We’ve long advocated that custom shops should do what they do best and outsource the rest. A new outsourcing option from TableLegs.com allows shops to outsource strong, ready-to-assemble table bases in a wide variety of solid wood species and styles.

Designed by Matthew Burak, the Easy Base system from TableLegs.com features precision-machined legs and aprons with specially designed corner blocks. Threaded inserts anchor heavy-duty, anodized screws to pull the assembly together for a strong, tight fit.

Each table base kit comes with machined legs, aprons (predrilled with pocket holes for the top), corner blocks, anodized assembly screws, and an Allen wrench, the only tool needed. There are also pocket screws for attaching your top.

What’s in the kit?

Each table base package comes as a kit with four legs, four aprons, four corner blocks, and eight screws with washers to screw into the legs. There’s also a pack of pocket screws to put on your tabletop and an Allen wrench to tighten the leg screws. Clear, simple instructions show how it’s done.

We assembled a sample kit in maple in less than five minutes. If you figure another five minutes for screwing in the top, the TableLegs.com promise of a table in less than 10 minutes is quite realistic. The patent-pending design of the joinery helps snug everything up tight and square.

The Easy Base system from TableLegs.com results in a solid table base that you can assemble in about five minutes.

Why outsource?

At this point, some shop owners are likely saying that this sounds like Ikea and not custom woodworking. Think about the opportunities. You can invest your time and money to source highly-figured or unusual wood to make a spectacular top, which is what people really pay attention to, rather than spending so much time on legs and aprons, which mostly get ignored.

You can widen your audience to include customers out of your area since the table base takes down for shipping just as easily as it assembles. TableLegs.com also offers wide-board tops to match every base, unfinished or finished, in lengths up to 120 inches in cherry, hard and soft maple, mahogany, walnut, red and white oak. Or maybe you have some one-of-a-kind live-edge slabs looking for a suitable base.

Maybe you make cabinets, not furniture, but someone has requested a table-style vanity or a farm table to serve as a kitchen island. Now you can oblige them and make a profit, too. For more information, visit TableLegs.com.