DIY PALLET WOOD HERRINGBONE TABLE TOP

We recently built a gazebo in our garden. The whole point was to create a sheltered seating area where we can sit out even during rain. We live in the UK so there’s no shortage of that!

For inside the gazebo, I wanted to build a large table on the cheap because new large wooden outdoor tables cost A LOT. Completely coincidentally, I spotted a £10 solid wood table frame on eBay. I decided that I could fiddle around with pallet wood to make a top for it.

Sometime later, the frame and pallet wood turned into this awesome herringbone dining table! It’s big, rustic and best of all uses that £10 eBay table frame and free pallet wood. What’s not to love? Keep reading to find out how I made it and how you can make your own.

THE PLAN

I LOVE this herringbone pattern on a tabletop. Other DIY herringbone tables I’ve seen use really big planks and end up with a chunky pattern but I like this smaller, more delicate version. What exactly is a herringbone pattern you say? Here is an illustration of how the planks of wood fit together to form this very specific design:

If you’re thinking of making a herringbone tabletop yourself, you don’t have to use pallet wood. You can use new wood from a DIY store, such as this, which would make the process a lot easier. If you do want to use pallet wood but have no idea where you can get it from here in the UK, check out this post for some tips.

MATERIALS & TOOLS REQUIRED

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STEP 0: A LITTLE PREP WORK

These instructions are for making a tabletop, not a table frame. I attached my top to a cheap second hand frame I found on eBay. If you’re also starting with a frame, cut your plywood sheet down to size and attach it by screwing it down.

If you have a full wood table and you want to turn the top into a herringbone tabletop, just use the existing wood top as a base.

The easiest thing to do if you don’t have a frame yet is to get a second hand one. eBay is great for finding local treasures sold for pennies but you can also look on Gumtree, Shpock or even browse your local Facebook ads and charity shops to find a great bargain.

You can also make a DIY frame to go with your top. I don’t have any instructions for this just yet but some great ideas are floating about on the web that you can use – just google ‘DIY wood table frame’.

If you’re buying the wood for your herringbone table top, click here to skip past all the pallet wood specific prep steps.

STEP 1: PREPPING PALLET WOOD WIDTH

So if you’re reading this bit then you’ve decided to use pallet wood which is awesome! I LOVE the rustic effect you get from nail holes and other marks found on pallet wood. It is a right pain in the butt to prepare though so be ready to work hard and question your existence multiple times throughout the project!

A table saw is essential for getting the width identical as pallets tend to be made of differently sized wood planks. I used 60mm as my final width because all of my planks were wider than that. If you don’t have a table saw, you can use a planer or a really good sander but a saw makes the process so much easier.

The first step is to get one edge of your planks straight. I set my table saw guide to 10mm and ran one edge of each plank through it, basically just skimming the roughness off the edge.

Next, I set the saw guide to my final plank width and passed the planks through cutting the other edge. If you’re following along, both plank edges should have been cut down at this stage and the planks should be the right width.

STEP 2: PREPPING PALLET WOOD THICKNESS

Now for the thickness. If you have a planer thicknesser, use it to make all your planks the same thickness. I just set the guide to 10mm and passed the planks through sideways. This was the messiest bit and really not fun.

Using the saw for this worked well enough but every few planks I found that my guide had moved slightly and needed re-adjusting. This did result in some planks being slightly thicker than others which created extra work later on. Classic case of skimping on quality tools, eh!

STEP 3: PREPPING PALLET/ NEW WOOD LENGTH

Firstly, hello to all those who are making the table top out of new wood! You managed to skip the most pain in the butt prep work.

Now let us get to work – you don’t need to do this first bit so skip ahead to the second video.

Pallet users – you’ll find that your planks have real ugly ends that need removing before you can cut them down to the length you want. I went through and marked the bit to cut off on one end of all planks. This was probably around 2-5cm off the end of each plank. I then lifted the shield on my table saw and free-hand cut the edges I marked off.

From here on now, these instructions are for everyone.

You need to calculate the plank length you need. A quick browse of herringbone wall tiles helped me figure out that my favourite ratio of width to length is 1:4 i.e. my length needs to be 4 times longer than my width – 24cm. If you’re following along with 60mm width, then feel free to use the same length. For other widths, multiply it by 4 to get the length. If you’re using the 69mm wide wood linked above, you will want 27.6cm for your length (can round to 28cm).

I set my saw guide to 24cm (set yours to whatever your calculated length was) and passed the planks through horizontally. Sorry guys, I suffered a case of dead phone battery so this footage wasn’t recorded.

STEP 4: PREPPING TABLE TOP AND EDGE BORDERS

Now you need to prep some planks for a border on the top and along the edge of the table. This hides the plywood edge, makes the top look thicker and frames the main herringbone pattern.

For the top edging, I used pallet planks cut down to 40mm width and 10mm thickness. You can use any width you like but the thickness should match your cut planks (these are a good choice if you’re using 70mm shop wood).

