Ana White X End Table – Great Looking End Table!

I decided I wanted new end tables for my living room as the two I have now are mismatched and a bit dinged up from years of use and a move.  So, I searched Pinterest and found the perfect table on Ana White’s website, the X End Table (there are also plans for a matching console table and coffee table, all gorgeous!).

This table was a pretty easy build,  except for the “X’ on each side, those were a little challenging and tricky.  This table was the fourth piece of furniture I have built, and the first table so I am still a fairly new woodworker.  But even though the “X” on each side of the table took several attempts to get them right, I was able to successfully build this table.

The plans for the frame, top, and bottom of the table were very straight forward and easy to build.  All straight cuts that I was able to do on a miter saw.  Most of the wood pieces to build the table are attached using a Kreg Jig and pocket hole screws, which makes the table super easy to assemble.  One recommendation I have though is to make sure the wood you use is completely dry.  Mine apparently wasn’t, and after I built the table, the top boards shrunk, leaving some small spaces between the boards.  I have been told that you can prevent this by using wood glue to glue the boards together and then clamping each end of the table top so even if the boards do shrink, they won’t separate.  Here’s a picture of the table prior to staining:

For the “X” sides of the table,  I originally tried making the cuts using the instructions and a speed square, but I found the boards were too long.  So, instead, I held up the boards where they are supposed to fit into the table, and marked the angles with a pencil, and then made the cuts.  That made it much easier and the boards fit almost perfectly (I did have to use some wood filler to fill a couple small gaps).

I originally planned on using tea, followed by a vinegar/steel wool solution to age the wood.  I created the vinegar and steel wool solution and then tested it on scrap samples from the table I built after different time periods and using coffee and tea (I’ll have another post on the testing I did).  When I found the solution I thought would work best and give me a nice brownish-grey color (used tea first, followed by a 48 hour vinegar/steel wool solution).  Instead of giving me the color I achieved on my test pieces with this solution, my table turned dark grey.  So, I got out my sander and tried to removed as much of the grey as possible.  I then used VarathaneVarathane Ash Stain to coat the table.

I then used three coats of Varathane Polyurethane Gloss finish on the table to protect the wood and give it a nice shine.

Here is a picture of the table while the polyurethane was drying:

 

Once the polyurethane dried, I added on the accent brackets and bolts that I had spray painted black with Rustoleum Gloss Black paint.  Here is the finished product: