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Most picnic tables are two parallel benches and a rectangular top. This one is a hexagon, which means almost nothing in it is a square cut — the legs, the seat boards, and every tabletop board meet their neighbors at 30° angles instead of 90°, radiating out from a central spine at both the seat level and the tabletop level.
The cut list calls out the angle convention board by board and it matters: some cuts are "long point to long point" with the ends NOT parallel (a true wedge, wide at one edge and narrow at the other — used anywhere two angled boards meet nose to nose), and some are "long point to short point" with ends parallel (used on the legs, which need to stay a consistent length despite the angled feet). Mixing these up produces boards that are the right length but the wrong shape, and they won't close the hexagon. Cut one of each type first, dry-fit it against the diagram, and only then batch-cut the rest.
Build the frame flat on the ground before anything stands up — a second set of hands helps a lot here, since you're holding six legs' worth of angles in position at once while driving the first screws. Three screws per joint throughout; this is a heavy outdoor table and thin fastening at the angled joints is exactly where a picnic table works itself loose over a season of use.
The tabletop boards run in four graduated lengths from the center out to the points (54", 47", 40", 33-1/4"), laid symmetrically with a 1/2" gap between boards for drainage — start at the center board and work outward on both sides so the pattern stays even.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ftFrame, legs, and secondary supports. | 6 each |
| 2x6, 8 ftSeat boards and tabletop. | 10 each |
| Exterior self-tapping screws, 2-1/2" to 3" | 150 each |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Main frame, top level2x4Both ends 30° off square, ends NOT parallel, long point to long point. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 51" |
| Main frame, seat level2x4Both ends 30° off square, ends NOT parallel, long point to long point. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 88" |
| Legs2x4Both ends 30° off square, ends ARE parallel, long point to short point measurement. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 33" |
| Top frame secondary supports2x4One end cut at a 30° bevel, long point measurement. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 25" |
| Seat frame secondary supports2x4One end cut at a 30° bevel, long point measurement. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 43 3/8" |
| Seat boards, long2x6Both ends 30° off square, ends NOT parallel, long point to long point. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 45" |
| Seat boards, short2x6Both ends 30° off square, ends NOT parallel, long point to long point. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 38" |
| Tabletop boards, longest2x6Both ends 30° off square, ends NOT parallel, long point to long point. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 54" |
| Tabletop boards, second2x6Same 30° convention as the longest tabletop boards. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 47" |
| Tabletop boards, third2x6Same 30° convention. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 40" |
| Tabletop boards, shortest2x6Same 30° convention — sits nearest the table's points. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 33 1/4" |
Buy 17 boards at 8 ft.
10 boards
On a flat, level surface, carefully lay out the first section of the picnic table per the diagram before driving a single screw — the whole hexagon builds outward from getting this first joint right. A second person holding boards in position while you check angles makes this much easier.
Attach at every joint with three 2-1/2" self-tapping screws — this table takes a season of weather and use, and three screws per angled joint is what keeps it from working loose.
Cut the table's secondary support pieces per the cut list, then, keeping the same overall length, cut the outside end back at a 30° angle. Attach them centered on the main frame with two 2-1/2" screws per joint.
Attach the remaining legs with three self-tapping screws per joint, checking each against the main frame and the supports already in place before locking it down.
Cut the seat frame board ends per the cut list, then, keeping the same overall length, cut the outside end back at a 30° off-square angle. Attach to the center of the main frame and to the legs.
A 13"-long scrap 2x4 makes a handy spacer to hold the board at the correct distance from the frame while you drive screws — much faster than re-measuring at every joint.
Flip the project over. Cut the seat boards per the cut list and lay the outside boards in place first, making sure all the angles line up with the seat boards joining in the middle of the frame. Attach with two screws per joint.
Attach the tabletop boards on top of the frame, starting at the center board and working outward symmetrically on both sides, with a 1/2" gap between boards.
Sand every edge and corner before use — this table gets bare forearms and shorts against it all summer.
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7 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →