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Step 3Toppin'
The top is a 2' x 5' sign. On its own, this piece of metal was quite floppy. To stiffen it up and give two edges to bolt through, fold down a three-inch border on all four sides. Mark your lines, then drill the holes in the same alternating pattern of diameters as you did for the legs. Make a slit with a hacksaw or an angle grinder in each corner, running at 45 degrees from the outside corner to the intersection of the lines of holes.
To bend, I put the line of holes on the edge of a curb and stood on the sign, then beat it with the hammer until it was 90 degrees. If the curb by your house is chamfered at an oblique angle, bend it as far as you can with that curb, then lay it down flat with the edges curled up. Lay a 2" x 4" along the seam and stand on that, then swing the mallet towards your legs to bend the sides upward.
Clamp a block to the corners and curl the triangular flap in at each corner. The joinery and folding of the top is basically like wrapping a Christmas present.
As you can see in the photos, the two short end pieces broke off from the stress of the bends. One of the main reasons for that is the lever arm of the bend is only three inches; if the rim of the table was ten or twelve inches, there would be enough material to act as effective lever and peel up the bend.
If they had stayed attached, the table would stronger and more stable. However, it is not a strict requirement that they be attached. The table is plenty strong with them being additive pieces; that said, try to avoid them breaking off if possible.
As I said in the introduction, this is an experiment, and it is up to you to improve and expand this basic process.
To bend, I put the line of holes on the edge of a curb and stood on the sign, then beat it with the hammer until it was 90 degrees. If the curb by your house is chamfered at an oblique angle, bend it as far as you can with that curb, then lay it down flat with the edges curled up. Lay a 2" x 4" along the seam and stand on that, then swing the mallet towards your legs to bend the sides upward.
Clamp a block to the corners and curl the triangular flap in at each corner. The joinery and folding of the top is basically like wrapping a Christmas present.
As you can see in the photos, the two short end pieces broke off from the stress of the bends. One of the main reasons for that is the lever arm of the bend is only three inches; if the rim of the table was ten or twelve inches, there would be enough material to act as effective lever and peel up the bend.
If they had stayed attached, the table would stronger and more stable. However, it is not a strict requirement that they be attached. The table is plenty strong with them being additive pieces; that said, try to avoid them breaking off if possible.
As I said in the introduction, this is an experiment, and it is up to you to improve and expand this basic process.
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