Used scaffold boards are a great material to work with and you can produce great furniture with a contemporary modern feel. Just like this industrial rustic dining table and bench. Taking inspiration from the New York warehouse upcycling trend of the early 90s you too can make a piece of furniture that will last a century, whilst greatly reducing your environmental impact. A scaffold board table compliment so many interior design decors and is very much on trend right now.

Industrial rustic designs are very popular at the moment and fit nicely with the majority of home decor so why not try this yourself for a fraction of the price of a new dining table? With a few simple tools and a bit of patience, you can make your very own unique rustic industrial dining table.

Here is an example of the finished product that I’ll be describing in detail. It measures 180cm x 88cm and is 75cm tall. (Which is roughly the standard height of a dining table. They normally range between 74 and 76cm tall but I find 75cm to be the most comfortable for the whole family). The benches measure 180cm x 36cm and 45cm tall.

Materials list

• Used scaffold boards – (see below for sourcing boards)
• Steel legs
• No 20 biscuits (not the kind found in your kitchen)
• Wood glue
• Wood stain, varnish or oil

Tool list

• Table saw (optional)
• Circular saw (if no table saw)
• Biscuit jointer
• Electric plane (optional)
• Manual plane
• Sash clamps (4 x 900mm)
• F-clamps (4 x 200mm)
• Moisture meter
• Orbital sander (or two)
• Belt sander (optional)
• Orbital sander pads 60, 80, 120 and 240 grit
• Sanding foam pads 180 0r 240 grit
• Drill driver (and bits)
• Impact driver (optional)
• Dust extractor or vaccum
• Tape measure
• Set square or rafters square
• Pencil

Here are a few biscuit jointers. I tend to avoid the cheaper tools but if you’re just making the one dining set you should be ok.

Step-by-step build process for this scaffold board dining table

To start things off you’ll need to source your materials. You’ll need scaffold boards for the table and bench top whilst for the legs you’ll need some welding knowledge or know someone who can make these for you. I don’t make the legs myself but read on to see where you can find some.

Step 1. Sourcing materials

So where do you find used scaffold boards? Simple really, Scaffold companies normally have plenty of them, but the trouble is, not all of them want to sell as they can be reused for other purposes. The trick is finding a company that’s willing to sell a few. You can try ringing around some local scaffold companies to enquire if they are willing to sell you some or you might even get lucky and find that they might just give you some. Just keep trying.

If this fails here are few Ebay shops worth considering for collection / local delivery:

• Ebay shop – North Hire and Sales – Wigan
• Ebay shop – exvoguemodel – Wem, Shropshire or Liverpool
• Ebay shop – A.K. Scaffolding – Haverhill, Cambridge

You can also look on Facebook Marketplace and sites like Gumtree as there are always some listed on these sites. You’ll most likely end up paying about £10 for a 10ft used board. You’re going to need 4 boards for a table top and 2 boards for one bench.

I also found this great company based in Somerset which have dry boards and offer a range of services like sanding and cutting to size: https://thescaffshop.com/ They are a little more expensive but if you want to save a little time then it’s worth a go.

If you’d prefer to work with hardwood or another type of timber then try Wood Shop Direct as they will cut everything to size and deliver it to your door. Again, it’s more expensive but it takes away all the pain of sourcing, planning and cutting your timber. And it looks amazing.

Step 2. Scaffold board moisture levels

Important! Check your boards for moisture content. It’s important to ensure the boards you are using are dry enough to work with. High moisture content in wood will lead to cracking, twisting, cupping and bending boards when introduced to inside temperatures and humidity. The boards will slowly shrink in size when they dry out. If possible, use a moisture meter to measure the moisture content of a board before purchase. The ideal moisture level will be between 4 and 12%.

Anything higher than this and you’ll need to dry the boards before working with them. The best way to do this would be in a wood kiln, but most people won’t have one of these so the alternative is to dry them in your house. The best environment to do this would be in a house with the central heating on in a room with a dehumidifier running.

Keep testing the wood until the moister is down to the correct level. (4% – 12%)

Step 3. Steel industrial-style legs

If you have a little time to wait until your wood is dry, nows a good time to think about your steel legs. I buy mine from a local metal worker who currently makes metal bed frames for campervan conversions. Luckily I’m friends with him so he’s happy to make legs to my desired size. You can call around some local metalworkers but another great source of metal legs is Etsy Marketplace.

