DIY Modern Plywood Dining Table

//Support me on Patreon//: / jonnybuilds I built this DIY Modern Dining Table (66" x 32") entirely out of baltic birch plywood. Plywood is an underrated building material, and baltic birch is a dream to work with. Where I live a 4’x8’ panel (it’s most often found in 5’x5’ panels) runs $60. I used three panels, but I could have used two if I pieced the second layer of the table top together. This table can be built for around $120 in materials, but it is extremely sturdy and solid. The trapezoidal table base only looks complicated to build, but with a little careful planing and cutting, its easy. I laminated 6 layers of 2 inch wide strips, so the table base is 4 1/2 inches wide. The exposed plies give this piece a unique look. Thanks for checking it out. Let me know what you like/don’t like in the comments and check out some of my other builds.
Website: www.jonny-buil...
Instructable Build Article: bit.ly/2DTLPZm
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** Things I used **
3 4’x8’ sheets of 3/4” Baltic Birch Plywood (I could’ve used 2, but I wanted a solid table top) - phoenixhardwoodinc.com
1/2” Walnut Dowel - amzn.to/2Dluvgy
Bessey Clamps - amzn.to/2CZwF0n
Glue - amzn.to/2Dyej7N
Glue Bot - amzn.to/2kYwc7A
Incra Rule - amzn.to/2DFGuS2
Incra Miter Gauge - amzn.to/2nkYn1v
Angle Finder - amzn.to/2DFCTDI
Plywood Carrier - amzn.to/2GnOysr
Grizzly Track Saw - amzn.to/2GlZlU5
Bosch Sander - amzn.to/2FmMmQx
Sanding Pads - amzn.to/2EkD6gN
Grizzly Jointer - bit.ly/2DJO6H8
Drill - amzn.to/2AMkwe1
Drill Press - amzn.to/2meaWLL
Forstner Bits - amzn.to/2rIVg97
Spax Screws - amzn.to/2FpUdwX
Flush Trim Saw - amzn.to/2EfDBZc
Sanding Block - amzn.to/2nixNWQ
Wipe-On Poly - amzn.to/2DJ2Ke0
Favorite Pencils - amzn.to/2DR1Qzg
My Camera - amzn.to/2rlobzJ
My Lights - amzn.to/2rjqpzQ
My Mic - amzn.to/2DmmPdR
My Favorite Knife - amzn.to/2BQz2Dz
Music
Artist: Pr0Beats
Song: Sweet Dream
#diydiningtable #moderndiningtable #plywood #plywooddiningtable #diyplywoodtable #woodworking

[@modustrial]

Another really great video!

[@modustrial]

p.s. Would love to see these legs combined with a concrete top :)

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks for checking it out, Mike! A concrete top would look great with exposed ply legs. I’m guessing you would recommend gfrc! I need to design a concrete project. Watching your videos inspires me to give gfrc a go.

[@davidvegas6112]

Many thanks, I've been looking for "how to build a table base" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you heard people talk about - Fenadelyn Esteemed Framework - (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now )? It is a great one of a kind product for discovering how to improve your woodworking skills without the normal expense. Ive heard some extraordinary things about it and my cousin got amazing success with it.

[@lourdesbruan9816]

MUY buena calidad, el texto imagenes. kzbin.infoUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO Un manuel muy completo y trabajado. Resulta muy práctico. Para principiantes y profesionales. Lo recomiendo

[@TheEdsousa]

For me your jobs are perfect

[@BenjaminIMeszaros]

The curved table edges were really smart

[@ArturoMendezC]

Nice design, I like to work with plywood is very easy for that kind of furniture, cool

[@jerkvision744]

Something about simple clean straight lines build ..... love it.

[@MakeThings]

Jonny, you took something I would normally use to build jigs and made it living room worthy. I was mesmerized buddy. Good video.

[@adimccasland]

the plywood edges are super interesting/eye-catching!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks so much, Adi!

[@davidnarain8783]

Great job! I love the angled legs & side grain on the plywood. This table would be even better with a Japanese burnt finish ❤️

[@billbockman]

Dude, not only is this table sick but you do a great job with the video production as well! Very nice!

