Project plan · Furniture
Solid Oak Side Table: Board Feet and Tabletop Movement
An 18 in square, 24 in high side table in white oak. The top is fixed with wooden buttons sized from a wood movement estimate, so it can expand and shrink across the grain without splitting.
Calculated plan · Last updated
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Time
- 1 weekend
- Top
- 18 × 18 in
- Lumber
- 8.75 BF
- Est. cost
- ≈ $90.33
Cut list
| Part | Qty | Size L × W × T (in) | Material / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| TopGrain runs side to side | 1 | 18 × 18 × ¾ | White oakThree 4/4 boards edge-glued |
| Leg | 4 | 23¼ × 1½ × 1½ | White oak8/4 stock |
| ApronIncludes a ¾ in tenon at each end; grooved inside for buttons | 4 | 13½ × 3 × ¾ | White oak4/4 stock |
| Tabletop buttonTwo per apron | 8 | 1¼ × 1 × ¾ | White oakApron offcuts |
Kerf allowance: 3 mm (about ⅛ in) per cut.
Board-foot takeoff
Rough 4/4 and 8/4 blanks, oversize for milling.
| Blank | Qty | T × W × L (in) | Board feet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top boards | 3 | 1 × 6½ × 20 | 2.71 |
| Leg blanks | 4 | 2 × 2 × 25 | 2.78 |
| Apron blanks | 4 | 1 × 3½ × 15 | 1.46 |
| Total | 6.94 | ||
How the numbers were checked
- Board Foot Calculator
- 6.94 BF of rough blanks; 8.75 BF with a 25% defect allowance.
- Wood Movement Calculator
- 18 in flatsawn white oak, 6% to 12% moisture content: 0.378 in across the grain.
- Button clearance
- Half the movement each side of centre, rounded up: ¼ in.
Build steps
Mill the parts
Joint and plane the rough blanks to the cut-list sizes, leaving the top boards slightly long and wide. Let the parts rest overnight and re-check them for flatness before joinery.
Glue up the top
Arrange the three top boards for grain and colour, edge-glue them and flatten the panel to ¾ in. Trim it to 18 × 18 in.
Cut the leg and apron joinery
Cut mortises in the legs and ¾ in tenons on the aprons. The apron shoulders are 12 in apart, which leaves a 1½ in overhang all round.
Groove the aprons and make the buttons
Cut a groove on the inside face of each apron near the top edge, and make 8 buttons with a tongue that fits it. On the two aprons that run parallel to the top's grain, set the buttons with ¼ in between the tongue and the bottom of the groove.
Assemble and attach the top
Glue the leg-and-apron frame and check that it is square. Centre the top on the frame and screw the buttons to its underside without glue, so the top can move.
Assumptions
- Unit prices are assumed 2026 retail figures in US dollars for illustration only, not supplier quotes. Replace them with local prices before budgeting.
- The top is flatsawn white oak (tangential movement, the larger case) and moves between 6% and 12% moisture content in service. A drier or more humid home changes the estimate.
- Movement uses Wood Handbook Table 4-3 shrinkage values with a linear change below fibre saturation, as in the Wood Movement Calculator.
Safety and scope
- Use push blocks when planing or jointing short pieces such as the buttons.
- This is a planning estimate. Verify measurements and material condition before buying or cutting.
- Planning estimates only — verify before you buy or build. Read the disclaimer.
Quantity basis for each material
- White oak, 4/4 and 8/4 rough
- 6.94 BF of blanks plus 25%, rounded up to ¼ BF.
- Wood glue, 8 fl oz
- Top glue-up and mortise-and-tenon joints.
- #8 × 1¼ in wood screws
- One per button, 8 buttons.