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There's a lot of wood out in the world free for the taking -- in dumpsters, back alleys, vacant lots, abandoned buildings, recycling yards, and architectural salvage centers. Most wood, if free from rot, is just as strong, durable, and good to use as new wood, once you sand off the weathering. This table was made from all salvaged wood -- both dimensional lumber and plywood, mostly taken from decaying buildings in and around Hale County, Alabama. It was commissioned by the good folks at PieLab (www.pielab.org), an initiative of Project M (www.projectmlab.com). PieLab is a pie shop, design center, teaching resource, and business incubator in Greensboro, Alabama.
There are many methods for laminating wood -- this project focuses on a down-and-dirty method for those of us who do not own a lot of pipe clamps and other heavy duty hardware for wrestling with wild wood. It is about ten feet long by thirty inches wide, sitting about thirty inches off the ground. If you can salvage the wood, the other materials aren't too expensive: five threaded rods, about four bucks each; nuts, washers, and screws; a gallon or so of wood glue; sandpaper; and polyurethane. All told, it was less than one hundred dollars.
As far as tools, you'll need a table saw, a circular saw, a power drill/impact driver, hand plane, mallet, some drill bits, and a belt sander.
This isn't the quickest project in the world, but with a little help from my friends, it only took a few weekends.
While I did the design, I am indebted to the following individuals who did most of the labor:
Ryan LeCluyse (thanks also for many of the photos throughout, includ. the first three)
Dan Gavin
Breanne Kostyk
Megan Deal
Nick Wickersham
Rosie Dixon
Nick Kirkpatrick
There are many methods for laminating wood -- this project focuses on a down-and-dirty method for those of us who do not own a lot of pipe clamps and other heavy duty hardware for wrestling with wild wood. It is about ten feet long by thirty inches wide, sitting about thirty inches off the ground. If you can salvage the wood, the other materials aren't too expensive: five threaded rods, about four bucks each; nuts, washers, and screws; a gallon or so of wood glue; sandpaper; and polyurethane. All told, it was less than one hundred dollars.
As far as tools, you'll need a table saw, a circular saw, a power drill/impact driver, hand plane, mallet, some drill bits, and a belt sander.
This isn't the quickest project in the world, but with a little help from my friends, it only took a few weekends.
While I did the design, I am indebted to the following individuals who did most of the labor:
Ryan LeCluyse (thanks also for many of the photos throughout, includ. the first three)
Dan Gavin
Breanne Kostyk
Megan Deal
Nick Wickersham
Rosie Dixon
Nick Kirkpatrick
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Signing UpStep 1Trestles
The basic design for this table is a trestle scheme: using two parallel load-bearing structures with slanted legs to support the top. To lay out the trestles, and to get the feet of the legs to hit the floor evenly so the whole thing sits level, lay out a baseline (a big piece of wood or a straight line in the pavement will do), and a second piece of wood at ninety degrees to the baseline.
Measure up from the baseline 30-32 inches. This will be the top of the table. Pull a straight line across at that measurement -- either in chalk or with a piece of wood -- that is parallel to the baseline. The dimensions of your table may vary, but I measured about two feet in from each end of the second line, representing the top of the table.
Now that you have this geometric layout, pick some wood for the legs. I went with 2" x 6" cedar scraps we dug out of the pile. I measured a rough length for them, four feet or so, then ran a line from opposite corner to opposite corner. Using a circular saw and a a steady hand, cut the legs, each essentially a long, sharp triangle. You'll need eight in all.
Lay the legs with the fat end on two-foot mark on the line representing the top of the table, and pull the other end so that it hits the baseline. What you want is the feet to be in line with the end of the table top, which will give a nice visual rake to the legs while providing maximum stability. Scribe lines on the legs and use the circular saw to cut them flush. You can scribe just one and use that as a master to trace onto all the others.
We used eight foot yellow pine 2" x 8"s for the trestles themselves. Cut a taper into each end as shown in the photos, running from about 2" down to where the legs hit. Screw and glue the legs onto the trestles in opposing pairs. Use at least four screws with enough length to go through the trestle and into the other leg for maximum strength.
Measure up from the baseline 30-32 inches. This will be the top of the table. Pull a straight line across at that measurement -- either in chalk or with a piece of wood -- that is parallel to the baseline. The dimensions of your table may vary, but I measured about two feet in from each end of the second line, representing the top of the table.
Now that you have this geometric layout, pick some wood for the legs. I went with 2" x 6" cedar scraps we dug out of the pile. I measured a rough length for them, four feet or so, then ran a line from opposite corner to opposite corner. Using a circular saw and a a steady hand, cut the legs, each essentially a long, sharp triangle. You'll need eight in all.
Lay the legs with the fat end on two-foot mark on the line representing the top of the table, and pull the other end so that it hits the baseline. What you want is the feet to be in line with the end of the table top, which will give a nice visual rake to the legs while providing maximum stability. Scribe lines on the legs and use the circular saw to cut them flush. You can scribe just one and use that as a master to trace onto all the others.
We used eight foot yellow pine 2" x 8"s for the trestles themselves. Cut a taper into each end as shown in the photos, running from about 2" down to where the legs hit. Screw and glue the legs onto the trestles in opposing pairs. Use at least four screws with enough length to go through the trestle and into the other leg for maximum strength.
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Thanks Again!
Lumber all from a scrap pile at Longleaf Lumber, for those of you in Boston.
What does it mean? Looking at the top photos, the bottoms of the legs are nowhere near in line with the ends of the table.
How did you decide the angle of the legs?
I mean, in the scheme of things, as you design your own table, it doesn't matter that much what the angle is. The visual rake is nice, it gives the table a certain aerodynamic quality, and structurally, it forces the legs into a pre-stressed position. By that, I mean a vertical leg can buckle in multiple directions; by angling the leg, it will only fail in one direction, which we've prevented by locking the leg into the table top with the threaded rod and surrounding it with laminations.
So, I'm really sorry for the confusion, it's been a long time since I built the thing, and I can't quite sort out what I meant. I would just go with your gut instinct of what looks good! Good luck --
Regards - Larry
Thanks for the idea and the instructions. This looks great in our dining room.
Next, some benches!
I have been thinking of some lovely weathered waste wood nearby. Instead of laminating, using the planks as is and then covering the top with a clear, thick resin for a flat writing surface. But I don't think resin is exactly green.
N
Or does it just rest on top?
I tried a few iterations of this table, and i have a few tips for others. I'd highly recommend ripping your slats to the same width and not using anything less than 2". I think your table is a little thicker, so it probably wasn't an issue, but this keeps you from ruining a plane blade by having screws too close to the surface... oops.
With thinner tabletops, i've found that if you arn't careful to put your rods at the exact center of the slat, it can cause the top to buckle.
Also, Be aware of how brittle your concrete slab is when gluing on it. If its really old and rough, you may end up with concrete chunks on your table when you turn it over.
peace,
Im gonna do this, do it a little differently. I like the ratchet straps would have never thought of it. i used C-clamps and other various clamping mechanisms and it came out warped. Who knew?
great job love it
Another great source of lumber (and other goodies - we once retrieved a full roll of roofing paper that was ditched because it wasn't the right weight for the job) is the bins on construction projects. Around here, they're even sometimes marked 'Free lumber'. If not, ask the jobsite foreman. They won't usually say no, because they pay by weight.