end until the seats are squared up in step 6.)
4) Next, attach the other outside seat board to the other side of the end brace.
5) Then attach the opposite ends of both outside seat boards to the other end brace.
6) Use a framing square to check that the seat supports are perpendicular to the seat boards. If they are, then drive in each of the remaining screws. If not, shift the assembly around a bit until the square tells you things are straight, and then drive in the remaining screws. (Fig. 6)
7) Next, attach the inside seat boards on both sides, being sure to leave a 1/4-inch gap between them and the outside boards. You can use a 1/4-inch fastener or bit of wood as a spacer while you're lining things up.
8) Position the tabletop boards, keeping their outside edges flush with the edges of the tabletop supports. Keep 1/4-inch gaps between the boards using the same spacer you used for the seat boards. Screw the boards to the end braces. (Fig. 7)
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3.
Attaching the Braces
The 2x4 bracing for the table's underside includes one center brace and two diagonal braces. (Fig. 8)
1) The center brace is 27 inches long, its sharp ends softened by 45-degree bevels that you must cut (Figs. 9 and 10). Measure and mark the center of the table and the center of the brace, and then screw the brace as close to the center of the tabletop as possible.
2) Note that the ends of the diagonal braces are cut at different angles. Because your assembled dimensions may vary from ours at this point, the 19-1/4-inch length suggested for the diagonal braces may need to be adjusted.
To avoid wasting wood, transfer your measurements and angles for the diagonal braces to stiff cardboard. Cut the cardboard template with a utility knife, and observe its fit against the table.
3) Trim the template until its edges are flush with the table's underside. When you have the right length and angles for the cardboard template, trace its pattern onto the 2x4s.
4) Cut out the diagonal braces.
5) Screw the braces into place beneath the table, driving screws at an angle through the diagonal braces into the seat support and tabletop. Be careful not to drive screws up through the table's surface or through the seat supports.
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4.
Sanding and Finishing
Using a sanding block or power sander with 120-grit sandpaper, smooth and round-over the edges. Then apply a water-repellent sealer or exterior stain in the color of your choice.
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