# X-legged table



## Slava

Hello.

I set up to build a dining table. Since my wife is my ultimate customer, this is the table design that she wants. It is called "Toscana" and is sold by Pottery Barn for big bicks: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/toscana-dining-table/?pkey=call-tables&cm_src=hero

This would be my first major woodworking project and I learn as I go. I plan to visit the closest Pottery Barn store to look at the underside of that beast. Theirs is built from pine and I will be using oak from an ancient barn. Currently, I have 2" wide boards that I will have planned do to 1.5". Since oak is much heavier then pine, will the legs design hold that extra weight? By the way, how can I make that kind of joint?

Thank you for your advice. I have just joined this forum yesterday and already received tons of advices on de-nailing!

Slava


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## Viktor

"Since oak is much heavier then pine, will the legs design hold that extra weight?" 
Oak top will be heavier, but oak legs will also be stronger.
It seems they used X-overlap joint with mortise cut through it (which weakens the joint). Downward pressure on the table will tend to push legs apart. To avoid this you can connect leg ends together as in here: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/13120


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## NathanAllen

I'm going to take a stab and predict they're gluing/screwing two half legs to the main post then drilling an offset mortise through the uncut leg. There's a suspicious full line on the right brace.

If you're going more tradition then use a half-lap joint. Each of the legs will need to have a dado at an offset angle so that the X slides together. Then its as "simple" as chopping a 22.5 degree through mortise through both of the pieces and using the tusk to draw them together.

Because it will be a stationary table (versus knockdown traditional trestle table) you can certainly glue the two legs of the X together to help provide additional ridigity for the top. Depending on the final dimensions inch and a half oak can be fairly weighty.

A lot will depend on the tools you have available. If you have a cross-sled or a reliable miter gauge you could easily cut the dado on a table saw. By hand will mean using a cross-cut saw and chisel to chop out the waste, very easy for oak to split under these circumstances. Another option would be to laminate two 4×2 boards to the main 4×2 to laminate each of the legs of the X. This way you'll pre-make the half-laps and only have to worry about the mortise.


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## Slava

"Another option would be to laminate two 4×2 boards" - GREAT IDEA. It will also be much easier for me to procure more 2" oak boards since 4"x4" are hard to find. That solves one problem nicely!

What are the alternate ways to attach X-legs to the tabletop? I would definetly like to be able to detach the legs from the tabletop… Is it possible to attach the legs to a frame and just place the tabletop on top of the frame without any attachments?

Slava


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## Jojo

*Slava*, go visit PWW's blog. The design is not form Pottery Barn, they just ripped-off a table *Megan* did years ago (which, by the way, looks much better proportioned).

Jojo


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## richgreer

I will give you my honest opinion and some semi-blunt advice which you certainly may ignore.

The underside of this table needs to be made with pine or something compatible (douglas fir) and hopefully you can find some stock for the legs that allows you to do the legs without gluing up pieces. It's the bulk of those legs that make the piece. I would do a lap joint on the legs because that would be stronger. It would also work well with a mortise the goes all the way through the middle of the X.

The top could be oak or pine. You should be able to stain both the oak and the pine such that they look very similar.


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## Bradford

The lap joint is the best option. I suspect that the through tenon is not pegged, which if it was, then it could be a knock down type. The X frame legs could be glued together, the stretcher could then be be tenoned with through tenons and holes for pegs which allow for dis-asembly. The angle of the pegs, which are tapped in, draw it tighter.
Then your top, which will need to have a skirt as in the pic, could be placed on top. Just my opinion, but the beefier the legs the better the support.


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## CaptainSkully

Looks like a half-lap joint with a through tenon. Once all the wood is supporting each other, it should be pretty strong.

I'd buy one, tear it apart to see how it's built, then return it. I hope this doens't mean I'm going to start getting those catalogs again…


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## RobE

I am trying to build the same table, and I am having difficulty understanding how the leaves attach to the table. If anyone has a picture or similar plans for how the leaves are built, I would greatly appreciate it. I am planning to make the table and bench out of some poplar I have had in the basement for ages. Jojo, can you tell me how to get the plans or a picture of Megan's table? Sounds like a great table. Thanks.