[@tsouk80]

Congratulations from Greece! Very nice work

[@DaveBuildsIt]

Love the leg design. Very nice.

[@marc_spence]

Great build mate! I really like the darker dowel plugs - creates a nice accent and breaks up the lines a bit. New sub from Australia!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks, Marc! The dowels were totally a last minute solution for joinery on the base, but I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. Thanks for the sub, and for checking out my channel. I’ve got some cool projects lined up in the near future.

[@MikeTheMaker1]

Simple and straight to the point, I like it

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks!

[@abbii1661]

looks simple, but elegant

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks!

[@chris2944]

Love his two-ply table top

[@brianmurray667]

Great job. Good production too.

[@Automedon2]

Beautiful, precise and clean. I really like that you used minimal tools too. The joiner is optional.

[@jmakes3745]

Really glad I found your channel - some beautiful camera work/shots and the table came out looking awesome!

[@JonnyBuilds]

JMakes Thanks man, I really appreciate it!

[@GS-wx5pr]

Groovy tune. Liked it a lot.

[@nickaspinwall8574]

Makes me want to redo the plywood dining table I made so it can look more like this.

[@xw6968]

That looks really nice.

[@DanLimbach]

Beautiful table. I agree that plywood can make amazing pieces, especially baltic birch. The legs really make your table look incredible. I'm not ready for that level of precision, but hairpin legs also look great with this kind of table top. I am planning on using 3/4" long 1/4-20 threaded inserts and 1/4-20 bolts to mount the legs, so they can be taken off easily without stripping any wood threads. I also want to use a router to cut a river down the middle and fill with dyed epoxy resin.

[@ВалентинЗадворный-т6т]

Great idea for legs !!! Good job!

[@TriSutrisnowapu]

Wow.. I'm speechless.. This is cool..

[@josejuangarcialanderos7009]

I love the table its amazing. Thank you

[@ScottTurnerformeindustrious]

Great looking table, you can really see the quality you built into it, and fantastic work on the video also - awesome!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks so much, Scott!

[@DanteVelasquez]

Gorgeous. I love the tapered shape.

[@shazzzat]

The plywood legs are awesome!

[@KBBAKTHA]

Mindblowing yet simple design. Nice build video. Thanks for sharing.

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks so much!

[@judge9amr]

Love this build.. very nice.. keep it up.. I look forward to awesome new woodshop builds..

[@Kennethsurat]

amazing creation

[@LeonThomasian]

I watched one video, and now I’m hooked to your channel!!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Haha, thanks 🙏

[@puteriizzafarzana3175]

I want this table!!! loved so much this table!!!!!!

[@Pacwind31]

Yeah, that’s a nice one! I am working on a dining table myself.

[@JolienBrebels]

Absolutely fabulous! Love the table AND the video!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Jolien Brebels Thanks as always!!

[@Nelsonbenavides84]

So sick

[@privateportall]

Great build! use a roller to spread the glue though :). A dash of salt prevents it slipping when you're aligning

[@Junem1975]

Wow! It's so beautiful dinning table sir. I wish I could do that too with the limited tool.

[@mullerdewet8931]

Great video. Really like the look of it.

[@dalegraham5463]

Great lil' project and great use of the camera mate!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks, Dale!

[@geekpicks4460]

Love this! Given me so many great ideas.

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks!!

[@ice-cold_3469]

great build. learned so many little tips just by watching this vid. ill try this but i think ill do a coffee size first cause it would be little more easier then if it turns out ill try this size as well. thx for upload. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@ckent1975fm]

Enjoyed. Thanks. Save your back and get yourself a portamate panel carrier

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks!!

[@__-ox5kz]

Very well done my friend..

[@Joadcressbeckler]

10 degree champher to match the 10 degree legs is a great idea

[@christian9506]

Absolutely incredible and very inventive! Great video production as well. Thanks for uploading!!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thank you very much!

[@DanaAshlie]

stunning.

[@mattkessler7660]

I like your style, I like your moves. 😎

[@mattkessler7660]

I also want to start being creative with plywood.

