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Hexagon Picnic Table

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Submitted by Ana White on Mon, 03/14/2011 - 00:26
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A hexagon shaped picnic table. Features six large bench seats and round top, updating the casual classic into a more user-friendly backyard fav!

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Ana's Adirondack Collection

I know spring is already here for many of you, so it seems fitting on this day that we spring forward that I should deliver on the long promised round picnic table.

I am so happy to publish these plans, because I've made my greatest effort to simplify the design and make it as easy to build as possible. And I hope that effort enables someone to be able to build this table, and ultimately, to use it for summer barbeques.

And a little update on the move, we are so close to moving over the forum and a few other things, but most plans should be here! I do have a few plans from March and Community Contributed Plans to update and publish, but for the most part, the content that is on our blog is now on our site! For those of you holding a hammer in your hand, midway through a project, I encourage you to take a second and bookmark the plan location on the new site. We plan to move the domain (with this site becoming Ana-White.com) on Friday, so you have a little time, but do make sure you have full access to plans that you are working on (either on the new site or printed out or saved) in the event that the move has any problems.

And I can also tell you that I've been working very hard at planning a great celebration, complete with lots and lots of giveways all week long! I'm so excited, but we haven't quite nailed down (pun is not intended) all the details just yet. Stay tuned, I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I can!

Thank you once again for your great patience with this move. I hope you take a second, if you haven't already, to look around, and let me know if we can do anything to make your life easier, and to enable you to spend less time browsing the site and more time building!

Enjoy this picnic table!

UPDATE: One of our readers built this table and felt it could use a little more leg room. He suggested extending out the seat boards by 4" all the way around, and removing the inner seat board and adding a seat board to the outside to increase leg room.

Dimensions
Dimensions are shown above.

Preparation

Shopping List

9 - 2x4 @ 8 feet long
12 - 2x6 @ 8 feet long

Common Materials
2 1/2 inch screws
2-1/2" Pocket Hole Screws
Elmer's Wood Glue
Elmer's Wood Filler
120 grit sandpaper
primer
wood conditioner
paint
paint brush
Cut List

3 - 2x4 @ 26 1/2" (Longest points - one end @ 30 degrees off square and the other end coming to a beveled 30 degree point - see step 1)
3 - 2x4 @ 25 11/16" (Longest points - one end @ 30 degrees off square and the other end coming to a beveled 30 degree point - see step 1)
3 - 2x4 @ 40" (Longest points - one end @ 30 degrees off square and the other end coming to a beveled 30 degree point - see step 1)
3 - 2x4 @ 39 1/8" (Longest points - one end @ 30 degrees off square and the other end coming to a beveled 30 degree point - see step 1)
6 - 2x6 @ 6 3/8" (Longest points - both ends cut at 30 degrees off square NOT parallel to each other)
6 - 2x6 @ 13 1/4" (Longest points - both ends cut at 30 degrees off square NOT parallel to each other)
6 - 2x6 @ 20 1/8" (Longest points - both ends cut at 30 degrees off square NOT parallel to each other)
6 - 2x6 @ 27" (Longest points - both ends cut at 30 degrees off square NOT parallel to each other)
6 - 2x6 @ 33 7/8" (Longest points - both ends cut at 30 degrees off square NOT parallel to each other)
6 - 2x6 @ 40 3/4" (Longest points - both ends cut at 30 degrees off square NOT parallel to each other)
6 - 2x4 scraps @ 12" (Blocking)
6 - 2x4 @ 33" (Both ends cut at 30 degrees off square, Parallel to each other)

Cutting Instructions

When you cut your boards, try to flip the boards around to minimize waste and take advantage of cuts you already made at the same angle. Cut longest boards first.

Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Hammer
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Kreg Jig
Drill
Miter Saw
Power Sander
Level
Drill Bit Set
General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Instructions

Step 1

The support boards need to be cut very carefully as shown above. Since you've already cut the board to the longest point, start by just chopping one end off at 30 degrees off square. Then bevel the opposite end to a point as shown above. You will need to cut all 12 support boards in this manner.