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## chrisstef

Ill have to look back into my plan folder when i get home, i know i have a drawing of the legs. I built basically that same table not too long ago … ill have something for you later for sure … but i think the half lap angle was 32 degrees.

As far as attaching the table top, i used a piece of 1×6 attatched to the top of the legs and screwed up through that into the bottom of the table top.


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## RobE

Thanks for your help! Did you make leaves to extend the table?


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## RobE

I went to Pottery barn today and I was amazed that they had the table in stock. I took pictures of the table. Chrisstef, look forward to looking at the plans.

.


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## RobE

Well, I finished the table!


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## chrisstef

Bob,

Great job on the finished table … im so sorry i never got back to the post. I was scrolling through the forums page and said hey those legs look familiar … oh crap i thought, i never got back to him.


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## RobE

No problem. I was able to get measurements and design by looking at the Pottery Barn table.


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## jaredsworkshop

Bob,

great job on the table! Is all of it 2X and 4X poplar? what kind of staining application did you go with? Thanks for any help….I plan on making a similar style table. My wife frequents the pottery barn catalogs looking for my next project and this seems to be it. I guess her sister-in-law is wanting the same one as well so I'm planning on buying a lot of lumber. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

Jared


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## RobE

I used 250 BF of poplar for the project. Had a little waste, but not too much. The top was made with 3/4 poplar joined with biscuits. Around the edge, I used 5/4 poplar boards. The legs and cross members are two 5/4 joined. The table is extremely heavy. If you can get high quality hardwood plywood, I would consider making the top with it and using 5/4 around the edge. I used all 5/4 for the benches. Used a standard walnut stain and 6 coats of polyurathane to finish. Let me kno if you need more pictures of more information.


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## jaredsworkshop

Wow that does sound heavy! Sturdy as a rock though I'm sure. This should be enough to start with. Thanks for the information!

Jared


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## wpearl

WOW1 You did an INCREDIBLE job! I've been reallly wanting this table since it came out at Pottery Barn but it's overpriced and I'm not a fan of veneers. Do you think you could post you're measurements or rough plans so I can convince my loving hubby to make me one.


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## RobE

Overall without leaves: 88.5" long x 40" wide x 30" high
Overall, with leaves: 124.5" long x 40" wide x 30" high
Extension Leaf (2): 18" wide x 40" deep x 1.5" thick
Top: 1.5" thick
Apron: 2.5" high


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## dgrinnan

I see this post if about a year old. I was amazed when I found this. I thought I was the only guy out there making pottery barn knock offs for their wife. I hope this sends a notice out that I replied to the post. I am also getting ready to make this table. One thing I can't tell from the pictures is the dimensions of the legs. At first I thought they were 4X4. But I keep looking at the picture and can't tell if it is just the angle and an optical illusion or are the legs 4X6? I plan to use construction lumber. My local lumber yard sells #1 yellow pine. I was going to use 2X12's and 4X4's. I planned to rip some of the 2X lumber down for the skirt and other parts, and yes, it will be very heavy. I already made the Benchwright buffet. Home Depot carries AB pine plywood that is yellow pine. This allows for all the surfaces to be the same species and stain the same.


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## RobE

The legs are 4X6. I glued 2 8 quarter boards together. I think you are smart using the plywood for the top. Poplar isn't very stable and expands and contracts. I had to do a number of things underneath to allow for the expansion. The leaves are also an expansion problem. I don't think you will have do that with plywood. I made the table and benches for my son. He really likes the table and says he gets compliments all the time. The Pottery Barn table is heavily distressed, but I didn't have the heart to do it. Good luck and post pictures when you are done!


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## CT20

Bob, I am going to try and build this table this weekend. I think we are looking to use pine for all the wood. Would you happen to have plans as to how you built the legs and attached them. Everything else seems pretty straight forward, but the legs make me nervous. Also, any thoughts on how to make the wood distressed? 
I appreciate any help! 
Thanks


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## dgrinnan

I was at the Pottery Barn Outlet on Sunday and had the chance to view this table un-assembled. Both the stationary version and the one with the leafs. I had the actual legs in my hand. It is a simple lap joint with a through tendon for the cross piece. I have not built this table yet, I have built the Benchwright buffet and I distressed it using a number of techniques. First was simply a hammer to strategically place some dings in the wood. I also used a nail on its side and struck it with a hammer to leave an impression. Start with a light tap and increase the blow strength based on the desired result. You basically pull anything you have in your tools box and beat the project. I know this is counter intuitive. You just spent all this time building this work of art and now you beat the tar out of it. I even used a hatchet. I had some minor success simulating the saw marks by attaching a circular saw blade to my variable speed drill and carefully created a pattern. I would practice this on a scrap piece first. Gel stain is a good choice when you want the stain to highlight the distress marks. It settles into the indentions and stains darker than the rest of the surface. You might want to practice that technique also to determine how long to wait before wiping off the stain.


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## EuSouScott

Bob, thank you for this post. Your table looks great. I'm working on the fixed version of this. Before I got started, I put together a drawing on SketchUp. Here is a snap shot. I uploaded the entire drawing on my public DropBox folder here.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24672136/%20Measurments.skp

I'm glueing the top overnight tonight and I finished the first stage of the legs this afternoon. I don't have a drill press or a mortiser. Anyone have any techniques for making the hole for the through tenon?


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## dgrinnan

It looks like you got a good start on the table. What did you use for the leggs? Did you glue up 2 2X6 and 1 1X6? From your drawing it looks like they are 3 1/2 thick. Are they 5 1/2 wide? What angle is the X? Is the angel 32 degrees as stated above?


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## EuSouScott

The legs are made from 4X6 I got from Home depot. I ran them through the planer to get them down to the 3.5 X 5.25 or so. I'm pretty new to this stuff so maybe someone could explain why that was a good or bad choice as opposed to glueing together two 2X6.

Also, I looked over the measurements provided from pottery barn and matched them on SketchUp as best I could. Unless my trigonometry skills are too rusty, I came up with 90 degrees for the legs. That will put the table height at 30 inches with about 2 inches of overhang on the table top. I guess you could decrease the angle if you wanted more overhang on the table top or if you wanted the table to be taller.


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## dgrinnan

If my local Home Depot has untreated 4X6 that is what I will use. Every place I checked only had that size lumber in treated. As far as if you should have glued up lumber for the legs there are two views. Using the 4X6 is easier and takes less work. Some wood workers might argue that the glued up lumber is more stable and there is less of a chance of checking and twisting of the leg as it drys out.


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## dgrinnan

This is a follow up to my above post in regards to gluing up or using solid material. I did a small X-legged desk this past weekend as a practice run before starting this table. The legs were the same construction but on a smaller scale. The dimensions for the legs are 2.5" X 2.5". I found untreated 4X4 and cut them down on my table saw to the desired dimensions instead of gluing up smaller dimensional lumber. I did all of my rough cuts for all parts on Saturday with the plan to do assembly on Sunday. On Sunday, when I started back on the project, the solid 2.5X2.5 legs had developed checks (splits in the material). Just 24 hours after sizing it. For the purposes of this project I was able to fill the checks and move on. This is something to keep in mind when working with pine. Most pine lumber comes from managed forest where the trees are heavily fertilized and growth is quick. This leads to very wide growth rings and by default the material is not very stable. I am sure we have all seen decks with 4X4 post that have twisted almost 90 degrees from top to bottom in just one season. I have replaced one particular post on my deck twice in 3 years because of this. Keep this in mind when determining the material you use and how you prepare it for your project. Pine is cheap but there is other cost. Glued up material would have been much more stable.


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## casual1carpenter

EuSouScott, Looks like a nice table being built. Thanks for posting the SketchUp file, I might be taking a look at that. I find the 3D drawing a good way to get a feel for just what the piece is and how to build it.

dgrinnan, I always had my doubts about treated lumber. One, I always thought they used the junk wood for the P treat. Two, they push a chemical bath at the 'junk' wood and then do they control the drying? Step tread and decking members might be treated a little better but the larger cuts always seem to loose dimensional stability, warp, check, and split.


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## RobE

Kiln dried wood is infinitely better than pine if you can get it. I used poplar, and I have had no issues. The best bet is to find a local person on Craigslist that sells wood. You can generally pick up hardwood at good prices. If you use solid boards for the top of the table, I recommend allowing for expansion in the skirt supporting the table. Otherwise the wood will split. The pottery barn table used veneered plywood to avoid the problem. It is also a good idea to let your wood stabilize for a few days in your workshop before you cut it if you can.


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## EuSouScott

dgrinnan, I used the 4×6s and wish i hadn't. You can see in these pictures that they split. Im not going to redo it, but it is a lesson for the future. I don't use hardwood because it is expensive but I will take your advice bob and look on craigslist. Hopefully the top doesn't split.

Anyway, here are some pics thus far. I am almost done. I am going to use a walnut stain. Does anyone have any good tips on finishing. I want the walnut color but really have no idea if I should use a gel stain, oil stain, shellack, wax…. Any tips?


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## dgrinnan

If you redo the legs, you might want to reconsider the size of the tendon for the cross member. If you look at the material remaining there is not a lot there. This will be a structurally weak point in the construction. Considering you have a half lap joint and the tendon, the legs are only about 1.5" X 1" on each side of the tendon hole.


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## RestortingTexas

So can anyone tell me what the angle was for the pottery barn table and at what length the cross section pieces are? I'm at a loss for that. Is there an equation for this based on the width of legs and height and width of the over all base?


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## ljboeker

I'm so glad to have come across this thread! This table is amazing! I am getting ready, with my husband, to build this and am still trying to figure out how to make the extensions work. does anyone have a set of plans to share or sell? I'd be so appreciative!


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## ktjones

Hi Bob Emmons, I know this thread is 600 + days old. Curious if you can share what extension arms you used for this table? Beautiful work! Keith


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## darthford

Didn't realize this thread was that old nm.


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## woodbuilder

Oh my I love this table, and want to build right now. Anyone have plans for it


> ?


 Thanks I advance everyone beautiful work.


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## red1freedom

I just built one for someone about a two weeks ago it is nit exactly the same. Ill post what I did to build it. 10 ft long 40in wide 30 in tall


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## shad19

I need to build one of these for a friend - I tried to check out the sketch up drawing but no luck! It needs to be about 9 ft long and 40 wide. Just thought maybe a couple of dimension would save some headache!


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## red1freedom

For the table top I used 2×6 which I plained down to about 1inch 3/8 I used a tounge and grove for the 2×6 when I glued them together I used a finish nail for extra support on the under side. The end boards where done in the same mannor. If I make the same table again I would do a half lap tongue and grove it is easier and without a jointer can be done with more accuracy. but I would still do the end boards with tongue and grove. If there are knots or small gaps in the seam u can take sander saw dust mix it with glue to make a paste and press it in the gaps. It will fill the small gaps and it will stain making the table more seamless. The aproan will work with 2.5 or 3 inch depending how large you want the look of the table to be. I also had cross supports on the framing for extra support due to the size of the table. the legs I did with 90degree angles. I dont have the specs that I did with me so you will have to do the math but I think that the piece I used I cut to about 41 inches so when they where put together at there angles they brought the height with table top to 30 inch. The legs where made out of 2×6 glued togther (two long and two short pieces). I used the same glue putty on these seams. For the cross beam between the legs I used two 2×4 glued.i used a drill press and chisle to cut the space in the legs. I cut for the 2×4 if I did it again I would have trimmed downed the ends of the 2×4 a little and made the hole a little smaller.


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## red1freedom

Mine was ten feet. If u want 9 use 10 ft boards then trim them down keeping in mind the length of your end boards. Example 2×6 will be sbout 5&3/4 (or trim it to 5.5) this would make the table top 8ft 1 inch your tongue the table will stick out further than the 8ft 1inch.


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## red1freedom

I made a bench to go with it. Picture is not so clear


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## red1freedom

U could trim 2×6 to 5.5 than do a .5 inch half lap tongue and grove. You would need 8 boards to make your 40 inches

just write again if you have more questions


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## fquinones2

> Bob, thank you for this post. Your table looks great. I m working on the fixed version of this. Before I got started, I put together a drawing on SketchUp. Here is a snap shot. I uploaded the entire drawing on my public DropBox folder here.
> 
> http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24672136/%20Measurments.skp
> 
> - EuSouScott


Hello EuSouScott, 
Great job with the table.

Do you continue having the SketchUp for this project? 
Thanks. 
Fquinones


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