DIY Pinstripe Coffee Table

Whenever I have a project deadline and need a little extra shop time, my sister-in-law is usually the first to volunteer to watch my daughter so I can get a job done. Knowing that she's in desperate need for some new furniture, I decided to start with a new coffee table for her. She's also a rabid Yankees fan, to the point where she wears some sort of Yankees paraphernalia every day of the week. So I knew I needed to incorporate a Yankees inspired design element into this piece. For that, I came up with this Antiqued Pinstripe Coffee Table to thank her for helping me out so much this year.

Cut List

(2) Side Apron 1x4x48"

(2) End Apron, 1x4x21"

(3) Top Plank, 1x6x48"

(2) Top Plank, 1x2x48"

(2) Leg Base, 1x6x19.50"

(1) plywood base, 19.50"x48"

Materials Required

Wood Products:
(2) 1x6, 96", Board

(2) 1x4, 72", Board

(2) 1x2, 72", Board

(1) 3/4" Thick, Quarter Sheet, Plywood

Hardware/Supplies:

(4) 16" Hairpin Legs

(1) Box of 1-1/4 Pocket screws

(1) Box of 1-1/4 Brad Nails

Cut (3) 48" planks of 1x6 and (2) 48" planks of 1x2. Sand the tops smooth, but do not round the edges. Pre-drill 0.75" pocket holes with your Kreg Jig into the 1x6's to attach the 1x2 pinstripes. Do not attach at this time. On the smooth side, paint the planks with your base colors. Once the paint is dry, attach the alternating planks with 1-1/4" pocket screws.

Measure the assembled plank top, it should be 19.50" x 48". Cut your sheet of plywood the same dimension. Then attach to the underside of the plank top with wood glue and brad nails. Make sure the edges are flush. You can always trim off the excess with a flush trim bit on a router or run that side through the table saw.

Cut (2) 1x4" side aprons to 48" and (2) end aprons to 21". The end aprons will overlap the side aprons. Add 0.75" pocket holes to both side aprons leaving enough spacing so the pocket holes will not be covered by the base. Leaving the table top upside down on a flat surface, attach the side aprons (flush with the plank top) using wood glue and brad nails. Attach the side aprons with wood glue, brad nails and 1-1/4" pocket screws.

Cut (2) 1x6's to 19.50" and attach to the underside of the table base. These will add additional depth for the screws used to secure the hairpin legs. Attach with wood glue and brad nails.

Using a round over bit with a router, round the edges of the table aprons. If you don't have a router you can use a sander to smooth over the edges. After the edges are finished, patch any visible gaps and nail holes with wood filler. Once the wood filler has dried, sand off all the excess. Then sand 25-35% of the paint off the surface of the planks. Pay particular attention the the outside edges of each plank, You want a natural worn away look that will be picked up by the stain in the next step.

Using a dark stain (I used MinWax Espresso) stain the entire piece (top and aprons). Do not use a stain and poly combo, use only stain. Coat the entire piece at once, then wipe away the excess stain in the order of application. Let the stain dry.

Attach the hairpin legs to the base using the provided screws. These were purchased from DIY Hairpin Legs.

Seal the table top using MinWax Semi Gloss Poly. I applied 4 coats. After the first coat has dried, hand sand with 300+ grit sandpaper. Do not over sand. Sand smooth to the touch, clean off and reapply poly. Once poly has dried, hand sand and repeat. Each coat will apply a smoother finish.