Black Dining Tables

What type of wood should I use to make a dining room table and how should I brace it?

I'm making my own dining table and don't know what type of wood to use. It's going to be 8' by 3' with the legs being about 6' or 7' apart. What type of wood is the best to use that won't warp easily and how should i brace the underside of the table? Right now I'm leaning toward oak and bracing the bottom of the table with a 2 x 4 frame but have some doubts with that. Anyone have some tips or advice?

Public Comments

1. You should use MY wood ;D
2. Oak would be good, but there is lots of beautiful wood out there. Whatever wood you use make sure it is dry. Even a two by four sub-frame won't keep it from warping if it isn't. The sub-frame can be attached to the top and legs with with corner braces on the inside, and the legs can be secured to the top with bigger, decorative corner braces. Another, less expensive idea: I made a pretty table with a sheet of 1 1/8" plywood underlayment and a sheet of mahogany veneer. The edges were sanded round and stained to match the veneer. Legs were four by four pine sawed into hex shape and also stained to match the mahogany. All bare wood was then varnished. That table is starting on it's third generation of furniture abusing youngsters and is still as solid as when it was new.
3. it dose not sound like you have enough exp. to use a wood as valuable as oak, make your first project out of pine first, get some exp. before using oak it takes a few special Technics