Picnic table plans, checked for a full table
Pick the length and wood, and Woodworker sizes the top boards, seats and A-frames, then checks the table with people on both benches and someone sitting on the very end.
Open the picnic table designerFree · no sign-up · works in your browser
How the design works
The table stands on two A-frames: splayed legs bolted beside a cleat under the top and a support under the seats, with diagonal braces from the seat supports to the middle of the top to stop it racking.
Starts at 1.8 m long (6 ft in US sizes), seating six. Change any size and everything else follows.
What Woodworker checks
- Top and seat boards bending between the frames
- Tipping when someone sits on the end of one bench
- Racking along the length, and the braces that stop it
- Bolts through the legs, cleats and seat supports
- Whether the wood lasts outdoors
When something isn’t strong or stable enough, it says why and offers a fix you can apply in one click, like a bigger section, an extra brace or a different joint.
What you can change
- Length, top width, table height and seat height
- Top board, seat board and frame sizes
- Braces on or off
- Weight of each person (Advanced)
What you get
- A cut list of every part, with sizes, wood and how many
- A shopping list of timber lengths or sheets, screws, bolts and hardware, with rough costs
- Assembly steps in build order, with the joints and fixings for each step
- Dimensioned front, side and top drawings, and a printable workshop sheet (PDF)
Tips
- Carriage bolts through the legs are stronger than screws and can be tightened as the wood dries.
- Round over the edges of the top and seats: it’s more comfortable and sheds water.
Questions
- Can kids’ or extra-long versions be made?
- Yes. Change the length and heights; the checks update as you go and suggest bigger boards or braces if needed.
- Is it really free?
- Yes. Woodworker is free, with no ads and no account. Designs are saved in your browser and never uploaded.
- How accurate are the checks?
- They use Eurocode 5 methods and common furniture test loads, as a guide for home-made projects, not certified engineering. Ask an engineer about anything large or anything people could be hurt by if it failed.