Try looking on sites like Etsy for some custom made legs.

You can also consider buying these from ebay. They are made in China and not quite as durable as the handmade ones on Etsy, but worth a try.

If you want your legs painted make sure you get them powder coated (as opposed to spray painted) as this is going to be the most durable finish. Expect to pay between £75 – £350 for a pair of table legs and £50 – £150 for a pair of bench legs.

Read my extensive guide on finding the right metal legs for your project.

Step 4. Cutting the scaffold boards

Now back to your wood. Normally the first action I take is to cut the boards to length. To do this I use my sliding mitre saw which I replaced the blade with a 80 tooth wood cutting blade. These blades are specifically designed for cross cutting wood with a clean finish.

The standard multi purpose blades that come with mitre saws will leave a very rough cut which will mean more sanding for you. Look at the difference a good blade makes.

If you’re investing in a new mitre saw for this project, ensure you have one with a cut depth of at least 230mm. Most scaffold boards will be about 225mm wide and about 37mm thick.

Step 5. The sanding process

This is normally the longest, most boring part of the build but be patient and the results will be worth it. As with most used scaffold boards there’s likely to be spilt build materials splattered all over them, if so, you can probably just scrape these off with a wallpaper scraper or chisel. Sanding can be completed before or after joining the boards.

Manual sanding will take a decade so invest in an orbital or belt sander for this part. A belt sander will speed things up greatly here. It’s best to start sanding with a 60 or 80 grit paper to clean the boards and remove most of the years of cement, plaster and other bits that might be stuck on the wood.

You can see above I’ve been using two different orbital sanders and a dust extraction unit to avoid breathing in dust particles. If you have a large workshop then you’ll probably use a woodwork dust extraction company to install and check the efficiency of a proper dust extraction system, but for a home setup like I have then this type of dust extractor is fine.

The boards don’t have to be perfectly cleaned down to bare wood as you’ll want to leave some of that rustic patina for that true industrial look.

Once this is complete, repeat the process with a 120 grit paper. You may need to manually remove splinters and splits during the sanding process. Ensure you sand edges to leave nice rounded corners. there will be a little more sanding later on but for now lets move onto the jointing process.

Step 6. How to join scaffold boards together

With the majority of the sanding out of the way it’s time to think about joining your boards. Or jointing as it’s called in the world of woodworking. To do this you should prepare the edges using a planer. It’s important that each edge is clean, smooth and straight as these edges will be glued together and form a seal between each board. You can use a manual plane for this but it’s much quicker with an electric one.

Starting with the table top, line 4 boards up against each other and check to see how clean the join is. You can make small adjustments with your planer to get the perfect join. It’s a good idea at this point to number your boards, or draw a triangle across the top to ensure you know which board goes where should they get mixed up. Once you’re happy with your table top boards it’s time to think about your bench boards.

Cutting the boards for the bench

The scaffold board bench will use the same boards but they are going to be too wide by joining two together. We want the bench top to be about 360mm wide, therefore each board needs to be ripped down to 180mm wide. To do this I use my trusty table saw.

It’s the quickest, easiest and most accurate way to do this, however, if you don’t have a table saw and don’t want to make the investment then you can use a circular saw.

Once complete, line the boards up to ensure a good fit together and plane/sand the edges if required.

Step 6. The joining process

For this part you’re going to need some large sash clamps, a biscuit jointer, some biscuits and some wood glue. Start by marking up your wood for the biscuit jointer. To do this I normally lay all the boards out flat and line them up neatly next to each other, then mark with a pencil 120mm in from each end where the boards join. Then another pencil mark half way down between each board.

The biscuit jointer is going to slice into the side of your wood and leave a perfectly sizes hole for a biscuit piece to insert into. It’s important to carry out this process accurately as it will ensure all your boards line up nicely together. If done correctly you’ll be left with a nice even and level surface table top. Biscuit joins don’t necessarily add any strength to the table top, its just for lining up the boards. Now line up the board with two sash clamps underneath and begin glueing. Apply an even layer of wood glue along the whole length of the first board. You can smooth this out using a lollypop stick or something similar.

