Just a few comments. (And I have built a dining room table, with full use of a school woodshop.) Not to discourage you, but just cutting, gluing, screwing, may not product a piece that you'll be happy with. I do applaud your willingness to try, though. The size seems huge to me, hope your dining room is large! Take a look at some tables in store displays, check measurements, etc. Also check on standard heights, I think 25" is too low. The top will be pricy in any event. You can't buy a piece that size, practically speaking, unless it's plywood. Solid strips, glued together, will be expensive in any wood except pine. An alternative would be plywood (maximum width 4' but that's probably wide enough), edged with solid wood. You can get very nice veneered plywood, if you shop around. Getting good tight joints will be tricky without the use of equipment such as a joiner. 4 x 4 plain legs will be very cluncky in my opinion. You might want to try to find a lumberyard or shop that does millwork, maybe work with them on a simple design, and have them cut and mill some or most of the pieces for you. Go to a bookstore or library and find a book with a simple design for do-it-yourself, that appeals to you. Good luck, Steve

No.

Making a tabletop out of several pieces of wood fastened together requires clamps and cauls---clamps to get the boards together tightly and cauls to make sure those boards are all even and flat. It also requires a bit of knowlege and skill in positioning the boards----alternating grain direction for pattern and strength.

The table top has to be fastened to the skirt to allow for movement also. Breadboard ends are more than decorative, they help prevent splitting of the ends of the boards.

You could glue and screw boards together and make a table like you proposed, but it will not stay together and will split in a lot of places, leaving you with a very expensive pile of splitting lumber shaped like a table.

There is a way of making a simple rustic table that would be right at home in a one room log cabin setting. Ash is a moderatly dense wood that is fairly inexpensive. It is an open grained wood---often substituted for more expensive oak---however. It stains much more easily and more evenly than soft maple, which is the other wood close in price.

Using 1/2" thick stock, layout the boards for pattern and size---then turn all the boards upside down, keeping the layout as done.

Cut---(have the lumberyard cut) a piece of 3/4" BC plywood about 2"-4" more narrow and shorter than the layout dimensions. Center that plywood over the boards and screw through the plywood into the boards. You will need to figure out a way to clamp the boards as tightly as possible as you screw them to the plywood. Do not glue the boards together as that will allow them to move without splitting.

Install the apron by screwing to the plywood---those can be glued.

You can then install the 4"x4" legs---which can be made by gluing pieces of the wood used for the top together---as long as those pieces are clampoed for 24 hours---if the clamps are not used, the glue will not hold. Taping with duct tape is NOT a clamping alternative. C clamps, pipe clamps, or bar clamps can be used.

Screw through the apron to fasten the legs and also make an angled support piece that in screwed to the side and end aprons and touches the leg on the inside. Screw that support piece to each apron piece and the leg.

You may have to fill gaps in the table top---wood filler will work but there will be cracking eventually. There is a product called Stain Putty---I get it at HD and Ace Hardware stores. It is a powder and is made into a paste by adding the stain used on the project---so the color match is very close.

Standard dining table height is 29-30", you need about 24-30" in width to seat 1 person so 8' (96") is more than enough for 3 on each side, with nobody seated on the ends. 54" wide is way, way overkill, and would make it difficult to reach the middle. Even 48" is generous, and it's entirely feasible to make it 36" or even a bit less. A table that measured 36" by 84" would provide generous seating for six and could accomodate more in a pinch. A good idea is to find an empty refrigerator box, cut it to the size you think will work, set it up on a couple of garbage cans and arrange some chairs around it. You will quickly get a sense of what seems right.

I'd stay away from spackle; it would only make a mess. You're not making fine furniture here, and trying to create a perfectly smooth surface would be silly. This can only be a rustic table. Let it.

You might take a look at picnic table construction -- those are made with the techniques you described all the time. There's nothing saying you couldn't refine the design, get rid of the built-in benches, use nicer lumber...

I love you folks !!! Good suggestions and honest answers! Thank you!!! (btw, the spackle comment was more of an indicator of my skill level with stuff than anything else! LOL )

Smiles,
Sooz

Std table height is 29". I would use plywood (whatever species you preferr). If you want to get fancy use a piece of hardwood glued on all the edges. You could then route a decorative edge if desired. If you don't want to get fancy, use a wood veener edge tape. This will come preglued, which you use an iron to activate the glue and adhere it. Or you can use contact (much more messy) to glue the veener on the edge. The apron at 4" is probably fine. You can attach this to the table top in several ways. If you have a pocket hole jig you can drill and screw it to the tabletop. If you don't, then attach a 3/4" X 3/4" piece to the back (with screws) of the apron and screw to the plywood top. I would use 3/4" plywood for the top, which should be 95 long ( so the plywood can be trimmed) and I suggest no more than 42 wide, 36 to 39 would probably be better. for the legs, run the legs to the bottom of the top, behind the aprons and attach with screws to the back of the apron at each corner. You can route the legs to make them a little more decorative. I would also use leveling legs at the floor, that way in case the legs are off a little, or the floor is off you can adjust the table so it won't wobble. You may want to ask a local cabinet shop to supply the wood and cut it to size. The saws at a lumber yard are not designed to give exact or good cuts. A cabinet shop will make cuts that are perfect. They can also answer some questions for you.. I use to own a cabinet shop and often helped DYI's. I would suggest you not get into using solid wood for the top, besides the cost it will present more problems than you want (trust me on this). Also make sure you seal every side of each piece of wood, (bottom of table etc). This will help with warping.
Im sure you will have a table you can enjoy for a long time.
One other word of caution, 8' is very long for a table. You may experience sag in the middle, so be prepared to put a center leg in. You can run a middle "apron" the short dimension to attach this to.

I would visit some furniture stores to get an idea on size and construction. Using cardboard and living with it for a while will also help you to make sure your size is correct.

Good luck and enjoy your new table !