[@tihspeed]

nice build, liked and subbed, cant wait for the next video

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks! I’ve got some cool projects in the works!

[@eddiealexander2485]

Nice build.

[@vivekkumarrangu6883]

Excellent

[@matthewharding6245]

Found you from the MM podcast. Nice table and video. Its got good proportions and I especially like the legs. I think you could really make it stand out if you used a bit of black ink stain somewhere to give it some contrast and make the plywood shine. I think I would be tempted to stain the top.

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@tiffanyyoga6549]

We can't WAIT for you to make our chest for the studio!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Tiffany Yoga Thanks! It’s going to be a fun build!

[@tjgreen3603]

Looking to find some way of using just plywood to build all the furniture in my house. I was a finish carpenter for 23 years. And I like that industrial look of plywood.

[@UbiDoobyBanooby]

Me too. I like the aesthetic. It accentuates the lines in the mid century modern blend designs. Love it. Looks great. Wanna do my whole living room and bedroom with this.

[@bighands69]

If you do dark staining and face frames or edging out of natural wood you can make plywood look like classical wooden structures. I not that long ago did a home library using mostly plywood and with a mixture of staining and oil finishing with moulded trim I got a classical look for the room. Client was extremely happy. They showed me what they wanted first of all I explained the use of plywood and they were not convinced. I then showed them previous work and they like it. When using plywood you can mix the look of industrial with classical looks.

[@pavelzorba7381]

Good job! You can use leveling feet to make it more stable.

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks, Pavel!

[@islamraouf1856]

Great Project!

[@bradtbthebeast]

extraordinary

[@sapphodesigns2377]

Great build 👍👍👍

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thank you!

[@InfiniteCraftsman]

This is pretty fantastic. I like it a lot

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks a lot!

[@triphan1450]

great video.

[@alxmetro]

Great job!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thank you!

[@JLT2342]

very nice!

[@JTWoodworks]

Looking good Johnny!

[@TheMegasecret]

Genius!

[@antongerasymovich4876]

Hi, thanks for this video! Why didn't you make plugs for the same plywood to hide all screw penetrations in the legs? Thanks!

[@wentzdub]

This is a really good video, and an awesome table. I've just started dabbling in making plywood furniture, but I've struggled a bit with warping and joining. If you have any beginner tips, they'd be much appreciated! Thanks for sharing your work.

[@Tyrolax]

Beautiful

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thank you!

[@StreetKingz4Life]

Looks really nice man superb job!,any wobble of any sort by chance jonny?

[@SpeedysWoodshop]

Awesome build!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks!

[@amineaze4996]

Thank u so much i realy enjoyed this video, i need some materiel at home its so expensive at our country im from algeria i try to built what i need at home i like so much to do it my self its like a hobbies for me but i have not any material

[@mrigankalean]

Thanks...I was looking for a way to build legs for my bed...got inspiration from your build

[@craigschaffer828]

I like it! Wish I had the skills and tools.

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks, Craig!

[@DiscovererAMAZON-BRAZIL]

Simply beautifull. Joel Terra from Brazil.

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thank you, Joel!

[@practicallyIndependent]

Beautiful table, nice work

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thank you very much!

[@billymcintosh1349]

Awesome!

[@TravisInCanada1]

Awesome! Jonny I know you know what you are doin brother but be mindful of those loose fitting shirts in the shop, don't need anything getting caught up. Keep up the great work.

[@antondey4864]

Go on like this!

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks, Stephan!

[@abbasali3100]

I Have done the same but with metal base. And the top is single plywood doubled only on the edge for thick look

[@Erikdidit]

Nice design and video! :)

[@JonnyBuilds]

Erik did it Thank you, Erik!

[@johngreenaway5736]

Nice work and a new sub.

[@dickiebrewer168]

Thumbs up bro! Way up! I'm making some plywood origami chairs from Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West and was wondering about the plywood to use. Now I know. Thanks.

[@jimdavidson7233]

This is a great build, was wondering how you came to the 9 degree angle for the trapazoid legs? I am building a desk that is 20" wide and am having a hard time coming up with the angle that will work for a 28" height base.