Insert your biscuits and push into the next board. Repeat this process for the other 3 boards until you have all 4 lined up on the clamps. Slowly tighten the first to clamps until all the boards are close together. Do not over tighten at this point.

Now lay two thick pieces of wood at each end and tighten F-clamps to the boards to ensure the table top is nice and flat. Now attach two more clamps to the top middle of the tabletop and tighten as much as possible. To prevent the sides of the table from being damaged from the clamps I tend to insert some pieces of wood.

Now leave this table top to dry. Wood glue dries quite quickly but I tend to leave it for at least 12 hours before moving onto the next process. You’ll want to clean off any excess glue before it dries. Your rustic dining table and scaffold board bench are now starting to take shape.

Once you have two boards cut down for the scaffold board bench you can repeat the jointing process same per the above, except you will only use the two cut-down boards.

Step 7. Filling and sanding

A reclaimed wood scaffold board table will be more functional when the surface is smooth and flat. By filling the gaps, dents and cuts will a wood filler we can make the surface smooth, which makes it easier to clean and maintain.

Once dry you can now remove the clamps. Your table top should now be strong enough to flip over. If you’re going for a perfectly smooth finish on your table top then it’s worth filling any holes with some wood filler. Filler can be applied and smoothed over using a putty knife or scraper. Once the filler is dry you can sand down to a 120 grit like the rest of the wood.

You might not always find the perfect colour match filler but this is fine and adds to the character of the piece.

Supporting the 4 boards might now be required with a strip of wood underneath at each end. I normally use the off-cuts from the bench and cut at a 50 degree angle which span from side to side. This isn’t always necessary but can add a bit of strength to your table top.

A final round of sanding with a 240 grit is now advised. This will give a super smooth finish to your table top and prepare for a stain and oil to be applied.

Step 8. Finishing your rustic scaffold board table and bench

I tend to use either a Ronseal interior varnish stain or Osmo oil tints to colour and protect my scaffold board table and and benches. The Osmo oil tends to provide a slightly stronger finish to the table but it’s up to you. Both work well. You’ll need to apply 2 – 3 coats to finish off the table and bench. I use a standard 40-50mm paint brush to apply the stain. Always follow the grain of the wood when applying the stain. Allow about 2 hours between coats or check the manufactures guidelines. The pictured tables in this post are all using the Ronseal Interior Varnish in a French Oak colour.

Finally rub down with a fine grit sanding foam block between each layer for a super smooth finish. I don’t tend to apply varnish or oil to the bottom of my tables as it lets the wood breath and will help minimise movement in the boards.

Now it’s time to fit the legs to the scaffold board table top. This should be straight forwards by simply lining up your desired location and screwing in with a drill-driver or impact driver. To choose your leg location you will need to consider the width of your chairs and if you wish to seat people at either end. To allow enough leg room at either end of the table I tend to mount the legs about 28cm in.

So that’s pretty much it. You can see how easy it is to make a beautiful functioning table thats eco friendly and long lasting.

If you’re looking for a less rustic finish on your dining table then you could consider using a different type of wood. For example, I have also made amazing dining tables and desks from American white oak and walnut. The finish is cleaner as they are made from hardwood, and will be much more durable than a scaffold board table. Here are a couple of my projects.

I’ve recently collected some Iroko wood from Wood Shop Direct for my next project. Using this company has helped me simplify the build massively as they cut everything to size. This takes away a lot of time and effort from me so I can stay focused on the build and overall design. Stay tuned for this exciting new garden sofa build. (Coming April 2023)

Save money on your scaffold board table project

My wife and I have been using Topcashback now for a few years and have generated over £2200 on all our everyday spending. I’ve generated about £950 on my own projects and work costs so it’s worth taking a look. We both installed the Topcashback web browser which notifies us when we go onto an eligible site so we never miss a cashback offer.

Here’s a screen shot of my savings to date:

If you have any questions or want to leave a comment about this rustic dining table please do so below.

If making your own dining table just isn’t right for you then try one of my favourites on Etsy.

Here are a couple more of my favourite scaffold board projects similar to the industrial rustic dining table.

Did you like this scaffold board table? Have you tried making your own? Feel free to leave a comment below on your own experiences and open up a conversation with me.

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