Skateboard Table

For those of you who were told not to skate in the house as a child, here's a lazy susan coffee table that rotates on skateboard wheels.

Think of the possibilities: Play board games where nobody has to look at the board upside-down. Bring the remote within reach without getting up from the couch. Epic tea parties.

Check out the video below:

*If anybody wants to make that Scrabble Tile Coaster, you can: http://www.instructables.com/id/Scrabble-Tile-Coasters/

Step 1: Design inspiration

My inspiration came from this table (pictured). Here's the blurb they use to describe it:

"Perfectly engineered truck, wheel and glass interplay, the 360 Table is a grown-up lazy susan that celebrates that instance of teenage rebellion. Taking seriously the claim that skating is a lifestyle, this piece accommodates and furnishes that life quite well."

But their version retails for $2000. And does not include the glass top, which will cost you another $100 or so.

I wanted one that met the following constraints:

 

• Less than $100
• Made from wood and parts available pretty much anywhere
• Requires minimal power tools
• Easy to assemble

I ended up spending around $70 for everything but the glass top. The glass put me over my intended budget by around $60. Had I waited for a good yard or estate sale, I imagine I could have gotten the glass much cheaper.

I purchased only from Anytown, USA stores. Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Amazon and Pier 1 (for the glass). No specialty shops. No exotic lumberyards. Nothing fancy. Just deck planks, a couple of cheapo complete skateboard sets, and miscellaneous fasteners.

I used a power drill and a miter saw and a palm sander. You could sand by hand if you had to or wanted the workout, but the other two tools are pretty essential. It's more trouble to get the proper handsaw for the finish work than it is to just ask a neighbor to borrow his miter saw. Or chopbox. Or whatever you want to call it.

After cutting and drilling, assembly is more or less Ikea-style. All inserting dowels into slots. Then some screwing. Just like Ikea.

Comments

[mganpate]

but how to roted glass for center axis parallel .....

[Woodyouliketo]

Excellent work! One question, though, do the skateboard wheels have enough stickyness to keep the glass from moving if bumped? Would it be possible to drill the glass with a special bit and place an axle-like rod through the center?

[beerd]

It was definitely a fun project. The hardest part for me was the staining. I used Teak oil and I used to much after the first few coats and had a mess. I already had the trucks and wheels from old skateboards. I also had the glass top from a different table, even though I'd prefer a circle, it works.

I'd love the pro membership if it's still available!

[wilgubeast]

Done! Thanks for sharing your photo. Man, I wanted to scavenge a tabletop for mine. Dropping more than the value of the trucks, wood, and fasteners on the glass was a tough pill to swallow. I dig the square look. I suspect the squared top would rotate nicely on a pentagonal+ base.

[trainables]

Well, for one thing, I'd upholster the wood in stuffed animal material. Rubberized wheels and a rim around the outside of the tabletop, also. Then I'd make it so the whole tabletop spins if you pump a foot pedal or flip a switch to activate an electric motor. Apart from those oversights, it's an okay project.

[wilgubeast]

My humble apologies for those egregious omissions.

I'd love to see a fluffy, motorized version. Bonus points for lasers, an Arduino, and lasers.

[curious youth]

dont forget the motion sensing airsoft rifles

[curious youth]

if you want this and have children in the house you could just as easily use a wooden top and put tracks into the wood where the wheels would fit

[Giles Farmer]

My mate made one for me in a couple of hours using scrap timber, an old glass coffee table and new wheels and trucks,

Pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gilesfarmer/

[Robert_Britt]

If you used the glass from an old patio table, it would already have that umbrella hole in it.. Then turning a fourth set of trucks on its side the one wheel could stick partway through to limit drift.. Plus those tables are fairly easy to find cheap. craigslist, freecycle, etc...

[valhallas_end]

Very cool. Always nice to see a great reverse engineering job done well! Kudos!

If you can't remove the rotation eccentricity, an easy solution would be to grind a center hole and place a small shaft pin at the center of your table - a good holdfast for the whole glass plate that wouldn't be very visible. Plus you could actually use a skateboard wheel and bearing in a larger center hole if you wanted to up the skater vibe...

