I had seen a coffee table at a high end furniture store and loved it, but the price was way out of my range. So I drew up a set of plans to create the table on my own. Get the plans for the table here: http://adventuresincreating.blogspot.com/2010/10/future-coffee-table-progress.html

Step 1: Buying the Steel

Using the plans I had drawn up I went to my local steel supplier and had them cut the steel to the sizes I needed. I used 3/4" steel tubing.

Step 2: Prepping the Steel

I used a degreaser like GooGone to clean and prep the steel.

Step 3: Weld Your Steel

I used an arc welder to weld the frame pieces together, starting with the smaller table first. I used a metal angle, a level, and clamps to make sure all my angles were 90 degrees. Once I was done with the welding I used a grinder to clean up the welded corners and smooth out any slag.

Step 4: Paint the Frames

I used Rustoleum Black Spray Paint to paint the frames. Then used a clear coat to seal it.

Step 5: Make the Wood Tops

I used stain grade Pine for the tops which I had cut down to size at my local Home Improvement store. If you have a Kreg Jig or Biscuit joiner that would be the best thing to use to connect the wood planks together. I had neither so I used a combination of wood glue and mending plates to connect them together. I clamped the wood and let it set overnight.

Step 6: Attach the Tops

Using the metal driving bit on my drill I drilled 2 holes in each long side of the large table and 1 hole on either end. Then 1 hole on each side of the small table. Then using 6 x 1 1/4" wood screws I attached the table tops.

Step 7: Stain the Tops

Now that the tops are attached you can sand them down to prep for stain (or paint, whichever you prefer.) I used a fine grit sandpaper to sand the wood. Then used a Minwax stain in the color of my choice to stain the pine using a paint brush meant for staining. Then sealed it with a wipe on poly.