Cutting the Wood

1. Cut the frame of the table from the 4x8-foot piece of plywood: Cut two 9-3/4 x 45-inch pieces (these are the long sides), and miter the 9-3/4-inch edges 45 degrees. Cut two 9-3/4 x 30-inch pieces (for the short sides), and miter the 9-3/4-inch edges 45 degrees. Cut one 29-1/4 x 44-1/4 inch piece (this will be the top).

2. Cut 8 support pieces from the leftover plywood scraps: Cut 4 corner supports to support the tabletop. Each support should have two 4-inch sides and one 5-5/8-inch side. Cut 4 caster-block supports. The shorter sides should be 8-1/2 inches, the long side 12 inches. These will strengthen the bottom of the table and give you a spot to secure the caster blocks, onto which you will attach the casters.

3. Cut caster blocks from the 2x4. Cut 4 caster blocks, 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 4-1/4 inches. (Note to beginners: A 2x4 is really only 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches, so you are only cutting the blocks to length.) Taper the outside edges of these blocks a bit to keep the finished table from appearing too boxy. Use a table saw set at a 5-degree angle to take off a little wood from two sides of each block. To mark the sides that need to be altered, set the blocks as if one were at each corner of the table. Put an "x" on the sides that will be exposed. These are the sides that you should taper.

4. Cut 6 top-support cleats from the 1x4 (which is really only 3/4 x 3-1/2 inches). Rip (meaning cut with a table saw in direction of the wood grain) the 1x4 to 3/4-inch wide, and then crosscut 6 pieces, each 4 inches long. These will bolster the tabletop.

 

Photo 1: Mitered corners.

5. Cut 4 finish strips from the 1x4. These should be 3/8-inch thick and 3/4-inch wide, and then cut to the exact length and width of table frame, ends mitered 45 degrees. (These pieces will be glued to the outside edges of the top piece of plywood for a cleaner finish.) See Photo 1 for a better look at the mitered joints.