[wilgubeast]

That's a good idea. Unfortunately, grinding a hole in a $90 piece of glass requires moxie that I'm afraid I don't have. I'd start with small fixes to see if they ameliorate the problem. Oil (or replace) the bearings. Tighten/loosen the trucks so they're even all around. Get a bigger piece of glass. Then I'd maybe consider mustering the courage to include a hub.

[orvis]

Or using a square or oval piece of glass instead? Though you've already bought the one....

[slothman]

how about this. get a small lazy susan and put it in the center of the wooden part of your table the get a small cylindrical piece of wood and epoxy it to the lazy susan over the Y joint in the wood then Epoxy a Flat circular Magnet to the wood. Buy two Magnets then connect the magnet on the top side of the glass. Then glue some more cool skateboard stuff on top of that magnet as a center piece design. this sovles your problem with no drilling and it is not permanent. Here is a link for some cool magnets these are not the flat ones though. http://goo.gl/FKCTf.

here is a link to a flat one. this place will custom build you one. sweet. http://goo.gl/xG927

Just a thought I really liked your design.

[valhallas_end]

Granted - frankly, I hate grinding out glass, but luckily my cousin owns a custom panel glass company near my house, so I can just get it done professionally and free :-)

rfakhre's idea below isn't bad either - you have three good legs, so three small guide posts that sit flush with the glass top would keep it in place very well.

[rfakhre]

you could screw on guides on the outside of the legs that hold the edges in place, similar to a mini railing. you could make it out of pvc or the coping of a half pipe to keep the design style.

[hjc4604]

What about mounting a truck on end in the middle and putting a rubber skate wheel on top to support the center and inhibit wobble?

[tamurlane6]

This may have been beaten to death already but to keep the glass centered how about buying 3 more truck/wheel combos and mount them to the side of the legs. Place them high enough so a wheel on the highest side acts as a bearing against the glass edge. You wouldn't have to worry about the glass wearing through a stationary retaining device and it sticks with the aesthetic.

[orvis]

That could be pretty neat and add to this idea by creating a different, busier design aesthetic.

And you could extend your idea as an alteration of wilgubeast's table by supporting the glass on side-mounted trucks:
1. Cutting a square notch out of the outside edge or smooth grooves in the center of one wheel on each truck where the notch/groove is the width of the glass
2. mounting the trucks on the side of the legs like you say so that the notched/grooved wheels are above the leg surface of the table
3. Inserting the glass into the notches/grooves so that it rotates

This would certainly be more challenging and require more planning (like getting the glass first and building the table to fit), but it could definitely be an interesting, self-centering alternative. The obvious detraction is that the glass would be supported by only tiny points of three wheels rather than larger areas of six. That and the difficulty of accurately, cleanly cutting skateboard wheels and building the table to an exact size.

[twhitfield]

Pier 1 for the glass? Most glass stores would probably be a lot cheaper and also able to drill a center hole. I'm not sure of the cost for round glass but the glass companies near me (Pittsburgh) are pretty reasonable for glass with polished edges.

[wilgubeast]

Yeah... there are much better options than Pier 1. But the Pier is one of those Anytown, USA type stores that most Americans can find next to the local Best Buy, Ross, and Red Lobster. (One of the design goals was the easy sourcing of all the materials.)

If specialty glass stores are significantly cheaper, though, I'd love to know what folks are charging for a 36" diameter 3/8" thick piece of glass.

[twhitfield]

I've worked in construction, decorating, woodworking and property management for years so I guess I might take it for granted that people know where to find "glass stores" haha. I have to go to the place near me in the next week or two so I will ask about the top and leave you a comment on the pricing.

[NitroRustlerDriver]

To help keep it centered, what if you got either a thin piece of wood or plastic, say 1" wide and wrapped it around the outside edge of the glass with the majority of it hanging downward. Then f the glass went out of center, this strip would hit the wheels and push it back centered. The trucks would have to be set right at the edge of the glass however, not inset like you have.

[hjjusa]

Or drill a hole in the center of the wood suppurt and glue a dowel to the glass.long enough to go th the hole

[DaveB13]

Glue slightly different diameter tubing or one piece rod inside one piece tubing to glass & wood to keep glass top centered on support, simple, hopefully pretty, depending on selection of materials and care in applicaton. Could glue skateboard wheel with bearing to glass with suitable Dia. size bolt through center of support trimmed to ideal length for axle, no attachment, just drop on.

