Rules of Thumb - Dining Table Design

[Dave Novak]

Hello all, and thanks in advance for your thoughts. I'm planning to build a dining room table that will seat 8. The Dining Room is 160" x 150", so almost square. My initial thought is to build a 54" X 80" rectangle top seating 2 on each side. I came up with this size by lining up imaginary 24" wide by 18" deep placemats around the perimeter of my sketch. (then stretched the 48" side to 54") my questions:

1. Do you think 54" x 80" will seat 8 comfortably?
2. Are there "rules of thumb" regarding:

• How thick should a table top this size be? Start with 6/4 material or 8/4?
• How wide should a table apron be, relative to the top? My guess is about 3 1/2"
• How heavy/thick should the legs be relative to the top? My initial guess was that a leg roughly 4" square at the top that tapered to about 3" at the bottom would look about right.

Thanks.

[Todd Burch]

54" x 80" is a bordering on a conference table, not a dining table, IMHO.

Last table I built, that seats 8 comfortably, was (is) 34" x 90".

You didn't really indicate the style of the table. A rectangle top with tapered legs. The style will have an influence on the thickness of the top and the width of the apron.

If you will only seat 2 people on the 80" side, why not make it square @ 54"?

Todd

[Dave Novak]

54" x 80" is a bordering on a conference table, not a dining table, IMHO.

Last table I built, that seats 8 comfortably, was (is) 34" x 90".

You didn't really indicate the style of the table. A rectangle top with tapered legs. The style will have an influence on the thickness of the top and the width of the apron.

If you will only seat 2 people on the 80" side, why not make it square @ 54"?

Todd

I agree, it's a big, unconventional size. My thinking was that the 2 people on the 54" side would consume roughly 16" (depth of the place-setting) of the space available for the folks on the 80" side. 80" minus 32" = 48", which I assumed would be the minimum 2 people need. I'm also assuming that 80" is as long as I want the table to be, given that it will only leave 40" on each side for chairs and room to walk around it. I'm not arguing that I'm right, just sharing my thought process. And my initial design plan is a simple rectangle rounded at the corners, top roughly 1 1/2" thick, and 4 - 4" legs that taper on 2 sides down to about 3".

[Todd Burch]

I think 1.5" thick top is OK. That thick a top, at that size, and you'll need to grab 3 buddies to help you move it. 1.25" might be better. I would probably also put an edge treatment on the top that caused it to look thinner.

I think starting at 4" for the legs is good. I might go a little narrower at the base though, either 2.75" or 2.5", just to emphasize the taper, and make sure it doesn't border on looking blocky.

I try to start my leg tapers about 1/2" or 1" below the aprons. For this table, probably 1".

80" would indeed be the max length for your room.

Got any drawings done up yet? It's a great place to start!! Doesn't cost nuthin' to make changes at the drawing stage.

Here's your 54" x 80" top, showing a 22" x 48" area inside the "place setting area". Probably pretty generous. You could probably omit 10" off the 54" size. You would still have a clear foot for bowls, etc. in the middle of the table. And, a 16" place mat setting doesn't take up the full rectangle - glasses and dessert bowls and the like can adjust a bit to squeeze in.

SketchUpScreenSnapz045.png

When I made my 34" wide table, I considered everything you considered. I decided that for this table, the food bowls and all the other foo-foo stuff that might go on the table would have to stay in the kitchen, as I didn't leave any room for it on the table. So far, so good with that plan. I'm getting ready to start planning my next table. It will probably be 34" x 90" (8 people) or 108". (10 cozy people).

[Gene Davis]

I modeled it in your room space, and think you need a little more length. 88 might be better. Long axis of table is long axis of room. Inches matter.

Not much else is gonna go into this room.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I made one that was aprox 44" x 84". Seats 8 just fine.

The critical question on seating, for me, was: where are the table legs and stratchers? and where are the human legs? when seating 8. I had to work that out - resulted in some design changes for the table base.

[Gene Davis]

We want seating for eight, also, but have a narrower table in mind, with the more typical one at each end, three down each side. Our solution for the space is a trestle with self-storing leaves in the table, 44 x 78 closed, equalizer slides, two leaves each 18 wide. All closed up, the pedestal design allows two chairs to be tucked under all four edges as shown. The space between pedestals is a little more than 48 inches. To seat six, two chairs get put into corners somewhere else in the house, and table is not expanded for leaves.

The Sketchup model is up on the 3D Warehouse. Stickley Highlands trestle table. Photo attached.

With this setup, you will have some room on one or both of the room's long sides for sideboards or other pieces, and with the table's smaller footprint, there is more room around when chairs are all tucked and not in use.

[Wayne Collier]

Dave,

I made a 42" x 66" "Farm Table" last year from sinker cypress with an 18" extension that brings it to 84". Seats 8 with the extension. I had space constraints or would have made it 46" wide and 88" long. The legs are 3-1/2" tapered to 2-1/2" set 4" in at the corners. We had a table that was 54" wide and found that it was difficult to pass food across at times. If you can I would make it 88" long depending upon where the door(s) are.

[John Goodin]

Tablelegs.com has a brief but good page on table design. If you build it too wide it is difficult to pass the gravy at Thanksgiving. Also make sure you have enough room from the bottom of the apron to the floor to allow for aunt nelly's bight thighs. I am finishing up a 42 x 84 inch table to seat eight. Wish I had added about 4inches to make 88"

[Kent A Bathurst]

...........the pedestal design allows two chairs to be tucked under all four edges........

I had something generally comparable in mind, but that did not leave nearly enough leg room at the ends. So, I made the base shorter so the people on the ends could sit normally at the table.

[Dave Novak]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, ideas, and time. I've learned most everything I know about woodworking from you guys.

[Bill Clifton]

I think you should ask the boss about the size of tablecloths.

[Pat Barry]

I don't think I've EVER seen a table that wide. I think its going to be unique.

[Von Bickley]

We can seat 8 at our table and I recently measured it. It is 42 inches wide and 82 inches long. It has a 20 inch leaf that we have never removed.

[Howard Acheson]

Here is a slew in info on furniture standard measurements and seating space requirements.

http://woodbin.com/ref/index.htm