The Shipping Pallet Dining Table

Submitted by worrow on Mon, 07/29/2013 - 05:57

Table measures * 41" wide x 57 1/4" long x 30" tall.
We kept the measurement at 26" from floor to bottom of table.

Here is a list of what we used:

2 1/2" decking screws
2" finishing nails
8 pallets
Table Saw
Corded drill
Reciprocating saw
Bar clamps
1/2" plywood scraps

I wish I was thinking about taking some pictures along the way but here is a brief explanation.

We started with building the frame for the top.

2 - 2x4 @ 55"
2 - 2x4 @ 37 1/2"
3 - 2x3 @ 37 1/2" (we ripped the 2x3's on table saw from other lumber lying around)

Instructions are simple for the frame. Attach the 55" 2x4's to the 37 1/2" 2x4 and note the 37 1/2" ones go in between the long ones not on the end of them.

Next step is to run the 3 2x3 supports. 1 in the middle then the others go in the middle of the next gaps roughly.

*Note*
We did not do the pocket hole screws or try and hide the screws in any way. We screwed the entire frame together from the outside.

So now onto the more challenging step. So the top we have no guide for. We used
our reciprocating saw to get the boards off the skids. Then we had to de-nail the materials. Took approx 8 skids worth. Next was to run them all through the table saw to clean up the edges and remove any crowning or bowing? In a nutshell make all the board edges flush and straight.

After that long process we then started to do our dry fit so we would know which boards we wanted to use and how long we wanted each one to be. Then proceeded to cut them to the lengths and keep them in their respective groups as there were many varying widths as we wanted the top to be very different.

The next step was simple start laying them in place and attaching them to the frame.

During this process we had to bust out the clamps as we had a few troublesome boards that had to be pulled in flush. We used the 2" finishing nails to attach all the boards. After they are all attached this is the ideal time to sand the top.

*Note*
Decide what you want your overhang to be all around during the dry fit process. That will also be the time where you can play with ripping some thinner to make it unique.

So now we have all the boards attached it was time to counter sink ann the finishing nails. After we completed this we wanted to make secure everything just a bit more so we added 1/2" plywood to the bottom of the table in between the support sections.

After this was done it was simply time to cut the legs. We cut our legs @ 28"
We sanded these before attaching them.

*Note*
For the legs we had to assemble the legs in the room as the table is simply too large to bring through a door assembled. Keep this in mind if you decide to use a different design for the legs. We attached the legs with 4 - 2 1/2" screws which was perfect.

After that was done all that was left was to get it finished the way we like it. We used Minwax Antique Protective Oil Finish

If you used my notes to get by hopefully you have something beautiful in your dining room.

Thank you for visiting.

We would like to thank Ann from
http://littlepaths.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/the-shipping-pallet-dining-… for providing us with their design that inspired us.

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Antique Protective Oil Finish - We followed the directions on the can and applied 3 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate