The advantage of owning a one-piece picnic table is that it’s always intact and ready. No one can juggle seating to suit him or herself because the seats are attached. But on the other hand, there’s something to be said for flexibility. This three-piece table and bench set allows seating to be moved anywhere that it’s needed. Use the benches next to the table for supper, then move them over to the campfire afterward.
This set seats four comfortably. The benches are miniature versions of the table itself. Add a chair at each end and there’s plenty of room for six without sacrificing elbow room. You can adjust the design to make the whole set as long as you want.
Download the detailed picnic table project plans here!
For the table
| Part | Size (T x W x L*) | Qty |
| Tabletop boards | 1 3/8" x 7" x 60" | 5 |
| Legs | 1 3/8" x 5" x 30 1/8" | 4 |
| Aprons | 1 3/8" x 5" x 35" | 2 |
| Leg braces | 1 3/8" x 4" x 30 3/8" | 2 |
| Stretcher | 1 3/8" x 4" x 47 3/4" | 1 |
| Cleats | 1 3/8" x 1 3/8" x 35" | 3 |
| Brace rails | 1" x 1 3/8" x 20" | 2 |
| Braces | 1 3/8" x 3" x 11 3/8" | 2 |
| Benchtop boards | 1 3/8" x 4 1/2" x 60" | 3 |
| Legs | 1 3/8" x 5" x 17 7/8" | 4 |
| Aprons | 1 3/8" x 2 7/8" x 13" | 2 |
| Leg braces | 1 3/8" x 3" x 15 1/2" | 2 |
| Stretcher | 1 3/8" x 3" x 51 3/4" | 1 |
| Cleat | 1 3/8" x 1 3/8" x 13" | 1 |
| Brace rails | 1" x 1 3/8" x 16" | 2 |
| Braces | 1 3/8" x 3" x 5 9/16" | 2 |
All wooden parts made from cedar *Length indicates grain direction
How you start your projects determines how well they come together in the end. With a little extra work, you can prepare ordinary, off-the-shelf lumber for a great project.
Begin by giving all your 2-by boards a couple of light passes on each side through a thickness planer. For this project, I wanted to arrive at a 1 3/8" thickness for most parts. By planing your lumber, you expose a fresh, clean wood surface. It’s also nicer to build with perfectly flat, uniform stock.
Next, grab your belt sander and smooth both sides of each board with 100-grit abrasive. This step prepares the wood for finishing. It’s also much easier to do this now, when all boards are still separate. Only after this essential prep work are you ready to cut parts to size.
Tackle the table
I used 2x8 cedar for the tabletop boards. I cut all the other parts from 2x6 lumber. Remember that 2-by lumber is actually 11⁄2" thick. Its width is only 71⁄4" wide for a 2x8, and 51⁄2" wide for a 2x6.
Start by cutting the tabletop boards to width and length, then roundover all edges (both top and bottom) using a 3⁄16"-radius router bit. I used a laminate trimmer here—a quick and handy little specialty router that’s designed for single-handed use. A full-size router works just as well, but it’s inconvenient. Set the five tabletop boards aside for now and carry on with the table’s support framework.
Cut the legs and aprons to shape, noting the 67.5º bevel on each end. (Set your saw to 22.5º from square to make this cut.) The legs are 301⁄8" long overall from point to point; the aprons are 35" long across the top edge. Locate the centre of the aprons and mark the tapered ends, as shown on the plans.
Prepare the leg braces next, again with ends bevelled at 67.5º, and the bottom edge 303⁄8" long. Next, cut a dado into the inside surface of both leg braces, 13⁄8" wide and 1⁄4" deep, on centre. These dados will later accept the ends of the stretcher. This eventually connects both leg braces while positioning the leg assemblies the correct distance apart.
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