DIY Console Table!

I've been eying some fabulous console tables for our formal living room lately, but none were quite the right shade and they were all pretty expensive ($400-$600) for a piece of furniture that hardly serves a function. With those things in mind, we decided to DIY! Since this DIY is almost all carpentry based, it fell into Ross's jurisdiction, so I'll let him walk you through it, step by step. I love the finished project though!

So first things first, here's what you need if your wife is going to make you build her a console table.

Materials:
1'-6"x4' (1) 1/2" Plywood
1'x4' (1) 1/2" Plywood
4"x1"x12' (2)
2"x1"x12' (2)
2"x4"x8' (1)
Wood Glue
Wood Filler
Wood Screws
applique (optional)
2 table legs
Sand Paper
Paint (1quart)
1 1/2 inch threaded lug
2 1/2 inch threaded bolts

Tools Needed:
Miter saw
Sander
Router
Drill
Paint Brush
6 wood clamps

Project Cost:
Approximately $100

I first glued and clamped the 4" wood to the plywood on three sides. I let the wood glue dry for an hour on each piece.

Next I made the 4 corner pieces of the feet by using the chop saw to make 4" squares and using the router to make a trim profile shown below.

I then attached the legs to the base plywood as shown below.

Next I routed a 1/4" deep square into a piece of plywood to connect the two legs into the top piece.

Here is a picture of me routing it.

I then attached the legs using wood glue and 4 screws with pre drilled pilot holes.

This piece was then screwed into the top of the table.

Next Whit and I attached the applique using wood glue and clamps.

Because the bottom legs came to a smaller point they needed to be screwed to the base using a 1/2 threaded lug. I attached these to the bottom of the legs by drilling 7/16" holes into the bottom of the legs and using wood glue to get them into the leg. I then hammered them in and used 1/2" nuts to drive them in.

With the lugs into the legs I drilled holes into bottom piece and bolted the top and bottom together. Next we sanded and prepped the wood for painting.

I filled in gaps in the wood with wood filler.

Next came painting.

 After Whitney painted the table, she used the electric sander to distress it. Distress to the extent you see fit, or don't distress it at all for non-antiqued furniture.

Here are pictures of the final piece completed and painted.

For about $100, we consider it a worthwhile effort.