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Kristi Linauer’s chevron wood tabletop project starts with a new MDF base and angled wood pieces glued and nailed into a repeating point pattern. In Part 1, published on Addicted 2 Decorating on August 30, 2012, she documents the build through trimming the edges, filling the joints and preparing to sand; the painted finish is left for the follow-up.
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What did Part 1 of the chevron tabletop project cover?
Linauer wanted to replace the top of a breakfast-area table while keeping its thrift-store base. She says the old top consisted of two layers of MDF with thin plywood and had a damaged corner and bubbled polyurethane. She estimated that it weighed “at least 70 pounds”; that is her estimate, not a measured product specification.
For the replacement, she chose a chevron layout after seeing a herringbone tabletop. She preferred a more colorful, playful look for her home. The resulting project is a layered construction: a cut-to-size MDF panel supports angled wood pieces arranged in rows. Part 1 follows the work only to the point of filling the joints and preparing to sand. It is not the finished-table reveal. Read Linauer’s original project account for her full sequence and photographs.
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That scope matters when interpreting the post: it records one maker’s process and design decision, rather than offering a complete plan for every table. The existing base was retained, but the account does not give its dimensions or describe how the new top was attached to it. Nor does it provide a finished weight or a performance review of the replacement. The old top’s estimated weight is background to why she wanted a new surface, not a specification for the new one.
How did she lay out and assemble the chevron top?
The central challenge in the reported process is getting a straight first row and repeating the angled cuts consistently. Linauer’s sequence moves from the MDF foundation to the pattern, then to trimming and surface preparation.
- Cut the MDF panel. Linauer cut a panel to her desired tabletop size with a circular saw and marked its centerline. The post does not give the panel’s dimensions or a template for sizing it to a particular table base.
- Set up repeated angled cuts. She set the miter saw to 45 degrees and used a clamp at the end as a stop, so pieces could be cut to the same length. In her words, “Next I set up my miter saw at a 45-degree angle, and then I put a clamp on the end to use as my ‘stop’ for the wood.” The post gives the angle and the purpose of the stop, but not its exact position or a cut list.
- Arrange the pieces before fastening. She laid the angled pieces into chevron rows, leaving the outer pieces overhanging the panel so they could be trimmed later. She kept pieces from the same board on one zigzag line to create a more cohesive grain pattern. That is a layout choice described by the author, not a requirement for making the pattern.
- Attach the rows to the MDF. Linauer lightly sanded the cut pieces, then used wood glue and a brad nailer to attach them. On the first row, she checked that the pieces were at 90 degrees with a framing square. She stresses the importance of getting that starting row straight because later rows depend on it fitting closely.
- Trim the perimeter. After assembling the surface, she used a circular saw to straighten its edges. The overhang left during layout gave her material to cut back to a clean outline.
- Fill and prepare the surface. She filled the joints with wood filler and then planned to sand with an electric sander. The installment stops at this preparation stage, before the final finish is applied.
The first-row check is the most consequential alignment detail in the account: the square establishes a reference for the pattern, while the stop helps repeat the cuts. Those are two different jobs. The 45-degree setting defines the angled ends; it does not, by itself, establish the placement of the row on the panel.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe sequence also explains why the perimeter is not treated as final during the initial layout. Linauer intentionally left the edge pieces long, assembled the pattern over the panel, and then straightened the outside with a circular saw. In this documented build, the final edge follows the assembled pattern rather than requiring every angled piece to be cut to the exact finished boundary in advance. The post does not specify a particular edging method or a separate border.
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Likewise, the repeatable stop and the centerline serve different purposes in the account. The centerline marks the panel’s middle as a layout reference; the clamp stop helps make pieces the same length. Linauer does not publish measurements for either the stop position or the rows, so these details explain the method she used without giving a dimensioned plan another builder can copy directly.
Why use a chevron pattern instead of herringbone?
In a chevron, the angled ends meet in a continuous point or zigzag; in herringbone, the ends are offset. These are visual distinctions, not a durability comparison. Linauer’s post does not claim that one pattern is stronger or easier to maintain. She describes her choice as an aesthetic one: although a herringbone tabletop caught her attention, she wanted the more colorful, playful effect she associated with chevron in her home.
Keeping pieces from the same board on the same zigzag line was her way of making the grain look more cohesive. Readers who prefer a more varied appearance could make a different visual choice, but the post does not document alternate layouts or compare their results.
