Small end table. I noticed a new home subdivision was going in. They were tearing down an old dilapidated barn. I simply asked for a couple pieces of the wood, and they obliged. If barn wood is elusive, scrap wood should work equally as well. Or if you have a new subdivision going in, they throw away ample wood, on a daily basis.

UPDATE: I added braces on the bottom, per Step 12.

Supplies

Super simple and (mostly) free supplies. The total cost was simply the glue, screws, brad nails and electricity to make it....all estimated less than $1.

Tree branch (or multiple branches) to serve as the FOUR legs.
Reclaimed barn wood, in my case a single piece 3 feet long by 11-1/2" wide.
Wood glue
18 gauge 2" brad nails
Four 1.25" wood screws (to hold flat top to the table)
Small scrap wood (to mount top). I used 1x2 14" long.
Safety Glasses
Optionally Autodesk Fusion 360 to reduce wood waste

Step 1: Rough Cut the Tree Branch Legs

Put on your safety glasses. Rough cut the tree branches into legs. Don't worry about getting them perfectly the same length, we'll do that later.

I cut mine 18" long. TIP: take an extra small piece and place it on top of the branch. Why? Fresh branches are full of moisture and will dry out. If the ends dry out too fast, the branch can crack. Adding this extra piece on top slows down the drying process to avoid cracking the branch.

Set aside and let dry. If fresh cut branches, give them some time to dry, in my case two weeks. This is not necessary for a downed tree that has naturally dried.

Step 2: Cut the Apron

The Apron is the framing that connects the legs to the top. I used barn wood and cut the following sizes:

TWO 3" tall by 9" long - for the side aprons.

TWO 3" tall by 12" long - for the front & rear apron.

Note: I included a look-ahead photo to see the apron (the horizontal pieces that attach to the legs).

Step 3: Cut Branch Logs, After Drying

The goal here is to notch out an area to mount the apron. We need a notch on two sides that are close to 90 degrees.

I used a handsaw to cut the branch log vertically, 3" deep.

I then used my mitre saw to cross-cut and remove the small notch.

Finally, you should have FOUR legs similar to the picture above, that will allow us to later attach the apron.

TIP: If your branch logs are very wet, ie you still see sap emitting, it would be a good idea to continue to let dry.

Step 4: Assemble Legs and Apron

We will build the legs and apron inverted. By doing this upside down, this will be our starting point to ensure the table top is level. Glue branch log legs to the apron, and brad nail using 2" 18 gauge brad nails. You can substitute many options for the brad nails such as screws (but drill a pilot hole prior) or dowels, etc. Don't gorget your safety glasses.

Do your best to ensure the legs are mostly straight and vertical. They don't have to be perfect. That is the nice thing about this table, the roughness is part of the appeal.

TIP: I place scrap pieces of paper (or power towels) under the glue joints, to avoid gluing the table to my workbench.

Set aside and dry overnight.

Step 5: Reinforce the Legs and Apron

Turn the table right side up and remove the paper that might be glued to the legs.

Remember your safety glasses. Now reinforce the legs and apron with 18 gauge 2" brad nails. Nail the edges of the apron together, and also nail through the apron into the legs.

Step 6: Cut Legs to Length

It is very challenging to get the rough cut branch legs to perfect length, or perfectly square so the table does not rock.

Using a table saw, cut the legs on one side. Then flip over and cut the remaining two legs. Go nice and slow while firmly holding onto the leg & apron assembly. Be sure to keep the right side up tight against the fence as the second picture illustrates.

TIP: Always use a saw blade guard. Mine is removed for photos only.

All that remains is the table top.

Step 7: Cut Top Mounting Braces

Using scrap wood, attach two pieces of wood that will allow us to mount the top, from underneath. We don't want screws showing on the top of the table, so we will do this from underneath.

I used a 1x2 cut 7" long, with 45 degree angled on both ends.

Attach with glue and 2", 18-gauge brad nails.

Step 8: Cut Top to Size

Lay the leg & apron assembly on the wood and mark the size to cut the top.

TIP: Pencil marks are difficult to see on old barn wood, so use masking tape to see your pencil mark.

The barn wood was naturally 11-1/2" wide, so I just needed to cut the length. My length was 13-1/2" long.

Step 9: Assemble Top to Leg & Apron Assembly

Do not glue the top to the leg & apron assembly. We want the top to expand and contract naturally.

Invert the table. Drill four pilot holes from the underside of the table. I used a 1/8" drill bit.

Drive the FOUR screws into the top, from the underneath so the screws are not visible.

TIP: Drive the screws in ~ 80% with a drill and finish up the remaining 20% with a hand screwdriver...this is to help ensure we don't split the braces, or the top.

Step 10: Let Dry Overnight

Allow the glue (from the Top Mounting Brace) to dry overnight.

Your table is now ready for use.

Note: This is my first Instructable, as a way to say thanks to everyone prior for helping me via their Instructables.

Step 11: Optionally: Layout to Reduce Waste

In the above photos you may also notice a wine rack in the background.. I was very short on barn wood. So I used Autodesk Fusion 360 to layout what I needed for this table, so I had just enough wood to also complete a separate project, the wine rack. Thus I:

Created a new Sketch
Created the size of the wood pieces above, ie TWO 3" x 9" side aprons, etc.
I then did an Extrude 0.75" thick for all FOUR pieces of the apron and the top.
I then moved them around in various configurations until I decided on the above pic / final layout. That left me just enough wood to finish the wine rack. Note: Originally I had the side aprons as 12", but realized I did not have enough wood...so I reduced them to make everything fit the wood I had.

Once you cut the wood, it's too late. So this allowed me to create a plan to ensure I could finish both projects with the limited wood I had...worked great.

Step 12: Optionally: Add Leg Braces

UPDATE: My wife did not like how the legs looked, so I added braces for aesthetic reasons only. If you have solid glue joints this step is not structurally necessary. So I:

Added masking tape to see my pencil marks.
Using a hand saw cut the legs 1/8" deep.
Using a chisel, chiseled out the area for the brace.
Simply repeated the above steps for all 6 joints.
I then glued and 2" brad nailed the braces in place.

TIP: The brad nails only serve as a clamp to hold the logs until the glue dries....so try to get the joints tight and flush.

Let dry overnight, your table is now ready for use, and in my case a happy wife (and I have to admit it does look better).

Introduction: Reclaimed Barn Wood Table