[@JonnyBuilds]

Thanks, Jim! I eyeballed it at 9 degrees and then cut some test pieces to confirm it was the angle i was looking for. Feel free to shoot me a DM on IG if you have any further questions or need some help!

[@swatisquantum]

dat cinematography tho

[@ThekiBoran]

Ever do a backwards scoring cut? Zero tear out on both sides of cut.

[@Saladzingers]

Looks great, although I was surprised at the orientation you mounted the legs - does it feel too heavy? Want to build something similar but idea of little kids pulling that sheet of double ply onto themselves...

[@RustedNail]

The form is great......still on the fence about the finish for the top. Overall i love it though

[@JonnyBuilds]

Rusted Nail Thanks a bunch!

[@seancoetzee8268]

I would like to build one for myself

[@SinisterSRT]

Very nice! Darker stain for the legs if you build again.

[@crzxm]

At some point, would the possibility of re-tightening the screws occur? Could the legs have been more secure by also gluing it to the table top?

[@lesterfreeman3713]

Johnny how many man hours did this take you? Also do you have a ballpark cost for materials? Great build by the way, it’s always great to make something from scratch.

[@mcliffy2]

I heard Chris give you a shout out on Modern Maker Podcast today - nice!

[@JonnyBuilds]

When I saw this comment this morning I thought you were talking about last week's podcast. Another shout out! Awesome!

[@modustrial]

Yup, this one was more for the right reasons :) Had one thought on this video -- just a "maybe" thought. I know Chris has had success with his style of cover shot, but I think the beauty of the plywood layers doesn't grab the viewer with the current thumbnail. The plywood and floor blend together a bit due to the similar coloration, and the thumbnail size doesn't show the layers unless you look really close. I think if you were to use a screenshot the very first close-up in the video (at 0:01), which shows all the small details (layers on the angled top and legs, and the contrasting dowel), it might pull in a few more viewers. The cover shot is really nice as is, though. Sometimes it is hard to pick :)

[@JonnyBuilds]

I struggled with picking on this project. i usually make 4 to 5 thumbnails, and then pick with them all side by side. The image you are talking about was my favorite, but as a small channel I didn't know if i could get any traction with just that small detail shot. That is the only reason I chose the full table. i might switch it now.

[@modustrial]

Choosing the cover shot is ridiculously time consuming. I probably spend 4 hours staging and shooting, and another 2-3 hours editing and debating. Maybe I overthink it because I still get it wrong half the time... You can always switch later too. I'm basing this somewhat on my wall garden video...the original cover shot I really liked (you can see it on my IG feed, its the one with the text on it). However, it didn't do as well as my other videos. I switched it to a close-up shot that showed the stacked plywood well after it had been up a couple weeks. Suddenly, the other week (and a couple months later), it had a huge bump in views. It was getting about 50 views / day for a couple months, and last week it suddenly jumped to about 1500 / day (had 15k in last week and a half). I can't say definitively that the new cover shot was the reason, but it was the only thing that had changed since the initial post, and I've never had a late comeback like that.

[@melancholyme5708]

Awesome! Good job 👍 Can u tell me what type of plywood is that?

[@alexurbanik384]

How is the stability? Only worry would be wobble along the length. Never made a table before so it might be my inexperience leading to the worry.

[@CL-Lynn]

just a simple question. Is the table strong and sturdy?

[@seanalequin5127]

How did you figure out your leg angles. I’m looking to make similar traps of legs in a 29Wx27L ... 29 being the width at its widest point the top. Would really appreciate the help really love your work and this video

[@kohort1]

So now that it's almost 2 years old, is it still in good shape?

[@tonyh7734]

are those legs possible with solid oak? i know plywood doesnt expand much, so not sure it the same design with real hardwood would fail over time with the wood expansion?

[@dtom1145]

Nice table. Frank Lloyd Wright considered plywood a perfectly acceptable material for furniture design. You can see many of his designs at some of his houses like Taliesen West which was his winter home and design studio.

[@JonnyBuilds]

I actually didn’t know that. Thanks for the info and checking out the table!

[@dclinks]

did the poly cause the waving in the finish on the top? or just camera thing...great table