Woodcraft Project Paper Plan to Build Octagon Picnic Table - Material Not Included

As a intermediate woodworker, I found the plans perfect for my skill level. The plans were laid out well and the step by step explanations were exceptional; also there were plenty of photos to illustrate the explanations. The table came out wonderful! I only found one place where the measurements were off: The notch for the lap joints for the table frame and seat frame were too wide and too deep -- I had to readjust these measurements. I used knotty cedar for the table top and seats and pressure treated lumber for all the rest. Cedar is expensive, so I would suggest figuring out in advance a cutting plan for each Cedar board -- a bit of a puzzle, but this step will save you money and less scrap. One last thing: You will need a chop saw (or radial arm saw) that can handle angled cuts on 2 x 6 lumber. The project cost me about $325 (the Cedar was expensive -- $200). Overall I was very pleased with these plans and would highly recommend them.

I love the finish product and the plans. Sure the plans might be a little hard to understand in the beginning... but it gets you to the finished product. The shopping list is great! Absolute minimum wasted wood. I am not a master woodworker but I have enough experience and the right tools (Miter saw helps a ton) and it took me 14 hours to build this table by myself. Dont let the reviews of that state it took a day to build the top discourage. It doesn't take that long. I probably spent more time picking out boards at the lumber yard than building the top. A few other tips... the drill bits that double as countersinkers... worth every penny. If you have two drills... the job will go a lot faster... and invest in the torque drive screws... 4 - 6" c clamps and a band clamp (Ratcheting straps work well too) I have added some pictures above... the pics in the product desc dont do the table justice.

These plans make a beautiful and sturdy table that is very heavy and built to last. This being my first time building anything from plans, however, I really don't know how they stack up compared to others, but I did have a few problems with them. First, there are obviously several misprints/mistakes throughout. I won't go into detail, but it required a little common sense to figure out what really needed to happen versus what the plans were saying. Second, the plans claim that this is beginner level and that it can be built in a day. I'm no master woodworker, but I consider myself to be around intermediate level. Besides all of the angles that are required, this table isn't particularly difficult to assemble, it just requires a lot of detail and a lot of individual cuts that are time-consuming, and there is a lot of room for error if you aren't paying close attention. I think a beginner without much experience might struggle with a lot of it. Personally, I wouldn't want to take this on if it were one of my very first projects (not to discourage anyone who may be seriously considering it though). I do not, however, see how this can be built in one day. Maybe if I had help, or maybe if I wasn't such a stickler for detail I could have completed it faster, but it took me a day just to build the top (which is a beast, by the way). The rest I worked on when I had free time and in the end it took me several weeks to complete. That wasn't working on it every day, and it included fixing a big mistake I discovered right at the end when I thought I was almost done with it. Maybe my skills just aren't as advanced as I thought.In conclusion, this review isn't meant to discourage, but rather to present some of the realities of building this table. I love the table, but in my opinion the plans left something to be desired.

I originally purchased this for my son's Boy Scout Eagle project. He built two using this plan. He used Cedar rough cut boards which threw off some of the measurements because the plan is for standard lumber sizes. The elementary school that used them for their teacher lunch area outside loves them. In addition, we used the plan this spring for a table for our backyard using treated lumber. It was much easier to make all of the cuts since we did not have to adjust any measurements.If you have crosscut saw and a drill, you can build this in a day. Be prepared to get some strong body's to move it into place because it will be very heavy.

one over-size sheet for all the instructions assumes you're already familiar with building this particular design. too much attempt at making everything fit on one page with insufficient drawings / assembly detail.possible to build the table, but the plans are not a clear step-by-step manual.

These plans were great and we got an amazing table out of it! Really heavy when completed so you may want to put it together where you’re going to use it

The table turned out GREAT, but the plans are NOT for the faint of heart! You have to have a serious knowledge of woodworking to complete this table.

Built it for our camp. The finished product is great, easily seating 8 in comfort with room for serving dishes. It is space efficient on our deck. I found the plans somewhat hard to follow in places and there were some errors. I pre cut all the pieces prior to assembling. This worked well except for the top. It would be better to cut the outer ring then fit in the cross members. I did make a modification of the top which worked well. First I used 5/4 cedar decking as we did not want to eat of pressure treated lumber. Second I used a biscuit joiner and waterproof glue to make the top in 3 sections which where then joined. The final assembly working with pre cut pieces took my son and I about 4 hours. The finished product easily gets 5 stars. I rate it down a bit for the plans.