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In order to save and organize space in my rather small new apartment, I need a table whose dimensions do not fit into the ready-made mass-produced furniture one can find at DIY stores near me : I would like 1m of height, 0.7m of width, 0.47m of length.

Since I'm only using the table to save space and I am a complete beginner in DIY, I'm thinking of doing a very minimalist job with one plank on four straight legs (also I want the table to be carriable by one person, and therefore not too heavy) joined with a nail in each leg, and I'm thinking of pre-making the holes inside the legs with a drill to facilitate the subsequent nailing process.

  1. I've searched the web for tutorials that might apply to my need, but only found either tutorials about (to me) ridiculously small and therefore useless tables, or tutorials unsuitable for beginners. Maybe I've looked in the wrong places.

  2. Pretty much at random, I choose size 6x100 size for the nails. Maybe this is too long.

enter image description here

  1. Related to 2) : as I've never used a drill before, I do not know what is a reasonable length for the holes I am going to make in the legs.

As of now, I've got the plank with holes in it, and I'm postponing buying the legs or drill, expecting to find some advice about what might be the right models/sizes to choose.

enter image description here

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  • 3
    One nail into the top of each leg in the corner of that thin top material is going to be very flimsy.
    – Michael Karas ♦
    Commented Jun 22 at 6:04
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    Your picture is low resolution but I'm fairly sure what you pictured there are screws not nails (screws would also be a better choice for your project).
    – quarague
    Commented Jun 24 at 6:39
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    The key difference is, you would still need a screw driver to get them into the wood, not a hammer.
    – quarague
    Commented Jun 24 at 8:20
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    @EwanDelanoy the upper portion (the “shank”) is unthreaded for a reason, and is very common in wood screws.
    – fyrepenguin
    Commented Jun 24 at 18:49
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    @fyrepenguin Yes, as explained at diy.stackexchange.com/questions/81557/…
    – Ewan Delanoy
    Commented Jun 25 at 16:00

2 Answers 2

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@triplefault has a good answer, but just as an alternative, one can buy table legs that screw to a top. Eg, ikea boaxel or zillions of ‘hairpin table legs’.

In addition to making a decent table, these will provide a gentler introduction to building

Source https://www.bunnings.co.nz/taskmaster-700-x-50-x-0-8mm-black-steel-table-leg_p0064721
source

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  • Good idea! Would be a nice mix of pre built and startup DIY.
    – Triplefault
    Commented Jun 22 at 16:17
  • Looks like exactly what I need, thx a lot
    – Ewan Delanoy
    Commented Jun 22 at 16:47
  • Yep these pre-made legs work well. OP might need to consider a thicker top, or possibly stacking two or more layers to make a stout top.
    – Criggie
    Commented Jun 24 at 0:56
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Your table needs an apron added between the legs, then it will be stronger:

table with apron highlighted Picture source, found by web-searching, not endorsed

The apron allows stronger attachment between the apron pieces and the legs. Screws from the ends of the apron into the side grain of the legs will be stronger than screws down into the end grain of the legs (unless the down screws are huge, like the ones you show).

Then you can use small screws from the apron, using L brackets or pocket screws, up to the underside of the table top, so no screws show on the top surface of the table.

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