Easy Home Bar Top (3-Day, 60 Bucks, Good for college students)

This is a set of instructions on how to make a simple but very useful home bar top to be mounted on top of a boring existing peice of furniture. (in our case an old product display case from my buddy's co-op)

Step 1 Human Factors Test-Fitting (Sizing)

Grab some cheap bar stools off of craigslist (got 2 for $10) and put them next to your piece of furniture you want to put the bar top on. Then get a test bar top (in this case a vinyl card table) and some risers (if you need them, we used cans) and sit at the bar with a drink. Is it a good hieght? Want it to be larger, smaller? Record your favorite dimensions.

Comments

[xfirexstarzx]

Just a few tips: If you sand (with a very high grit) between coats of urethane, the layers will adhere better and the finish will be smoother. Also, if you put on a thicker coat for your last coat, then take a blow torch and quickly run it over the top of the urethane, it'll pop all of the little bubbles that tend to show up. It'll make the finish look like glass.

Overall though it looks nice. Have fun with the new bar!

[idy26]

Thanks for the -ible mate! I made summing similar myself using your ideas. Thanks a bunch! Cheers!

[andyvich]

Hey no problem. Glad to help. You know I wrote this like 3 years ago, and lo and behold three different apartments in three different towns and 6+ large parties and here it is sitting next to me as I type this. You just can't beat durable, cheap, functional furniture.

[Robotic_mage]

I like it, you could also use a pourable clear Epoxy to give the extra durablity, and looks like you would see in the upscale bars. Take a look at what these folks sell.
http://www.epoxyproducts.com/bartop.html

You can find this stuff in Most Big Box Stores.
Menards, Lowes, Home Depot, just to name a few.

[teeps]

Home Depot has it as Super Glaze and another widely seen version is called EnviroTex

[andyvich]

hey thanks. Yeah that was one of our thoughts. We are also planning on adding the same siding but on the outer edges, so you dont see the crossection of the plywood. We test-fitted a peice and it looks real slick. When we do it i will post a new pic. So far it has been very durable.

[Calltaker]

Nicely done. For future projects, if you don't want the cross section of the 2x4's showing, you can buy a cheap mitre box at Home Depot for like 6 bux, and mitre the ends to a 45* angle and fit them together. Takes a little longer (like 10 minutes per corner) but the results are worth it.

Honestly, though, this is a great instructable and a great idea for recycling something that you weren't really using to it's full potential. Want to have a Halloween party? Put fluorescent blacklites in the display case with some glowy body parts. Spook on man!!

~C