Google Hit of: glue glass to pvc
http://www.thistothat.com/gom/2000.03.shtml
March 2000's
Glue of the Month

Dead link trimmed to:
http://www.surehold.com/
http://www.surehold.com/adhesives/7-plastic-surgery-302.html

http://www.thistothat.com/

Below found by google of: 5200 glue
http://www.3m.com/product/information/Marine-5200-Adhesive-Sealant.html

3M / scotchbrand pages navigation & loading nightmare with 33 question radio button web page "survey". Way to un-sell 3M , IMO.

[DaveB13]

Doh!, now I think of it. Take the left over wheels, with their bearings, glue one wheel to the wood support , the other wheel to the center of the glass, cut rod or tube that fits in the bearings to appropriate length, drop parts togeather, done.

[domestic_engineer]

Epic tea parties! Awesome!
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..........

[codongolev]

I feel like this could end with a lot of broken glass... maybe you could add a single bearing in the center connected to a big ol' suction cup. that way it wouldn't fall off and make your game of scrabble into some painfully stabby alphabet soup.

[AmyLuthien]

Slick! :D

[balddemon]

Nice table. I have a question related with the glass stability. How can I be sure that the glass will not get off the wheels if , let say, a kid decide to play turning it continuously? I wonder if ther is any kind of "stop" at the glass edge.
Thanks

[wilgubeast]

No stops on the edge. There isn't anything in place to prevent 25 lbs or so of glass from toppling onto a toddler.

[Ray Jr]

Maybe to help center. Put a bolt dead center with a wheel on top facing up (side wall up) find the center of the glass and put a mini suction cup there that would fit onto or kinda into the wheel hub? If that makes sense. A good enough suction cup will hold to the glass and keep it centered in the wheel. Besides the table top is more that likely tempered glass so there is no way you going to put a hole in it. Very nice table, 15 years ago I would have made this for my living room, now I think I might hurt myself with that in the house, haha.

[misk0]

Very nice.
You mentioned that you had a bit of problems with centering . . .
Why don't you just make a "cross" on the glass with masking tape (measured "cross") , and that center align with center of wood below , and that should be it . . . (at least i think so o_O )
-Sry for bad english.-

Peace.

[kingnemo]

Haha, I saw this table a couple of years ago in Future Perfect in Brooklyn and immediately thought "I could totally build that". Well done!

Although it raises ethical issues about ripping off some independent designer's creative idea, every time I go in that store I see so many items that would make awesome instructable projects. like:
- http://thefutureperfect.com/detail.php?id=307
- http://thefutureperfect.com/detail.php?id=340
- http://thefutureperfect.com/detail.php?id=353

Great instructable!

[Diabloscope]

this would be fun to make , and a great gift for my daughter , she always wanted a lazy susan stuff and likes going to chinese restaurants that have them !

[a rigger]

Love it!
Definitely on my someday list.
I will say from experience that a circular platform on three legs is less than stable when you put something heavy out near the edge between legs... but perhaps the glass is heavy enough it won't be a problem here. Why not make it with 4 legs? Since trucks usually come in pairs.

[TXTCLA55]

Really cool idea! I would use high quality plexiglass though, just in case one day it rolls off :S

[angelabchua]

pass the moo goo gai pan! This is awesome!

[dimtick]

really dig this. it's so simple and clean.
how did you attach the 2x4 legs to the y cross frame? dowels?
do you get any wobble?
I'de like that joint to be mitered so you don't see the end grain of the 2x's but I don't think that glue joint would be strong enough, even with bisquits.

[wilgubeast]

The leg joints are doweled. I considered mitering them such that the end grain was hidden, but I couldn't figure out a way to make it strong enough. I decided that if end grain was good enough for the designers, then it was good enough for me.

There's no wobble in the base, but I've got a nagging feeling that an errant swipe with a vacuum cleaner might buckle one of the legs. Or an accidental kick. Or really any shear force. (I'm in the "I just made this, and so help me God you better not breathe on it wrong or the whole thing will collapse and I will crypunch you, Mr. Vacuum.")