How to Build a Kitchen Worktable

A comfortable, user-friendly kitchen can make your life a lot easier. Imagine how much smoother holiday or family dinner prep would be if you had more work space. A kitchen worktable can be a great spot to prep food, set up a buffet or even pull up extra chairs for more seating at a dinner party. It is even more useful if it can be put away when it isn't needed. You don't have to run out and buy an expensive table. Construct one from simple materials for an inexpensive, versatile and portable work surface. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Measure your available floor space. Allow 3 feet on every side of the table so it doesn't inhibit traffic flow in your kitchen. Determine the size of your work table.

2

Trim a piece of -inch plywood on a circular saw to match this dimension. You can also pick up a piece of butcher block counter from a home improvement store and cut it to the correct dimensions for your table.

3

Place the saw horses and the table top on a tarp. Spray the saw horses and the wooden top with spray primer. Hold the spray primer 10 to 12 inches from the surface of the wood. Move the can in a steady back and forth motion, slightly overlapping each pass of the primer. Let the primer dry completely.

4

Spray paint the saw horses and the table top using the same technique used to apply the primer. Let the paint dry overnight.

5

Measure and mark the spot where the table top will sit on the saw horses. Drive 3-inch deck screws through the table top with a drill. Counter-set the screws by driving them slightly below the surface of the wood. Do this in four areas of the table top, corresponding to two spots on each saw horse.

6

Drill a hole in the corresponding part of the saw horse with a slightly larger drill bit. The hole will keep the table top stationary but will not permanently attach the two.

7

Set the saw horses in place and set the top over them so the screws settle into the drilled holes.

8

Put a small amount of construction adhesive on top of each screw. Place wood screw caps over the screws and let the adhesive dry.