In this Instructable i will show you how to make a reclaimed whiskey barrel coffee table.

List of Materials Needed

Whiskey barrel
3/4" self tapping screws
3 1/2" Screws
Barn wood 2x6 or another material you want to build your table legs out of
Old barn wood siding or another material you want to build your table top out of
Wood Glue
Staples
Black spray paint
Painters tape
Sand paper 60 grit and 220 grit
Table top epoxy resin
Six 10 adhesive
Polyurathane

Tools needed:

Table saw
Jig saw
Band saw
Nail gun
Staple gun
Screw gun
Sander
Squeegee
Plastic measuring buckets
Paint brush
Foam brush
Heat gun or torch
Disposable gloves
Paint thinner
Clamps

Step 1: Securing the Barrels Slats and Cutting the Barrel in Half

First i started out by securing the bands around the outside of the barrel to keep the slats from falling apart. I did this by positioning the bands to where they were spaced out and just tight enough that they were pressed tight against the barrel. I then used self piercing screw to screw through the band into the slat. I did this to every band on every slat. This will keep the slats from falling apart when you cut the barrel in half. Now that you have this done you can cut the barrel in half. I found the center of the barrel and cut it completely in half. I then cut the side of the barrel with a jig saw and a metal blade. The ends of the barrels did not hold together well so i found the radius of the ends of my barrel and cut out two circles with the same radius out of scrap 3/4 inch plywood i had laying around to keep the ends from falling apart. once i had those cut out i stapled the circles i cut out to the ends of the barrel. Then i cut the ends in half so i could stick the remaining two ends into the other half barrel. I got the half barrel that i was going to used and toe nailed staples all around the edges of the two ends stapling into the side of the barrel to keep them from moving around or falling out. I planned ahead and knew that i wanted extra support to hold the table top up so found the width of the middle of the barrel and then drew half of a circle onto scrap 3/4" plywood and then moved out 3" and drew the same circle. I then cut on both of the half circle lines on my band saw and got the support piece that i wanted to go in the barrel. I then stapled that into the middle of the barrel. I then cut two piece of wood to go on the ends that followed the same contour of the barrel and width. I placed these 3/4 of an inch down and stapled them in. I also used my Dremel cutting tool to cut the center support piece 3/4 of an inch down. Now i Have supports for my table top. In this step you should also take some time and spray paint your bands on your barrel if you desire that look. I did that buy using painters tape and taping off the wood where i didn't want spray paint to get and then i spray painted the bands black to get rid of the rusted look they had.

Step 2: Making the Table Top and Legs

In this step i will show you how to create the legs and table top. To make the table top i gathered old barn wood siding that was in decent shape but still had an old textured look i cut three pieces that were 11 1/2" wide to 39" long. I then glued and clamped these pieces together and made sure they were flush on top and even on the ends, let the glue dry over night. The next morning i unclamped and used my palm sander to sand over the table top to sand the glue remnants off and to smooth it out some but i still kept the saw marks in the wood to give it character. Next i flipped the the top over to the back and cut out a piece of play wood that would fit perfectly in the middle of the barrel and sit on top of the braces i put in early and stapled that in the exact middle of the top so the top would be perfectly center on the barrel. Next i wanted the sides of the top to have a curve to them so i used the contour of the barrel as the curve i just added 3" to the curve so the top would over hang the barrel 3". Now the top is cut out and ready for the finish to be put on.

Now for the legs. For both legs i got two 2x6's and cut 4 20" pieces. I next got my clamps back out and glued two 20" pieces together and clamped them, then i did the same to the others. After they dried i wanted the legs to sit in a little bit so i found the distance i wanted them to sit in and it will be the same for both sides, this is all your personal preference. I then measured the radius of that point and drew and cut the same radius on the leg. Then i realized it needed to have an angle cut so i angled the base on the band saw and found the right angle until the angle matched the barrels angles. Repeat for the other leg. To attach the legs you need to place them where you've cut them to fit and screw down inside the barrel into the slats into the legs with 3 1/2" screws, I used 5 screws on each leg and they were very sturdy.

After this i added 2 coats of polyurethane to the actual barrel to give it a better look.

Step 3: Finishing the Table Top

I needed to fill the cracks and holes in the table before i applied the resin so i used six 10 adhesive. I got this from a marine store and i was told it would fill cracks and crevices. i filled all of the cracks and wiped the excess adhesive off and after it dried for a minute i sanded over the areas with adhesive and wiped the saw dust onto the adhesive and instead of it being the clear adhesive look it looked like would. I found this to be an amazing technique for filling cracks in wood and hiding the adhesive. Next i attached the table top to the barrel. For this step all you should have to do is place the top on the table and let the ply wood sink down and fit perfectly in the barrel. I next put 4 2 1/2" screws in each end of the table going through the table into the braces I put in earlier. I used grk screws that i had, i used them because they had a very small head on them and were not noticeable when sunk in wood. Now it is time to add the table top epoxy. First start off by laying a tarp under the table so the epoxy does not drip of the floor. Before you start make sure the table is level! Start by adding a pre coat before you put on the primary coat. You will need to follow the directions that come with your epoxy. I used East Coasts epoxy resin and i added the first coat by mixing the amount it told me to mix the resin and the hardener together and then i brushed it on with a foam brush. If any bubbles pop up you are going to need to pop them by using a heat gun or a torch. Do that by holding it about 7" away from the epoxy and quickly passing over the epoxy and popping the bubbles. When that dries you can pour on the primary coat. Before you add the primary coat lightly sand the resin with 220 grit sand paper. Again you will need to follow the mixing directions that will come with your epoxy resin. To do to this mix the amount that is required for your table and pour it in the middle of the table and let it spread by its self. You can help it out a little bit by taking a squeegee and help it spread but over all it should spread and settle by its self. It will also put over the edges. For this step you also need to use a torch or heat gun to pop the bubbles. Now let it sit till it is dried. After it has dried you are almost done with your reclaimed whiskey barrel coffee table, but first you want to make sure that the spots that dried underneath the table you need to scrape the off with a chisel. Now it is complete!

Step 4: The Final Product

You have now completed this project and i hope you have as amazing results as i do. This table took me about 4 days in all to make it. I had $40 in the barrel that i found at a yard sale. i already had the screws and staples laying around the shop $10 in sand paper gloves and a squeegee, and $60 in the epoxy resin. I got the brand for free that was taken off a old barn we tore down a long time ago. So this project costed me a little over $100 and it turned out amazing. I hope you like it!