Introduction: Ultimate Mancave Coffee Table From Recycled Materials
Here is how you can update your mancave with an awesome coffee table basically for free!!!! I just used old materials that were thrown out and headed for the landfill. Excuse the mess in the back of the garage. I am doing several projects at once. This is my first project to ever build out of wood or stain so this project should be easy for anyone to build.
Materials Needed:
Pieces of old hardwood flooring. (number of pieces and width will determine the size of your table) You can sometimes get these from an old house that is being renovated. Just look around the neighborhood, or you could use new pieces if you want, but they are not free.
2- Small wire spools- you can pick these up from a electrical store or a cable company. They usually throw them out and are happy for you to take them.
Nails
Stain of your choice(I used what was left over from a previous project)
Tools:
Circular saw
Jig Saw
Tape measure
Hammer or Nail Gun
Paint Brush or roller
1. Start with your flooring. I used some old distressed pieces that were leftover from a
house that was being torn down. Take your flooring pieces and and lay them on a flat surface to get the pattern that you want for your table. I chose a rugged look to match my old warehouse look of my mancave.
2. Measure out the max length and width your table will be. After you get the size of your table top measure the sizes of the tops of your wire spools. Cut off the outside edges and ends to accomodate the table top.
3. Lay your flooring out on top of your wirespools. Allow about two inches of overhang on every side.
4. Attach the first board with a nail gun or a hammer and nails. I used one nail on each end of my boards since they are close to 100 years old and I did not want to damage them too bad.
5. Use a rubber hammer to tap the next floor board into the groove of the first nailed on board. Nail this board on now. Repeat step five until all boards are on the table top.
6. Next I installed a small square board on the bottom of the top circles of the spools for support.
7. I then sanded my table top with a medium grade sandpaper to bring out some of the grains in the wood.
8. After sanding I decides that I wanted to make the circles on the bottom of the spools smaller. I measured the bottom diameter of the spool and then I measured the distance from the edge of the spool to the support beam. I turned the table over and I marked one inch shorter from the edge to the support beam. This gave me a circle one inch larger than the support beams.
9. I then cut out the circle with a jig saw.
10. After I got my circles cut I flipped the table over and got ready to stain.
11. Roll the stain on the legs and wipe them down. It will take a stain soaked rag to get in the cracks
12. Roll the top then wipe it down, also a rag will help here with the small cracks.
13. Set it out in the sun and let it dry.
And there you have it, an extremely cheap really cool and manly coffee table you can prop your feet up on. Stay tuned for pics of the whole man cave coming soon, it is almost complete, hidden door and all.
If I won the Epilog laser cutter I would start by making some awesome coasters for Mable followed by some cool signs to hang around the man cave.
18 Comments
12 years ago on Introduction
OMG this is amazing.... all of theese materials get dumped at an industrial estate like 5 minutes away from my house, defiantly gonna try an get my hands on some,
Joe
12 years ago on Introduction
That is a Man Table if there ever was one! I like it very much.
12 years ago on Introduction
I rather like it... my boyfriend would shoot me though... he's already sick of my 'sturdy= main consideration, cheap=second consideration" approach to furnishings. fussy little thing that he is :)
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
I can't believe your boyfriend would not want this table, as it is awesome.
12 years ago on Introduction
I'm all about using recycled wood in my projects. I make woodworking projects out of used shipping pallets. Here is a picture of one bench I made out of them:
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8023/cnp3005.jpg
And another:
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/8811/cnp001.jpg
Another one getting smoothed out:
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/928/e48027.jpg
Although ripping up pallets isn't for everyone. I should make an Instructable someday.
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9573/rp009.jpg
My custom made deck plank fork I made in position to pop up another board. Well, I hung it on the edge so I could photograph its little feet. I think if someone was good at taking apart pallets they could use those for a top for a bench similar to yours without access to used flooring. I do not run across flooring very often. Though I take it when I do.
The box on the floor under the drawers is made out of flooring:
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/452/wooddrawers1.jpg
I really need to put up an Instructable about how to make finger joints too I guess. Though there are plenty of pages on the net about different ways of doing that already.
To cut the bottom of those spools I'd have probably used an edge follower on a jigsaw or router myself. I have the guides for both.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Hey! Great work! Thanks for showing what else can be done with pallets.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Thanks. That ain't the half of it really though. Mostly I make little boxes.
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/5301/eb33020.jpg
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9900/sb003.jpg
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/2429/sb004.jpg
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/5051/sb007.jpg
Lots of little wooden boxes
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/7033/xrb001.jpg
Loads of boxes:
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/7002/sb001t.jpg
Boxes inside of boxes:
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/6417/cd001.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/6286/p3050002.jpg
On top of boxes:
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/4908/p8160142.jpg
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2596/x60138.jpg
Big boxes:
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/3867/trunk007.jpg
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/4565/trunk006.jpg
little boxes:
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/2111/p9110010.jpg
sliding boxes:
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/2443/p9110017.jpg
Tool boxes:
http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/3185/p8080004.jpg
Art boxes:
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/7774/artboxtop.jpg
Shoe shine boxes:
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/2286/shoeshinebox2.jpg
Yes I keep my shoe shine stuff in that box. ha ha
Custom special boxes:
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8117/boxpk.jpg
Difficult boxes:
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/331/p9230007.jpg
Enough with the boxes already!
Every now and again I make the occasional bench or footstool or what have you too.
Shelf:
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5122/f021002.jpg
Little fretwork thing:
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6094/f021004.jpg
Words
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/7203/wel002.jpg
Even this is all made out of pallets except for the wheels:
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/6756/4c002.jpg
I guess I could have made those too. But they are pretty cheap just to buy in a craft store.
Garden trellises
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9490/trel002.jpg
Making the pointy tops is hard but I did it. I just didn't take a picture of them done. I stuck to just stuff I made out of pallets. Sometimes I actually buy wood. When I do that I try to make sure stuff comes out real nice. Wood is expensive! Pallets are for when I'm just messing around.
12 years ago on Introduction
by 'coffee' ,you mean Dark Beer of course =D .
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
In my man cave(my shop - or garage) we start with coffee and cookies, then switch to the pipes and beer later in the afternoon, followed up with the dark rum or JDs when the work is done or we need some inspiration for the hot rod or other projects... Thats how the first pedal bike chooper was built.
12 years ago on Introduction
Heck, just dump the coffee (with the grounds) on the table, grind it in with your Harley. That will stain it too. (Or spent motor oil for that manly aroma - nah.) Cool. I like it a lot! Good quality instructable BTW.
12 years ago on Introduction
Great table... very rustic... Thanks for posting... :)
12 years ago on Introduction
Coffee table ?…
Where is the coffee ???…
12 years ago on Introduction
It's a beer table, not a coffee table. Sorry, mable.
12 years ago on Introduction
F me, that's my sofa in the back ground. I love it, I needs a mable.
12 years ago on Introduction
May I suggest a name. It forms what this table is all about, man and table.
I propose that we call her Mable
all though it's up to you seeing how it is your table.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Mable it is!!!! Awesome name thanks!!
12 years ago on Introduction
I love it that this coffee table could also be used as a work platform, or possibly a fallout shelter.
12 years ago on Introduction
I love it - a man table.
Pile up wood, use power tools, nail together, stand mug of coffee on nailed-together pile.
Ug. Me carpenter.