Cherry 3-Plank Trestle Dining Table
One evening during an intense project this idea popped up. I quickly made a 5" tall model and got back to work--you can see the model in one of the photos.
Weeks later, wanting a nice project for an upcoming show, these lovely planks (from a single cherry tree) called "me, me!" from the other room; a dining table it was. It would make a nice coffee table too.
Our kitchen table is a trestle design I made 30 years ago, and this one incorporates improvements we have wished for along the way: the trestle is high enough that you don't bonk your shins, the slender ends let folks at the head of the table stretch out more easily, the surfaces are gently sculpted (with a spokeshave) for the pure pleasure of it, and the wood is way nicer.
The ends are constructed with stout mortise and tenon joinery, and the trestle is fastened with barrel nuts, a system that is ridiculously strong--the same way my huge workbench is made--and yet knocks down in seconds when you need to move it. Ready to go, from bagel to banquet!
Dimensions: Whatever you need: this one is about 6'-7" long, 40" wide, and 29" high.