Advanced Project: Make a Set of Wooden Nesting Tables with Tapered Legs

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These nesting tables are a useful advanced woodworking project because they combine accurate layout, repeated parts, tapered legs, and a finish that must survive daily handling. The three tables share a design language but differ in size, so they slide beneath one another when not in use. Build them from the same species for a matched set, or use contrasting woods for a more deliberate look.

Project Overview

The dimensions below produce a practical living-room set. The largest table is tall enough to sit beside a chair, while the smaller tables can be pulled out for drinks, books, or a laptop. All dimensions are finished sizes.

Allow about 14 board feet of 4/4 hardwood for the tops and aprons, plus 12 linear feet of thicker stock for the legs. Maple, cherry, oak, and ash all work well. Pine is cheaper and easy to machine, but its soft edges dent quickly and wide tops are more likely to move seasonally. If you buy rough lumber, a benchtop thickness planer makes matching the parts far easier.

Materials and Tools

Use 3/4-inch stock for the tops and 3/4-inch stock for the aprons. Each top can be edge-glued from narrower boards, or made from one wide board if it is stable and properly acclimated. The aprons should be approximately 3 inches wide. Cut the long aprons 2 inches shorter than the top length and the short aprons 2 inches shorter than the top width; this leaves room for the legs at each corner.

You will need a table saw or track saw, miter saw, drill, clamps, router with a roundover bit, random-orbit sander, square, marking knife, and a reliable way to cut the tapers. A tapering jig is the safest choice on a table saw. A table saw tapering jig is inexpensive compared with replacing a leg or repairing a kickback-damaged board.

Prepare and Mark the Parts

Mill all four legs for each table to the same thickness and width before cutting their final lengths. Cut the large legs to 23 1/4 inches, the medium legs to 20 1/4 inches, and the small legs to 17 1/4 inches. The extra 1/4 inch allows you to trim the feet after assembly.

Cut the tops oversize by at least 1/2 inch in each direction. Glue up panels with the growth rings alternating where practical. Do not force a bowed board flat with clamps; that stress usually returns after the panel is cut. After the glue cures, flatten the panels, trim them to size, and mark the underside of each top with its table size.

Mark the inside face and outside face of every leg. This prevents accidentally cutting two left legs and no right legs. Good marking is not busywork here: reversed tapers are one of the most common causes of a set that looks uneven.

Cut the Tapered Legs

For a balanced appearance, taper two adjacent faces of each leg. Leave the upper 3 inches square so the apron has a full mounting surface. On the large legs, reduce each tapered face by 3/8 inch at the bottom. Reduce the medium legs by 5/16 inch and the small legs by 1/4 inch.

Make a full-size layout stick showing the top of the taper, bottom of the taper, and amount of reduction. Transfer those marks to every leg, then cut one test leg from scrap or one extra piece of stock. Check that the taper starts at the same height on all four legs before cutting the remaining parts.

Run each leg through the taper jig with the marked face against the jig fence. Make one shallow pass rather than trying to remove all the waste at once. Rotate the leg for the second face, keeping the same reference end against the jig. A hand plane or sanding block can remove saw marks, but do not round over the taper until the assembly is complete.

Build the Frames

Cut the aprons to length and drill pocket holes on the inside faces, or use loose tenons if you have that equipment. Pocket screws are quicker and perfectly adequate for occasional-use tables. A pocket-hole jig kit is the cheaper option for this project; traditional mortise-and-tenon joints are stronger, but they add setup time without much benefit if the aprons are well fitted.

Position each apron flush with the top of the legs, leaving the lower 3 inches of the leg exposed above the taper. Use a flat assembly surface and clamp each corner before driving screws. Check the frame diagonals. If they differ by more than 1/8 inch, push the longer diagonal toward square before tightening.

Attach the top with figure-eight fasteners or small metal tabletop clips. Do not glue the top directly to the aprons across the grain. Wood expands and contracts across its width, and a rigid attachment can split the top or pull the frame out of square. Space the fasteners about 8 inches apart.

Sand and Finish

Sand the tops through 180 grit, stopping at 150 grit if you plan to use a penetrating oil. Break the top edges with a 1/8-inch roundover or a light hand-sanded chamfer. Ease the leg and apron edges as well; sharp corners show damage immediately.

Before finishing, place the tables together and check the nesting clearance. Leave at least 1 inch of side-to-side clearance between tables and about 2 inches of height clearance. If the smaller table catches, identify the exact contact point rather than removing material randomly.

For a low-maintenance finish, apply three coats of wipe-on polyurethane, sanding lightly with 320 grit between coats. Oil is easier to repair and gives a warmer feel, but it offers less resistance to water rings. Water-based polyurethane dries faster and stays clearer on maple or ash, while oil-based polyurethane adds amber color and usually gives more working time.

Seasonal Shop Notes

Build and finish the tables in a shop near the humidity level where they will be used. In a heated winter shop, leave the boards indoors for at least a week before milling. Expect minor seasonal movement even after careful construction. Never use the tables as step stools, and add felt pads only after the finish has cured fully—usually several days, depending on the product and ventilation.