Build A Hall Table
… and learn how to work efficiently with basic hand tools,
so you can build with pace and precision.
Watch the videos, follow the PDF plans, & build your own traditional table.
All while you learn to
Master Your Hand Tools
Watch the intro below
Starting a new project is a big commitment.
It’s not just the material costs or making sure that you have all the tools needed.
If you’re anything like me, a bigger concern will be ‘can I stay excited about this piece to see me through to the end?’…
…Because building a traditional table is never going to be a one day build.
The key to completing a larger project is momentum.
There’s an excitement at the start of any build, and you need to carry that energy through.
And building with pace, by hand, is incredibly rewarding.
I don’t mean frantically flying around hogging off shavings, pretending it’s easy to keep up with machines.
I’m too lazy for that.
Throughout this Video Series, you’ll get an understanding of why I’m always banging on that I believe…
‘Hand Tools are The Most Efficient Way For An Individual To Build.’
It’s about thinking our way out of the hard work.
And making use of practical shortcuts that simply won’t work on a machine.
It’s still not a one day build (you’d need pocket holes for that),
but you’ll learn the approach to build efficiently by hand without sacrificing strength, or precision.
I’m loving this series, the little shortcuts and knowing what’s important to refine and what not to is brilliant…
– Michael B
About This Series
Step by Step Instruction
We take great pride in breaking things down & explaining the details.
After all, complicated is just a bunch of simple stuff that’s been described too quickly.
PDF Plans
Download the cutting list & plans in either metric or imperial.
We include details for the joinery along with the marking guides used.
An Emphasis On Short Cuts
Our approach to efficient hand tool use may seem a little alien at first.
So we’ve made a point to emphasise this throughout to help you understand the concepts.
Entertaining
Learning should be enjoyable, so we produce our videos to a high level of production. They’re more like your favourite box set than a lecture.
Build Your Own Traditional
Hall Table
ONE TIME FEE
Only £35.00
Lifetime access to the full series (12 online Chapters + PDF plans)
As a not entirely new to woodworking hobbyist I really like Richard and Helen’s refreshing approach…
No nonsense, hand tool pragmatic, simple but beautiful and useful furniture, made not entirely out of hard to get exotic lumber, but with pine with the occasional knot.
Inspiring & fun!
– Jerker K
Build A Hall Table Video Series
The Full Details
Immediate Access | Watch Online | Stream & Download.
Over 6 1/2 hours of detailed video instruction.
Chapter One: Band Sawing The Legs
40 mins.
We start out by prepping our legs from rough boards.
This includes adding the tapers at this early stage.
The bandsaw is entirely optional, but gives us more flexibility in sourcing timber, as we can quickly rip the sections needed.
Chapter Two: Completing The Prep
46 mins.
We finish up the prep for the base.
A hand tool only method is used for the final two legs.
Our aprons are then planed up quickly, through an understanding of only doing what’s necessary.
Build Your Own Traditional
Hall Table
ONE TIME FEE
Only £35.00 (approx. $49.00)
Lifetime access to the full series (12 online Chapters + PDF plans)
Chapter Three: The Mortices
36 mins.
We build a nifty guide, to mark & cut perfect mortices.
The mortice & tenon is a staple joint.
So we’re going through the process in detail so they can be cut straight, quickly & confidently (despite the angle).
Chapter Four: The Tenons – Pt 1.
53 mins.
We’re creating nice crisp tenon shoulders straight off the saw.
A quick guide & a cheap hard point saw are all we need for cutting perfect tenons quickly.
After splitting off the cheeks we learn to fettle the perfect fit.
Chapter Five: The Tenons – Pt 2.
26 mins.
We complete the tenons by cutting the haunches.
These are twin mortices & tenons, so now we mark out & cut the hanuches, before fitting each tenon to its matching mortice.
Chapter Six: Drawboring & Pegs
21 mins.
We’re making some proper pegs & drawboring our joints.
Pegs are used to reinforce the joinery, and we use the method of drawboring to pull everything up nice and tight.
Chapter Seven: Drawer Runners & Buttons
30 mins.
We make a start on our drawer installation.
Our design uses a simplified yet dependable approach for fitting a drawer. The first step is to install a couple of runners.
We then make the buttons that will attach the top.
Chapter Eight: Drawer Cut Out & Glue Up
21 mins.
We’re now ready to glue up our base.
Cutting out the drawer opening is the final job, before we can get our base cleaned up & glued together.
Chapter Nine: Gluing Up The Top
24 mins.
We’re jointing the boards & gluing up for the top.
The boards for the top receive minimal prepping before the glue up. A tactical approach here, reduces the planning needed later as well.
Chapter Ten: Building The Drawer
35 mins.
We’re dovetailing our drawer.
Dovetails (both through & half blind) are an impressive joint.
But when it comes to an impressive drawer, the real key is achieving a beautiful sliding fit. Both are covered here.
Chapter Eleven: Drawer Fitting & The Top
36 mins.
Our top’s out of the clamps & ready to flatten & smooth.
Your hand plane is incredibly versatile. We’re using this one tool to take our top panel from a rough & jagged board to a flat, thicknessed & beautifully smoothed surface.
Chapter Twelve: Finishing Up
30 mins.
The build is complete & we’re ready for the final tweaks.
A handful of snagging jobs see us through to the end of the build, then we prepare the table and apply the finish.
Build Your Own Traditional
Hall Table
ONE TIME FEE
Only £35.00
Lifetime access to the full series (12 online Chapters + PDF plans)
Fantastic insight in to what efficient hand tool woodworking is.
I appreciate the teaching of hand plane prep work and what really matters to the final piece.
This knowledge has increased my prep work ten fold.
– David O