How to Build a Maple Slab Outdoor Table

Do you need a table? you can build one yourself very easily out of a slab of wood.. This way you can customize the size of the table to your needs. You can build an indoor or outdoor table using slabs of wood for the top. And quite often it is less expensive than buying a table. The first thing you need to do is source a slab of wood. You can call local saw mills and lumber yards or look at ads online to find an individual selling pieces of wood. You will want to ensure the piece of wood is thoroughly dried. Wood is either air dried or kiln dried. Typically wood from a lumber yard is kiln dried. Some woodworker's prefer wood that is air dried because it is easier to work with and the color stay true. But either type will work for building a table.

Once you have the piece of wood there are very few other materials that you will need. You will need some wood posts for the legs and frame, wood glue, some finishing oil or varnish, a drill and some screws. Do not leave the wood untreated for either indoor or outdoor use because the wood can crack and attract bugs. Treating the wood will prevent this from happening. If you are building the table for outdoor use you will want waterproof glue and preferably an oil finish to withstand the various weather and temperature changes. For indoor use you can use polyurethane or a varnish to finish the wood.

Handmade wooden tables look beautiful and natural. They are also very functional and durable. It is not difficult to obtain all the materials. And you do not need to be a master woodworker to build one yourself. If you would like to try and build a table there are detailed instructions and a video at the 'Instructables' website, the link is below.