Hello,

I made a new coffee table! Out of a pallet, a mirror, and some skids that come on lumber bundles for legs. All for something like 30 dollars in materials assuming you don't have the things I happened to have laying around.

Step 1: Pallet and Idea

I've seen a bunch of nice pallet tables around on Instructables and I've wanted one. So while at work I started scouting out pallets that would make for a nice table. I found this nice rather clean one and had some nice slate 3x6 tiles left over from doing my mother's backsplash that fit almost perfectly in the gaps. And fiddled around with ideas at work (slow day)

I ran over to hardware with an idea Mirror in the gaps! framed in with the slate tiles.

Cut me a piece of mirror to fit. (this part I did after I was off the clock you slackers!) Paid for it and some thin pine plywood pieces for the spots I wanted the slate to sit.

Went home hammered in the backer on the far ends of the pallet. Taped up the mirror to see how it looked.

Step 2: Mounting Mirror and Testing Stain.

I used regular mirror hanging clips to hold the mirror in place, I did have to hammer in a few nails on the side to keep it pushed to the outside. The pallet wasn't totally square.

Once those were set I started testing stain, dark walnut which I used on my tv stand and other table didn't look right so I went with a red mahogany.

Step 3: Staining, and Polyurathane.

The pallet it self was fairly clean so I only did a light sand on a few edges. The legs though were rather ruff. U wanted them to keep the rustic beat up look though so I only shaved the legs with my pocket knife to remove the splinters and gave it a very very light sand.

Once it was cleaned up I stained it all, I use cloth rather than a brush because I can sponge it into cracks better.

Once that's on brush on the poly. Stir don't shake you don't want bubbles. Took me 3 coats to get it to the level of shiny I wanted.

Step 4: Setting Tiles and Final Clean Up of the Top.

Next step (which I didn't fully photograph) was to figure out the placement of the tiles and set them.

I had to shave some of the tiles to set them into the grooves. (I'm bad don't judge) I used a wood rasp to slowly shave them to just barley fit. I ended up not liking the side tiles so I just did the ends and the middle.

Once they fit I glued them into place with liquid nails. and mixed up some gray grout (which I also just happened to have sitting around.)

Once that was dry I decided I wanted it all shiny so I added one more coat of poly to everything, tiles grout and all.

Step 5: Mounting the Legs!

I used some floor mending joists to mount the legs I had to use one on each side to make them sturdy. Took care to make sure they were straight and aligned with each other on the outside of the table.

The last 2 left over slate tiles I had have been coated in poly and had cork glued to the bottom and are now coasters. Add a glass of whiskey, and a bottle of beer, a nice oil lamp, a candle and a cat and we have the most beautiful coffee table in the world.

Of note when that 12 pound cat jumps on this bad boy it doesn't look like its going to collapse like the old ugly laminated store bought pos that was there before.