Table With Shelves

Objective: Create a table with two shelves underneath the tabletop which could support a considerable amount of weight.

I decided to draw a perpendicular line across my 2x4 pillars for the table at the 2 desired shelf heights so that if anything, it would be consistent...mostly. Then i took a piece of the pine that I would later use to connect the pillars, and drew an outline of the piece. Later I would use a router to carve out this place where the piece of pine would rest as a weight bearing joint (see photo).

It was at least some place to start. I believe i drew lines at 10 and 20 inches from the ground plane.

I cut out the outside-facing top portion of the 2x4 pillars to hold a weight bearing joint. Not sure what it's called, but its like the most basic joint ever. #basicjoint

Simple glue-up with wood glue and clamps, no fasteners

Unlike the workbench, i created the sides as independent structures before connecting them across the middle with pocket hole joints. I finally bought a Kreg pocket hole kit and learned how to fasten boards to each other where one intends, as it usually shifts to an undesirable location while drilling if there are not proper supports clamped to the boards.

Notice that behind that board I'm using a scrap 2x4 block to press up against the board-to-be-fastened so that it wouldn't rotate or shift while initiating the drill.

Here we are -- ready to fasten the other side.

I used an assortment of clamps and scrap 2x4 blocks to hold the sides in place to accurately place fasteners through the pocket holes to connect the sides.

This photo was taken after attaching more middle-support beams with pocket holes on the underside, sanding all surfaces, and applying one coat of "golden pecan" stain.

One of my core take-aways from this project was learning the importance of using a square as much as possible. I am still learning new uses of this type of square, which i previously only really used to make perpendicular lines to a face.

Plywood was cut out to be the shelf surface material. This would later be stained in "black walnut" to draw less attention to the darker shelf surface and rather to objects.

The shelf surfaces were glued down around their supporting perimeters with glue, clamps and weights.

Clamped down the tabletop and drew the line for the end of the tabletop (with a little cushion which I would later shave off with the router, not featured).

Here is the table top after a few hours of sanding from 60 grit to 220. I used an orbital sander but after killing batteries so quickly I resorted to performing most of the job by hand. I need to invest in a pneumatic sander.

Finished result - end view

There it is.