Cheap Diy Coffee Table

I've seen a lot of these coffee tables on Pinterest.

thought i'd give it a try.

tried to keep it as cheap as possible, had purchased a jigsaw, sander and impact driver previously for other diy projects.

wood was free obviously...

Step 1: Getting Started

I found a good looking pallet at the local grocery store, it seemed fairly new, without a lot of rain damage, and looked fairly easy to work with.

i started with trimming the sides of the pallet and removing the bottom support pieces with my trusty jigsaw. after that i cut two pieces down the center and attached them to the sides creating a frame in which i could start making an 'artsy' design.

Step 2:

decided the easiest way to go with a good looking design is to start laying down triangles at the corners and keep going inwards till i reach the center.

Step 3:

i would keep going inwards using whatever reclaimed wood i could find hoping that different aged wood would give it a prettier look.

every piece would take some time cutting and filing till it fit well. I attached them to the frame using wood glue and self-drilling wood screws. i drilled them in from the bottom side thinking i would keep the top part clean.

Step 4:

it started taking shape nicely though the filing by hand started to take its toll on my carpal tunnel.

had to give it a rest for a day

Step 5:

the next day i reached the center. luck had it that it came out straight enough.

Step 6:

it was good enough. on to the next stage; building the base

Step 7:

i found a heavier pallet at the back of a metal shop near by, i guessed the thicker wood used to ship metal would be enough to support my coffee table.

i used two 2-by-4's, cut them to size and drilled them in using metal corner braces.

Step 8:

i added four pieces to make the bottom level

Step 9:

Now for some sanding, a lot of sanding.

this sander cost about 40$, and did an okay job. but i would spring for a better one next time ;-)

it took about 3 whole hours of sanding and filing

Step 10:

i put on two layers of the cheapest lacquer i could find (12$ a can)

Step 11:

done!

took about 12 hours of work

materials:

wood 0$

glue 10$

screws 2$

lacquer 12$

Tools ~ 100$ (sander, impact driver, jigsaw)

Comments

[usernamejt]

Nicely done, I plan on making a dinner table from hardwoods (mahogany & black walnut) using your instructions as a guide. Thanks for sharing your plans.

[GadiL]

good luck, i'd love to see the result, please post

[graywoulf]

Very attractive and nicely done! Thanks for sharing this.

[Bobv48]

Thank you for including the price of the tools. Many instructions state the project cost nothing as they used scrap parts they already had. As you watch the build they sometimes also will use hundreds if not thousands of dollars of equipment. I have some hand held tools, period. Any DIYer also knows that these tools will be used over and over, but there is the initial cash layout.

Good description and the end result looks very nice.

[JoSte0421]

Very very nice. Well done.

[ClenseYourPallet]

Great looking coffee table. Nothing better than free wood