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The joinery here is genuinely simple — two pocket-holed shelves joined to a 2x2 frame — but the source flags something worth taking seriously: bring your wood into the room it will live in and let it acclimate overnight before cutting. A humidity swing between garage and living room can move solid lumber enough to open a gap in a simple butt joint like this one, and there's no joinery trick that fixes wood that's still moving.
The top and bottom shelves can be built from a single 1x10, or from two 3/4" plywood panels cut to 18-1/2" square — plywood won't move with humidity the way solid 1x10 can, which is worth considering if the table will sit somewhere the humidity isn't stable.
| Item |
|---|
| Qty |
|---|
| Pine, 2x2, 8 ft | 3 each |
| Pine, 1x10, 8 ftTwo 3/4" plywood or project panels, 18-1/2" x 18-1/2" each, work as a substitute. | 1 each |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| Pocket hole screws, 2-1/2" | 1 box |
| Sandpaper, assorted grit | 2 sheet |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Shelf boardsPine | 4 | 3/4" × 9 1/4" × 18 1/2" |
| Frame verticalsPine | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 20" |
| Frame horizontalsPineMeasure and cut to fit. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 18 1/2" |
Buy 3 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
1 board
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 →
Bring your wood into the room the table will live in and let it acclimate overnight before cutting or building — this project needs a humidity-controlled interior space with no big swings, or joints can open a gap as the wood adjusts.
Build two shelves by joining boards together with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws, three screws per joint. Keep the outside edges flush.
Drill three 3/4" pocket holes per side around each shelf, for attaching to the frame later. Measure and cut the frame pieces and attach with 1-1/4" pocket hole screws so the top edges are flush. Drill a 1-1/2" pocket hole in one hole on each end, on the bottom, of the frame pieces.
Attach the side frames together with 1-1/2" pocket holes, 2-1/2" pocket hole screws, and glue — one screw per joint, hiding pocket holes on the undersides.
Attach the two shelves to the side frames with pocket hole screws and glue, keeping all outside edges flush.
Sand every surface and finish.
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