Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Picnic Table Plans For the D-I-Y Builder

A picnic table is a great way to enhance your backyard or patio and spend time outdoors with your family and friends. There are many styles available. A selection of commercial built tables is available, but these can be expensive and made of inferior materials. Building one yourself can be cheaper,and the final product can be better tailored to suit your specific requirements. You have the advantage of selecting the exact size, style, lumber, and finish that best fits your needs.

Building one yourself is a very rewarding project whether you are a beginner or experienced woodworker. Designs vary from simple classic designs which can be built in two hours, to much more elaborate designs requiring advanced tools and techniques. A basic picnic table can be built in one day with simple hand tools, a hammer, nails, handsaw, and ruler. A miter saw is a great investment if you plan to do much woodworking. It will cut accurate and consistent angles without much time or effort. You may also want to replace a hammer and nails with wood screws and a drill. Screws will hold much better over time than nails.

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Picnic table plans are a good place to start if you do not want to design one yourself. Most tables will have several angles that are not 90 degrees. It is often easier to refer to plans than to try working out these angles yourself. Picnic table plans should include a materials list, drawings, and instructions on how to build it.

Lumber is another consideration. Some designs may use 2X6 lumber for the seats and table top. Most designs will use dimensional lumber available at Lowes, Home Depot, or similar stores. This lumber is usually pine, and is available in pressure treated or untreated. If you want your table to last, buy the treated lumber. If you must use untreated lumber, be sure to paint it. If you use treated lumber, you should wait six months to seal or paint it. Hopefully, you will get many years of enjoyment out of your picnic table.

Picnic Table Plans For the D-I-Y Builder

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