For the side edging, I used shop bought 44mm x 18mm planks as I wanted neater edges but you can cut down some pallets for this too.

At this stage, you just need to have your planks cut to the required thickness and width, leave the length for now.

STEP 5: ASSEMBLY

This is the most fun bit of the whole process!

Firstly, you need a line down the centre of the table top, in the direction of your pattern. This is to make sure that the pattern runs straight.

A) ATTACHING THE TABLE TOP BORDER

Now you need to attach the first top border to the edge from which you’re starting to build the pattern. I found that the easiest way to do this is to:

• Cut one end of your top border planks to a 45-degree angle using the handsaw and mitre block
• Lay this plank so that the cut corner lays in its final place
• Is the plank long enough to cover the whole side?
  • yes: great, mark the spot where the plank meets the edge of the table and cut another 45-degree angle
  • no: a join is needed. Mark the spot where your plank reaches roughly half of the table edge length. Cut a 45-degree angle on this spot but lay the plank in the mitre saw sideways. When the cut is done it should look like a straight line from the top but angled from the side. Make the same type of cut on one end of another plank. Match up the two cuts and mark the uncut edge of the second plank where it meets the edge of the table. Cut a 45-degree angle here
• Glue the first edge down and lay a couple of weights on it

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B) ASSEMBLING THE HERRINGBONE PATTERN

Now you can start assembling the main pattern. I started by arranging the first 2 pieces so that the center line runs from the left top corner of the left plank to the triangle created by laying the planks in the herringbone pattern.

I glued these down and used them as a guide for the rest of the pattern.

After this, I kept adding planks to the bottom, left and right until all the space is filled in. When doing this, make sure there is enough space left for the border. Freshly glued planks need to be held down for at least 30 mins but check instructions on the glue you’re using.

The other tabletop borders can be added at the end but I added them as I got close to each edge. Follow the steps outlined above when you’re ready to add them.

Now all the gaps between the borders and the main herringbone pattern need filling in. I found that the easiest way to do this was to lay a plank in its place and mark where it overhangs the border. Then make the cut – I used my handsaw but you can use your table saw if you prefer.

The final step in assembly is to attach the side edging. I attached my planks with 45-degree cuts at the corners to try and match the top border. They were also long enough to cover the whole side without the need to join planks. When you’re cutting the angles make sure that you’re laying the plank the correct way – it needs to lay with the width against the side of the mitre i.e. sideways. To attach, I used glue and screws. I didn’t mind that the screws would be visible as it adds to the rustic effect. If you prefer to hide them, countersink and fill with wood filler before staining.

STEP 6: FINISHING THE JOINS

This was where my moving table saw guide was an issue – it made my planks quite different in thickness. To fix this, I had to use an electric planer to take off any high bits. If you have the same problem, you’ll need to do the same – sandpaper just won’t cut it. You can use a hand plane and a bit of dedication though, no need for the fancy stuff.

Once the planing is done or if you didn’t need to do it, it’s time to sand.

I gave it a sand using a rough grit and then a second sand using a finer grit. Keep feeling the wood with your hand to see how smooth it is. You’ll know when it feels just right. An electric sander makes this sooo much easier!

If you’re anything like me then you’ve probably got a few gaps in a couple of places on your joins. That’s ok and all part of learning the craft but they do need hiding. I used some filler to fill mine and left it to dry overnight. If you’re wondering whether you need to run out and buy wood filler for this or if any old crap in your cupboard will do, you may find this post useful.

Once the filler is dry give it one more sand all over to make sure it blends in.

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STEP 7: PAINTING AND STAINING

Feel free to get creative at this stage!

My table frame has been varnished before but I wanted a creamy colour here and a natural wood stain on the top. I decided to use the Cuprinol Garden Shades in ‘Country Cream’ for the frame and Ronseal Natural Oak Satin Wood stain for the top.

My frame needed a good sand as it was previously varnished to make sure that the paint would stick. I also gave it a wash using sugar soap as it was quite grimy in places but this isn’t necessary. If your frame has had any sort of finish applied to it, then give it a sand before painting. If your frame had been finished with oil, you will need to use a chemical paint stripper to get that off before re-painting. I did 3 coats on the frame in all, sanding after the 3rd coat. I sanded extra hard on the edges to give the paint that worn-out effect.

For my newly made herringbone table top, I used a total of 4 coats of stain, with a light hand sand using grit 180 between each coat. This made the top shiny and very smooth to the touch.

THE RESULT

I’m really pleased with how it turned out overall. The pain of prepping pallet wood was for sure worth the effort!

If you agree, pop a comment below or share on your socials. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the project.

If you’re thinking about doing a project like this, make sure to check out my top tips below the complete pictures!

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Project Top Tips

1. The key to success is getting your herringbone pieces as identical as possible
2. Use high quality wood filler to avoid cracking when correcting any large gaps
3. For the framing pieces, they look best without joins. Buy longer pieces of wood if you can