The High Tech Table :o

For this project we wanted to make a nightstand with two tabletops on the top and bottom. With the idea of possibly replacing an old nightstand with a new one by creating something with better capabilities.

Cutting equipment, wood glue, hammer & nails, four 14in tall square wood pieces, two 14 by 14 wood boards, disk or belt sander

Start by collecting two 14/14 wood boards for the shelves. If the pieces are not properly sized, then measure out the appropriate dimensions and cut the pieces.

Start by measuring the leg piece and cutting it down to 14in in height, then repeating that process three more times will get you the other three legs (any method of cutting can be used).

Next is to create a cut in the legs that will allow them to secure the top. This will be referred to as a "top cut".

To do this, start by measuring out the thickness of the top shelf board on the top of all 4 legs. You can do this by pressing the top board against the leg and ensuring that the top edges of both pieces line up; then, mark the bottom of the top board. Then cut out the pieces, which should yield four squares. Divide those squares into fourths and cut out one-fourth to form the top cut piece.

Make sure that when you glue the pieces back onto the legs, they are positioned correctly. You can test this by seeing if the top board will fit into all the corners of the pieces to support the table. Then glue the pieces on using wood glue.

Since the table is going to have 2 shelves, we need to repeat the entire process above in making the top cut at a lower point in the legs. Since the legs are 14in tall, the ideal height would be around 5-7in, depending on how close you want them to be. So use the 2nd shelf board to measure the thickness of the cut mark at 5-7in and cut.

To create the bottom cut, we just need to repeat the steps we took above to create the top cut on these newly cut legs from the last step. In the last step, we already measured out the thickness, but to be safe, measure again before cutting(measure twice, cut once, pound to fit) by pressing the board against to leg pieces. Then cut the pieces, divide them into squares, and cut the squares so that you now have the bottom cut. Now glue the pieces onto the bottom legs.

In order to make the pieces easier to handle and smoother to touch, we need to sand them. Using sandpaper is long and redundant, and a waste of time, but if you want to do that, go ahead. To sand the boards/shelves, I would recommend using a disk sander, as it can glide across the surface, making it fast and easy. For the legs, I would recommend using a belt sander so that it gets an even sand all around.

Now it's time for the fun part: assembly. Take your 2nd shelf piece and edge it into the lower leg pieces so that it is secured in all four pieces. Then glue the pieces into the board, and then nail them in so that they are completely secure. Repeat the process 3 more times to fully connect the leg pieces to the 2nd shelf.

Repeat the process above with the top of the legs and the top shelf. Make sure that the top shelf piece fits into the leg cuts; if it does not, you can add small wood pieces(by gluing) in order to plug the space. Nail and glue the pieces on to secure fully.

We now have 2 separate tables. To complete the table, we need to put both pieces together(forever). Line up the legs and apply glue to one face, and then stick the legs together. Use tape to secure the entire piece while the glue dries, and remove once dried. Feel free to paint using a color of choice.