Bar Table and Desk - Using IKEA Table Tops (VIKA AMON)

I recently purchased two table tops from IKEA, the VIKA AMON series, in high gloss white. I decided that I was going to make the bases for them using pine that I purchased from Home Depot. The majority of the joinery will be pocket holes, using a pocket hole jig. 


Level of Difficulty

I found this project to be very fun and rewarding. With the right tools and the information that I provide in this Instructable I would consider this project to be a 5 out of 10 for an experienced woodworker. It is also a very manageable project for a beginner.

Cost

The total cost of the project is approximately $60 per table (including the table top purchased from IKEA) and approximately 8 - 10 hours of work in total. 

Recommendation

I strongly recommend that you take on this project if you are in need of a bar table. The original piece at IKEA, which is a stainless steel frame, will run you $200 CAD. Making the base for your bar table will save you $120. Building the base for the desk actually works out to be $5 more than buying the completed desk from IKEA, which is the top with 4 individual legs. Since I needed both, I decided to just build them both myself and I saved $115 in total. 

Warnings:

Please read and understand the owner's/safety manual of all your tools before using them. Some guards and safety devices were removed for the making of this Instructable, I DO NOT recommend you remove any safety devices or guides from your tools. Safety comes first. Never put yourself in danger.

Step 1: Tools

The following is a list of tools that I used to make the tables: 

- Mitre Saw
- Pocket Hole Jig (I used the KREG Pocket Hole Jig)
- Cordless Drill with bits
- Long Bar or Pipe Clamps (I used quick grip clamps)
- 'F' Clamps
- Tape Mesure
- Pencil
- Paint Brush
- 4" Foam Roller 
- 4" paint tray