That grain decision is a useful detail for understanding the finished pattern’s intended look. The chevron is not only a repeated geometry; the wood’s visual grain is grouped by line in Linauer’s arrangement. Her account presents that as a design preference rather than a structural requirement. It also does not identify a lumber species or say how the grain would look with a different kind of board, so the photographs and the author’s description should not be turned into a species recommendation.
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What materials and measurements does the post actually specify?
The documented materials and tools are an MDF panel, wood pieces, wood glue, a brad nailer, wood filler, a circular saw, a miter saw, a clamp used as a stop, a framing square and an electric sander. The post specifies a 45-degree saw setting for the angled cuts and a 90-degree check for the first row.
It does not provide the tabletop’s exact dimensions, the wood species, board dimensions, lumber quantity, a complete cut list or the exact placement of the clamp stop. A commenter guesses that the boards look like 2×4 pine and asks how many were used, but that comment does not confirm either the species or size. Those details should not be inferred from the photographs or presented as specifications for this build.
That missing information affects both planning and purchasing. The account names the categories of materials and tools, but it does not state how much MDF, lumber, glue or filler was used, or what any of them cost. There is therefore no reliable project budget or shopping list to extract from Part 1. The 45-degree setting and 90-degree check are the only specific build angles supplied; they do not reveal board width, piece length, row count or the amount of material needed for a different-sized top.
Linauer also explains why she did not pre-stain the individual pieces: filling the joints and sanding came after assembly. Her account supports that reasoning for this sequence; it does not provide a general finishing rule for other projects or explain how a different finish schedule would perform. Since this installment ends before the finish is applied, it cannot establish the final color, protective coating, maintenance needs or durability of the completed tabletop.
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For the same reason, the post should not be treated as a full set of safety or construction instructions. It reports the tools and operations Linauer used, but does not provide a safety procedure, fastening specifications, or instructions for adapting the top to a particular base. Those gaps are especially relevant if a reader is trying to move from inspiration to a build plan: the source gives the order of operations and the broad method, but leaves project-specific dimensions and requirements open.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where does the project stop, and what comes next?
Part 1 ends with the joints filled and the top ready for sanding. It does not show a completed finish or provide a finished-table evaluation. The post links to a follow-up titled “DIY: Chevron Wood Table Top With Distressed Painted Finish,” so the next installment is identified as the place where the painted treatment continues.
The original post is dated August 30, 2012; the page also displays December 25, 2015. These dates belong to the source page and do not change the scope of what Part 1 documents. The steps above are Linauer’s reported process, not independently tested instructions. Because the installment omits dimensions, quantities and a full cut plan, it is best read as a project account and sequence overview rather than a complete build specification.
Linauer’s reasoning about stain fits that stopping point: she did not stain the individual pieces before assembly because the joints would be filled and the surface sanded afterward. The reader can follow that order in her account, but the next-stage finish belongs to the linked follow-up, not this installment. Part 1 alone answers how the basic patterned surface was assembled and prepared; it does not answer how the final painted finish was produced or how the finished table held up.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the post say exactly where to put the clamp used as a stop?
No. Linauer says she clamped a stop at the end to repeat cuts, but does not give a distance or measurement for positioning it. The post therefore does not provide enough information to reproduce a specific piece length from that detail alone.
Does the old tabletop’s estimated weight describe the new one?
No. The “at least 70 pounds” figure is Linauer’s estimate for the damaged tabletop she removed. Part 1 gives no weight for the replacement.
Does the 2015 date mean the project was first published then?
The source identifies the post as published August 30, 2012, and also displays December 25, 2015. The page does not explain the later displayed date, so it should not be treated as the original publication date.
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Part 1 does not state the wood species, board dimensions or lumber quantity. A commenter suggests the boards look like 2×4 pine, but that is a guess in a question, not a confirmed material specification.
How much did the tabletop project cost?
The post does not give prices, a budget or quantities for the materials. It names the types of supplies and tools used, but there is not enough information to calculate the project cost.
The Bottom Line
Part 1 documents Linauer’s MDF-backed chevron surface from repeated 45-degree cuts through glue-and-brad assembly, edge trimming and joint filling. It is a useful sequence overview, but not a complete cut plan: board sizes, quantities, costs, attachment details and the finished result are not supplied.
Quick Recap
