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Four years ago we bought a cheap garden table. The wooden table top did not stand the weather. It was not much fun lunching on it.
The metal frame and legs however were all that remained in an acceptable state. Instead of buying an expensive high-quality new table, I decided to make a new wooden top. It turned out to cut the price by more than two --well, not counting the two week-ends spent on the construction ;-).
With only basic power tools and limited joinery skills, I still wanted to build a stylish object.
Photos:
The metal frame and legs however were all that remained in an acceptable state. Instead of buying an expensive high-quality new table, I decided to make a new wooden top. It turned out to cut the price by more than two --well, not counting the two week-ends spent on the construction ;-).
With only basic power tools and limited joinery skills, I still wanted to build a stylish object.
Photos:
- Inauguration lunch on the finished product
- Finished product
- Old table top strained by the weather
- Old table top detail
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Signing UpStep 1Making Sketches, and Getting the Wood
A good preparation was important for the success. It took some time but saved a big lot later.
First, I visited a nearby sawmill, and inquired about several things:
Photos:
First, I visited a nearby sawmill, and inquired about several things:
- Available varieties of weather-resistant woods they sell, and in which sizes (width, thickness, maximum length, price).
- They had "ipé" wood, a very heavy, resistant and durable neotropical wood. I hope that "durable" is more "green" than "tropical"... Time will tell.
- They also advised me to oil it with an ad-hoc oil used for wooden decks. Not cheap, but a really good product.
- They could rectify the surface with a jointer (aka surface planer), producing a much smoother surface, at the cost of a slight reduction of the thickness, and a small extra fee.
- They could also cut the boards to desired length for no extra fee.
All this seemed to be well worth, and turned out to save me a lot of time in the end. Having this information, I came back home and started to think about the design:
- I wanted a lattice design, with some spaces to drain the rainwater, so the rectified width of the boards matters.
- I made several designs (with OpenOffice Draw which is largely enough for this purpose). After a painless vote, one was chosen. I added more details, such as making sure that overall top size would fit to the salvaged metal frame and legs.
- I went back to the sawmill, not forgetting to take a copy of my sketch (thinking it is always better to be able to explain the purpose of what you ask for). It turned out to be a good idea, because the rectified width they told me before was slightly wrong, so I had to quickly revise the measurements on the sketch.
- They needed "some time" to prepare the wood, because they usually work for much bigger contracts, hundreds of square meters, so my 2 square meters had a lower priority. I fully understand that.
- After that "time" I came back again to the sawmill where a kind and helpful employee, who had already rectified the thickness and width, made the final cuts in front of me, and, finally, sold me the proper oil.
Photos:
- The various designs
- The chosen design
- At the sawmill
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Thanks for the compliment!
Nice table, & instructable, btw.
The dowels+rings are here for a space between the planks.
FWIW, typically the dowels (or nails/staples in other instances) are really only used to hold the pieces together until the glue dries.
I think the real question is when does that table get matching chairs?
(And, I am thinking about a bench.)
You could also put some glue on the face of the wood, where the 2 pieces mate.
Just make sure you have a damp cloth so that if it starts dripping out you can wipe it off. It's A LOT easier when it's still wet; just wipes right off. If you don't get it all off, when you finish it, it will show up - real ugly.
The table top is heavy for its size (2 square meters, 2 cm thick) but I can move it alone. To move the whole table it is better to be two persons to lift it, to avoid tangent force on the feet.
Bill of material, in CHF (USD approx 90% of numbers below --many things are very expensive here):
Wood, approx 2 m2: 220.-
Aquadeck oil, 2.5 l: 120.- approx 1/4 was used
Various screws and plates: 20.-
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Total (approx) 360.-
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I am not counting the frame, which I had before. A table of this size, materials, style and finish would cost at least CHF 800 here...
L
They are not targeting small customers (they serve hundreds of square meters!). So they were patient with me and vice-versa. People can PM me to get their address.