How to Build a Child's Activity Table

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Determine the size of table needed for your child.

   The height of this table is approximately two feet high.
   
   This should be a suitable height for children up to four feet tall.
2. 2

   Step 2: Choose your workspace and set up your tools on a large enough space.

   Allow for enough space to cut boards that are approximately eight feet long. , The legs will be assembled with finishing nails then later reinforced with joint brackets.
   
   Line up the two pieces of a leg making a right angle.
   
   Then use the nail gun to join them. , Dowel joints help reinforce butt joints.
   
   A dowel jig makes drilling accurate dowel holes a breeze.
   
   Evenly space out the dowel locations.
   
   They do not have to be an exact distance. , Most dowels are an inch long.
   
   So the depth drilled should be 1/2 inch. , Line up the joint and press firmly.
   
   Now simply drill the marked points to the required depth.
   
   Double-check to make sure the joint is flush to your liking.
   
   Then repeat this step with all remaining butt joints. , The importance of dry-fitting cannot be overstressed.
   
   It is better to discover a problem right away than to continue working through it and compound the error.
   
   Do your best to dry-fit your project exactly as you will after gluing.
   
   Once that you have dry-fitted your table, label all the parts before disassembling, especially all the parts that are similar. , Apply small amounts of glue to each dowel and assemble.
   
   Once assembled, apply clamps, then ensure everything looks right.
   
   Allow 24 hours for the glue to dry. , Once the glue has dried and the clamps are removed, attach the table brackets to the legs.
   
   You want them slightly lower than the table top.
   
   The reason is it will tighten the tabletop to the base more securely. ,
3. 3

   Step 3: Make the legs.

4. 4

   Step 4: Make a dowel joint with a dowel jig.

5. 5

   Step 5: Firmly attach dowel jig to joint surface and drill a depth that is half the length of your dowels.

6. 6

   Step 6: Insert the metal dowel points into the holes.

7. 7

   Step 7: Dry-fit and label your parts.

8. 8

   Step 8: Assemble the table.

9. 9

   Step 9: Attach tabletop.

10. 10

    Step 10: Finish your custom table.

Detailed Guide

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