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The "split" in the name is the whole design idea: rather than one coffee table, you build two identical three-legged frames as mirror images of each other, and set them down side by side so their mitered tops read as one surface with an intentional seam running through it. That seam is the entire visual hook, so the two frames need to actually be mirror images — not just "close" — or the gap reads as a mistake instead of a design choice.
The one genuinely tricky cut is the diagonal center brace: it's ripped from a 2x4 at a 45° bevel down the middle, then each resulting half is ripped again down to 1-1/2" wide. That's two rip cuts at odd angles on a small piece of stock — go slow, use a push stick, and don't try to freehand it on a table saw without a fence set precisely. Everything else is pocket-hole leg-and-stretcher construction, the same skills as any basic table base.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Pine, 2x2, 8 ft | 4 each |
| Pine, 1x8, 12 ftMitered top boards for both frame halves. | 1 each |
| Pine, 2x4 scrapFor the diagonal center brace — ripped down. | 2 ft |
| Pocket hole screws, 2-1/2" | 1 box |
| Wood screws, 2" | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 4 oz |
| Sandpaper, assorted grit | 4 sheet |
| Stain or finish | 1 quart |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Short leg stretchersPine | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 7 1/4" |
| LegsPine | 8 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 17 1/4" |
| Mid stretchersPine | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 17" |
| Long stretchersPine | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 27 1/4" |
| Angled corner bracesPineBoth ends cut at 45°, ends not parallel — long point to long point. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 26 1/8" |
| Diagonal center bracePineRipped from a 2x4 at a 45° bevel down the middle, then each half ripped again to 1-1/2" wide. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 17 1/4" |
| Top boards, parallel-cut endsPineBoth ends cut parallel at 45°, long-point-to-short-point measurement. | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 28 1/4" |
| Top boards, perpendicular-cut endsPineBoth ends cut perpendicular at 45°, long point to long point. | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 28 1/4" |
| Top boards, narrowPineBoth ends cut perpendicular at 45°; ripped narrower than full 1x8 width. | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 13 3/4" |
Buy 7 boards at 8 ft.
5 boards
2 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 →
Drill 1-1/2" pocket holes on each end of the short leg stretcher. Attach to two legs with 2-1/2" pocket hole screws and glue — this becomes one corner of the first frame.
Drill pocket holes on both ends of the mid stretcher, then attach one end to the corner from the previous step. Attach a third leg to the open end.
Drill a pocket hole on one end of the long stretcher and attach it to the third leg with 2-1/2" pocket hole screws and glue, closing the three-legged frame.
Repeat this whole sequence for the second frame as an exact mirror image of the first — the split-table look depends on the two frames actually mirroring each other, not just being similar.
Cut the two angled corner braces from scrap 2x2 at 45°, drill pocket holes as marked, and attach.
Rip a 2x4 length down the middle at a 45° bevel on the table saw, then rip each resulting half down to 1-1/2" wide. Go slow with a push stick — this is the one operation on the build that isn't a simple square cut. Attach the finished brace with 2" screws and glue.
Attach each frame's mitered top boards from underneath with 2" screws. Make sure both tops are mirrored to each other so the two frames sit together as one surface with the seam running straight down the middle.
Sand all surfaces and edges, especially the mitered top joints. Finish both frames identically so the pair reads as one piece.
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