Step 2

Start with the longer of the top support boards, and attach together as shown above. If you do not have a Kreg Jig™, you can use hardware, but only place the hardware on the bottom side (the shorter measurements) as the top will have tabletop boards.

Step 3

Then fill in the remainder of the points as shown above. Again, you will need either pocket holes or brackets on the base.

Step 4

Add the tabletop boards as shown above. It is recommended that you cut your boards to fit, rather than based off given measurements. The gaps between the boards should be 1/2". Use 2 1/2" Screws and glue.

Step 5

Step 6

And add the seat boards as you did the tabletop boards.

Step 7

Prop the seat support system up over the tabletop on the 12" scrap blocks. Make sure that the centers of the seat and the tabletop match exactly.

Step 8

Mark all the tabletop support boards 8" from the outside. Attach a leg board as shown above to the tabletop supports with 2 1/2" screws and glue. Do this on all six legs, one leg per support.

Step 9

Then screw the legs into the seat supports as shown above. At least three screws per leg. Use glue. This completes the table, you can remove the blocks and flip the table over and finish and use!

Finishing Instructions
Preparation Instructions
Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.

It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.
Help Improve This Plan

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Project Type
Dining Table Plans
Outdoor Projects
Room
Outdoor
Style
Cottage Style Furniture Plans

Comments

Sarah (not verified)

Mon, 03/14/2011 - 07:13

Love the picnic table.. just had me thinking.. I want to build some benches for our fire pit!! :)

Lynn (not verified)

Mon, 03/14/2011 - 07:48

I am so happy to see this. My only concern is that the new images are hard to read for the measurements. May be different if printed out, but I love the new site!

EmandLesTX

Mon, 03/14/2011 - 08:03

I looove this table... and I'm curious....Is there a special program you use to draw out the plans? I love avery's house and since we have a herd (4 dogs and 3 cats) I have dreamed every night for a week on how to turn it into a five cubbie(crate) bench) with a hinged top for easy access to feed/water and on one end the cat box. (with a hidden flap to keep the dogs OUT but let the dogs in :-)

Ana White

Mon, 03/14/2011 - 11:14

Hi, I use Google Sketchup. It's free, and I actually have a tutorial on the old site that should be moved over very soon. I encourage you to give it a go, it's easy to use, and it's always better to build for your specific needs!

James Reeves (not verified)

Mon, 03/14/2011 - 08:25

Ana, once again you are awesome in your excellent designing.
I have wanted a table like this for years and years but not in my limited budget and feared trying to make it is awesome.
I want to make this table, but also want to make the 8 ft Octagon table please send me detailed plans thanks so much.
Ana, l need to know is it better to use a wood conditioner or a primer and 1 or more coats of conditioner if this is better?

Thanks so much Ana
James, Ontario, Canada

Jason (not verified)

Mon, 03/14/2011 - 10:12

James,
Wood Conditioner and Primer are used for different things and one isn't better than the other.

Wood Conditioner: used when applying stain to raw wood (usually soft wood - pine, spruce, etc, but can also be used on hard woods (oak, etc). The purpose of the wood conditioner is to penetrate the pores of the wood and establish a barrier to limit how deep the stain (which is applied after the wood conditioner (follow instructions on the conditioner can) can penetrate. The problem with soft woods is that the pore structure of the wood varies greatly and applying stain without the conditioner results in what is often a blotchy appearance. The number of coats isn't important as the second coat won't accomplish much - it is more important to follow the instructions on the can for how soon after applying the conditioner should the stain be applied. That is where the 'second coat' may come in to play if you can't get the stain applied quick enough to all surfaces.

Primer: used when applying paint to raw wood (soft or hard does not come into play here). This is often a white colored special paint that also seals the wood, bit also forms a secure bonding surface for the paint top coat (finish colour). There are 2 typical types (latex (water based) and alkyd (oil based) and the benefits and drawbacks of each is better left for a google search if you want more info. They both do basically the same thing.