Building a Scaffold Board Table
Construction Methods
There are two main approaches to building a scaffold board table: "rustic" and "professional." The "rustic" method results in a table with visible planks and a slightly rough, rustic look, while the "professional" method creates a smooth, seamless surface with minimal or no visible joins.
Although we refer to the second method as "professional," both approaches are equally achievable for the average DIYer, provided you have access to the necessary tools.
Rustic Method
Tools Needed
Saw for cutting - a circular chop saw is ideal but a hand saw will work fine.
Sanding tools - an electric sander is best, but manual sanding block and paper will work fine too.
Drill with drill bits and a screw driver bit.
Wood screws - 50-60mm long
Step 1 - Prepare the boards
The first thing to do is get the boards clean and smooth. With the rustic method, this can be done as little or as much as you see fit. Steps can include:
Removing the end metal braces. Some builders do keep these on the finished table and some even remove them, sand the boards then replace afterwards to keep the look. This is totally up to you.
Cut each board to the desired length. This step can be done either before or after jointing, but we prefer before as it allows you to get in and sand all the ends properly.
Give the boards a good sand, remove any larger splinters (or glue them down) and remove any old nails etc.
Step 2 - Joint the boards
When building any table top, it is always best to join the boards prior to attaching the legs. This ensures that the top is structurally stiff in its own right and the legs only have one job to do.
In the rustic method, the simplest method is:
Cut 2 - 3 lengths of scaffold board that are 100mm less than the width of your table. These are your battens.
Lay the table top boards flat on the floor, with around a 5mm gap between them. You can use some spacers to ensure this remains consistent.
Lay the battens across the top boards and drill/screw them down in place. For a small table up to 150cm 2 x battens will be fine. For anything over 150cm 3 x battens will be more secure.
A minimum 5mm gap between boards is important with the rustic method. Too little gap can warp or crack the top if the boards expand.
We suggest using scaffold boards as battens because it is both easy and strong. You could however use some thinner material, such as 18mm plywood, which will add less height to the table top. We do not suggest going any thinner than 18mm plywood.
Step 3 - Attach legs
Full Width / Box Section Legs
For the rustic method, we suggest attaching legs that span the width of the table onto the battens that you installed to hold the planks together. This method ensures the strongest and simplest attachment method.
Corner Legs / Hairpin Legs
Legs that attach individually to the corners can be attached either to the battens, or directly to the scaffold boards.
Step 4 - Finish
The final step is to finish your top with wax, oil, paint or just leave it natural. More detail on this below.
Professional Method
With this method, we'll process the boards more thoroughly upfront to ensure they are uniform, with square edges and a much tighter fit. Keep in mind that wood expansion may need to be accounted for during the process.
Tools needed
Table saw, or circular saw / skill saw with a guide.
Electric and manual sanding tools
Surface planer (optional)
Drill with drill bits
Wood screws - 25 - 35mm long
Step 1 - Prepare the boards
Scaffold boards, especially reclaimed ones, often have rounded edges with imperfections like dinks, splinters, and voids. In the professional method, we’ll straighten and square these edges for a clean, uniform look.
Cut to Length: Cut all boards to the desired final length, taking care to choose the best sections of the boards where possible.
Trim One Edge: Using a table saw with a 90-degree guide, cut approximately 1 cm off one edge of each board. The exact amount to remove depends on how rounded or damaged the edges are. The goal is to achieve a clean, straight edge.
Repeat for All Boards: Process all your boards on the same edge first to maintain consistency.
Trim the Opposite Edge: Adjust the guide on the saw to a width of 200 mm and cut the opposite edge of each board. This will ensure all boards are precisely 200 mm wide with straight, square edges.
Your boards are now prepared and ready for the next step!
While a table saw is the best tool for the job, a circular saw with a guide can work equally well.
Step 2 - Join the boards
We call this the "professional" method, since this is how many of the professional furniture builders use scaffold boards for their products. As for joining the boards, there are differing opinions on what is best, so we will detail both methods here.
Option 1 - Glue and slotted brace
This results in a table top that is as good as a single sheet of wood, without any joins, splits or bumps of any kind.
(optional) Use a dowel tool or "festool domino" to add a mechanical jointing. While this step is optional and many builders do not go this far, it is the best way to join boards.
The clean, straight edges from step 1 are liberally coated with strong wood glue.
The boards are joined and then clamped together tightly with 3 - 6 full width clamps.
Allow to dry for 24 - 48 hours and remove the clamps.
Sand off any excess glue.
Fit slotted braces, usually made from a strip of steel, but wood can also work well.
Option 2 - No glue with slotted or non-slotted brace
This method is similar to Option 1 but skips the use of glue. Some builders also choose to omit the slotted holes in the brace.
The reasoning is that scaffold boards are typically air-dried to a moisture level of about 15–20%. Once bought indoors, they will stabilise at around 8–12%, meaning they can only shrink rather than expand.
The key downsides to this method are:
Small gaps may occur between the boards which were once tight, as the boards shrink in size.
Boards are not locked together vertically, so can warp and create ridges between the boards. It is possible to fit the dowel pins to prevent this, but in our opinion if you are going to go this far then gluing probably makes sense!
Wood expansion is a key consideration, especially with non-furniture-grade wood, and some furniture makers deem it unsuitable. We've seen countless successful projects using these methods and while not necessarily meeting fine furniture standards, they work well for durable home builds. Don’t let these concerns discourage you.
Step 3 - Sanding and/or Planing
In the professional method, sanding is done after jointing. With the single joined sheet from Step 2, you can sand or plane the surface completely flat and smooth. Tools like an orbital or belt sander will suffice for most projects, but a surface planer is ideal for achieving a perfectly flat finish.
Step 4 - Attach Legs
With the professional method, we recommend attaching the legs directly to the tabletop, which now functions as a single, solid sheet. Our legs are specifically designed to fit 200mm wide boards and feature slotted holes to accommodate wood expansion.
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