Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- The largest top passes the sag check.
- Tables: 22″ × 16″ × 24″ tall; 16 3/4″ × 14″ × 19 5/16″ tall.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2×2 furring, 8′ (board) | $8.00 |
| 1 | 1×4 pine board, 8′ (board) | $8.80 |
| 1 | 3/4″ birch plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $68.00 |
| 24 | 2″ L-bracket with screws (each) | $48.00 |
| 2 | Tabletop fasteners (figure-8) (pack of 10) | $14.00 |
| 1 | 5/8″ pan-head screws (slides, hinges) (box of 100) | $6.00 |
| 1 | Wood glue (bottle) | $5.00 |
| 1 | 3/4″ iron-on birch edge banding (25 ft roll) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Felt floor pads (pack) | $5.00 |
About $172 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Top, large | 1 | 22″ | 16″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| B | Leg, large | 4 | 23 5/16″ | 1 1/2″ | 2×2 furring |
| C | Side apron, large | 2 | 11 1/2″ | 3 1/2″ | 1×4 pine board |
| D | Back apron, large | 1 | 17 1/2″ | 3 1/2″ | 1×4 pine board |
| E | Top, small | 1 | 16 3/4″ | 14″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| F | Leg, small | 4 | 18 5/8″ | 1 1/2″ | 2×2 furring |
| G | Side apron, small | 2 | 9 1/2″ | 3 1/2″ | 1×4 pine board |
| H | Back apron, small | 1 | 12 1/4″ | 3 1/2″ | 1×4 pine board |
Cut list
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 1 of 1
2×2 furring, 96″ → B 23 5/16″ · B 23 5/16″ · B 23 5/16″ · B 23 5/16″
2×2 furring, 96″ → F 18 5/8″ · F 18 5/8″ · F 18 5/8″ · F 18 5/8″
1×4 pine board, 96″ → D 17 1/2″ · H 12 1/4″ · C 11 1/2″ · C 11 1/2″ · G 9 1/2″ · G 9 1/2″
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Have the store cut it
Most home centers rip sheets on their panel saw. Show them this; do the short crosscuts at home.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 16″, keep the rest.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Edge-band the tops
Check each top against the parts list: A 22″ × 16″, E 16 3/4″ × 14″.
Iron the edge banding onto all four edges of each top with a household iron on the cotton setting, no steam. Press it down with a block of wood while the glue cools.
Trim the overhanging banding with a sharp utility knife held flat against the face, then sand the edges lightly with 180 grit.
- Tip Do the two short edges first and the long edges last, so the long strips cover the ends of the short ones.
✓ No banding lifts when you run a fingernail along it, and the corners are not sharp.
4Build the side frames
Nesting tables need care with sizes, so check each part against the list. Each table has two side frames: a front leg and a back leg joined by a side apron. Pick your four straightest 2×2 legs for the largest table; furring strips are often bowed.
Glue the apron end to the leg, flush with the leg top, and screw 2 L-brackets inside the corner, one high and one low. Drill pilot holes for the bracket screws: a 2×2 splits easily.
Set each side apron 3/8″ in from the outside face of the legs, flush with the leg tops. The legs are 23 5/16″ (large), 18 5/8″ (small) long.
Build two frames for every table, one left and one right.
- Tip Drill a pilot hole for every screw within 2″ of a board end. Without it the board splits.
- Tip Put a scrap of wood under each clamp jaw so it doesn't dent the parts.
✓ Each frame lies flat on the floor without rocking, and its two diagonals match within 1/16″.
5Add the back aprons
Stand two side frames of the same table up, aprons facing in. Join the back legs with the back apron, the same way and at the same height, flush with the leg tops.
Leave the front open. No apron goes across the front: that is where the next table slides in.
- Tip Measure both diagonals of a frame corner to corner. When they match, the frame is square. If not, push the long diagonal's corners toward each other.
✓ Measure between the front legs of the large table: 17 1/2″. The next table's top is 16 3/4″ wide, so it passes with 3/8″ each side.
STOP. An open-front table racks more side to side than a closed one until its top is on. Do not lean on it or stand it on one leg before the top is fastened.6Attach the tops
Lay each top good face down on a blanket. Set its base upside down on it, 3/4″ in from every edge.
Drill a shallow recess in the top edge of each apron for a figure-8 fastener: two per side apron and two on the back. Screw each fastener to the apron, then into the top with 5/8″ screws.
Use only 5/8″ screws into the top. Anything longer comes out through the 3/4″ plywood.
- Tip Set a block of wood 3/4″ thick against each leg as a spacer. The base then lands in the same place on every top.
✓ Each top is centred on its base with the same overhang on every side.
7Test the nest
Stick a felt pad under every leg.
Slide each smaller table into the next from the front. Its top should pass under the larger table's aprons with about 1/2″ to spare, and between its front legs with 3/8″ each side.
If a table catches, check whether the floor is uneven before you sand anything: try it on a flat floor first.
✓ Every table slides all the way in and out without scraping, and stands without rocking when pulled out.
8Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Paint, stain or a clear coat (water-based polyurethane is the easiest). Apply thin coats with the grain, let each dry fully, and sand lightly with 220 grit between coats.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.