6 ft Oak Dining Table
A 1,830 mm solid oak table with the aprons bolted to the legs and the top bolted through slotted holes, so the top can move across the grain without splitting at the fixing.
Designthe dimensions everything else is derived from
Cut list sizes are finished sizes. Add 5 mm to the width and 25 mm to the length of every solid-wood part for saw kerf and planing, and buy boards oversize by one thickness so a bowed board can be flattened rather than relegated.
Materialswhat each part is made from, and why
All materialsCut listfinished sizes, worked back from the design
| Part | Qty | Finished size | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | 1 | 1830 x 900 x 40 mm | Oak |
| Leg | 4 | 70 x 70 x 710 mm | Oak |
| Long apron | 2 | 1830 x 90 x 25 mm | Oak |
| Short apron | 2 | 760 x 90 x 25 mm | Oak |
| Spacer block | 4 | 90 x 60 x 25 mm | Beech (American) |
Fastenersquantities and lengths that follow from the joints
All standards| Item | Qty | Grip | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| M8 x 110 hex bolt | 16 | 95 mm | ISO 4017 |
| M6 x 60 hex bolt | 8 | 50 mm | ISO 4017 |
| M8 plain washer | 32 | — | DIN 125 A |
| M8 nylon-insert nut | 16 | — | DIN 985 |
Grip is the sum of the clamped thicknesses. A bolt has to clear the nut by two full threads, which is what sets the length that appears in each row — not a preference.
Toolsand what each one is for on this job
All toolsOrder of workthe sequence, and where it is not free to change
- Rip and glue the top in two halves, then joint and glue the halves together. Leave it a week before flattening.
- Cut the legs and aprons. The short aprons are 760 mm, which is the 900 mm width less two 70 mm legs.
- Bore legs and aprons together, eight joints, two bolts each.
- Assemble the frame dry and check the diagonals. Correct now, not after the top is on.
- Flatten the top, then counterbore the eight fixing holes and cut 14 mm slots in the spacer blocks.
- Bolt the top down, plug the counterbores with oak dowel, and plane the plugs flush.
Where it goes wrongthe three failures worth designing out
- Bolting a solid oak top down through round holes. The top moves about 8 mm across the grain between a wet autumn and a dry winter, and the first hard fix either splits the top or tears the apron off.
- Boring the apron joints one at a time, leg by leg, instead of clamping the parts together. The frame will not close on the diagonals and the top will rock on a twist you cannot see.
- Believing that a thicker top will not move. Movement scales with width, not thickness: a 40 mm top moves almost exactly as far as a 25 mm one.
Frequently asked questions
Why slotted holes for the top but round holes for the aprons?
The aprons run along the grain, so their length barely changes with the seasons and a round hole is safe. The top is 900 mm wide across the grain and will move several millimetres; a round hole there leaves the bolt nowhere to go. Slotting the fixing gives the movement somewhere to happen.
Six feet is the top or the frame?
The top. 1830 mm is the finished length of the top, and the frame sits 25 mm inside it on every side, which is what gives the table its shadow line.
Could the legs bolt straight to the top and skip the aprons?
You would lose the thing the aprons do, which is stop the legs racking sideways. Four legs bolted only to a top are four long levers acting on eight small joints, and a heavy table leans on them every time someone stands up.