Natural Wood Table with IKEA Table Legs (2013)

I came across a long slab of natural solid wood and wasn’t sure what to do with it at first. Around the same time, I was asked to make a table that would fit perfectly in our kitchen space, so I finally decided to put the wood to use. I went to the hardware store, bought an electric sander I had been debating over for a while, sanded the surface smooth, and mounted the slab onto a set of IKEA table legs.

The IKEA legs were inexpensive — about 1,000 yen — but they couldn’t be fixed directly to the tabletop, so in the end I modified the legs, drilled my own screw holes, and fastened them securely with screws.

Postscript

Since many people seem to read this article, here’s a bit more detail. For this table, I cut the thick natural wood slab into two pieces and placed them side by side. Naturally, a small gap forms between the boards, so before attaching the legs, make sure that gap is properly aligned and supported.

Because the IKEA legs don’t come with pre-drilled screw holes on the underside, you must drill them yourself. The tabletop is heavy, and simply placing it on top is unsafe — be sure to secure it with screws. A drill or impact driver works fine, even with inexpensive bits from a 100-yen shop.

When driving the screws, it’s best — even if a bit troublesome — to clamp the two boards together from the side. If a gap remains, you can always fill it later with putty and adjust the color.

Finishing & Coating

1st finish: Oil stain (Kishira-Decor) wiped off → Clear lacquer
2nd finish: Electric sanding → Beeswax polish

The beeswax cream from Oyama Lumber is especially good — easy to use, natural, and pleasantly subtle in texture. Kishira-Decor stain smells strong at first, but it penetrates deeply and has a beautiful tone, so I often use the Walnut color even for interior wood.

To bring out the beauty of the wood, you really do need power tools — a sander like the RYOBI S-5000 is essential. Considering that buying a similar table would cost tens of thousands of yen, investing in the tool is worth it.

If you need to fill gaps, a two-part epoxy wood putty from Konishi works very well. Choose a color close to the material, or plan to paint afterward.

Safety Notes

Always vacuum wood dust while working.
Always wear a mask.