Table Build Log

Martynt74

Martynt74

Martynt74

Soldato
Joined
20 Feb 2004
Posts
23,428
Location
Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
After breaking our last outdoor table by using it as a workbench. I've decided i need to build a replacement.

I'm trying to decide the best method of fitting the top section together though. I can think of the following

Biscuit joints - Can't afford a biscuit jointer
Half lap joints - Might be the best option, and then glue/screw the overlaps. Should be fairly easy with a router.
Pocket holes - Don't have a jig and feels hard to justify £60 for something to drill an angled hole!
Bracing underneath - Probably the easiest option

But i thought i'd ask on here for other solutions.


My plan is to use 1" wood, use a router to get a nice round table (might as well get some use out of it) rather than a jigsaw.

Then i plan to either bend some thin stripwood around the perimeter to create a lip and fill the table with beer tops/broken tiles to form a mosaic which will then get covered in a clear resin to seal it all in place.

Alternatively i could use the router to route out a groove inside the table but that would take bloody ages and feels like excessive work. Happy to hear other option though to get the shallow channel for the bottle tops.

The other option would be to make a square table. This would mean no cutting to get it round and i could also just use thicker wood for the outside edges. Feels less joinery like though!


For the support my plan was to cut out a 3" square in the centre of the top and build a single leg in the following shape to fit into it.


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Then use angle supports cut at 45" to provide stability.



Not sure if thats all explained very well but does anyone have any input or advice?

Also any recommendations on clear setting resin suitable for external applications or know how much would be required, the table will probably be about 0.75M2
 
If you're covering the top, and therefore not leaving the wood exposed - why get into jointing at all? You might as well use some dimensionally stable sheet material.
 
There is a specific design for tables using tenon and mortice joints that allow for expansion with the wood aligned to provide the correct dimensional stability. They are often described as pub tables. I have a book with a plan in it. The joints have elongated holes that allow the board to move around the pegs so you get the wood being held with the grain but allowed to expand across it which sounds essential for an outdoor table.
 
Good shout on sheet material. I figured it would still be exposed underneath though. It also wouldn't look great underneath.

I don't really see how mortice and tenon type joints would work for a round table. It would be fine for a square table with an outer frame for the joins but i was just going to use this method rather than an outer frame for the wood.

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Just wanted a slightly more advanced way of joining the wood as opposed to battening.


I am now however thinking this method may be a good option as it would allow me to easily make a border for the resin to sit within. Which would allow for M&T joints

mLINsAm.png
 
PlacidCasual said:
There is a specific design for tables using tenon and mortice joints that allow for expansion with the wood aligned to provide the correct dimensional stability. They are often described as pub tables. I have a book with a plan in it. The joints have elongated holes that allow the board to move around the pegs so you get the wood being held with the grain but allowed to expand across it which sounds essential for an outdoor table.
Click to expand...


I know it's not a round table but any chance you might be able to post the plans anyway, it sound interesting.
 
This Epoxy Resin coating for my bottletops is looking to be more expensive than i'd anticipated. Starting to debate just building a wooden table top!
 
Well just to turn this into a build log.

Table all set up, can't wait for the day that i have something permenant and stable!

OgGuiZe.jpg



Pieces all cut to shape, this took a lot of messing as seems my saw wasn't cutting exact 60" angle

zRYf2fg.jpg



Routed out a channel for the plywood to sit in, this creates the outer lip to hold all the resin in

KQuLNat.jpg



All fitted together and a layer of PVA applied to seal the plywood and stop the resin soaking in

0iQSUis.jpg



And finally the stand piece. A nice chucky centre leg of 4" x 4". I've cut out a centre tenon which slots through the hole in the plywood. In hindsight i wish i'd done this in a hexagonal shape to match the table, but it's too late now!

nKoIT4S.jpg



FFS - Imgur shows my pictures as being the right way up when i click on them but when i paste the links they go sideways. Apologies for any sore necks!
 
Well it's coming along nicely.

For the base support, i got my local timber yard to rip a 3" x 3" length diagonally to create 2 triangular sections. I've then mitred them to form a square around the base. I think this should be sturdy enough as it's not the biggest table so hoping i can get away with it.

I've not done a brilliant job on the hole in the top panel for the base support, it's a bit big so need to pack that out a bit before i can move on.

qKxE2NN.png


My electric plane has also arrived courtesy of a birthday gift so can crack on with that too.

The plan is to stain the base/outer perimeter of the table. Need to check some woodstain in the loft to make sure it's suitable for external use.
 
It's about 10" square. I do have some concerns about how sturdy it'll be but i've dry fitted it together and it's not wobbly, so should be ok given it'll only be used for resting cups on when sat outside.

EDIT, so people have an idea this is the endgame, need to sort through my big tub of bottle tops to try and make a decent pattern.

FNFUX6QFYTCMKHS.MEDIUM.jpg
 
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Whilst the picture looks a LOT worse than reality, it's still quite uneven. It seems the endgrain is absorbing a lot more of the stain than the other areas. Is there a way to control this?

UTqu0Hy.jpg


This is after about 8 hours, maybe after a sand and second coat it may even out.
 
How about painting that bottom bit black? It would cover the wood plugs you've used and also mean that the bottom doesn't always look filthy as muck blows onto it.

Looking good though!
 
Coming along nicely. Layout is set. Just need to finish with the resin.

Annoyingly I ran out of unique tops so had to do a ring of one beer. Ended up choosing Heineken as it's a bit prettier.

p1u60H8.png




Apologies if this is huge but posting from my phone and can't seem to edit the image size
 
All gone a bit wrong last night. Started the day building a new support for the base, Have gone for 2 squares slightly bigger than the one above so it should be nice and stepped. Think the original base is 9" square, then i used 6" pieces glued together and then 7" pieces so should be about an inch each step, and it's 1" thick wood.

Cut and glued, just need to stain

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Then i started pouring the resin, even though i used my spirit level and got it as level as i could it all dripped down one side.

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It was dry this morning so i'm hoping it picks/sands off easily enough. I do have quite a few air bubbles in it which looks a bit rubbish, i used a hairdryer to get as many out as i could but the more i got rid of the more that seemed to appear.

On final inspection there are also a few bits where there's a dip between bottle caps. I wish i'd kept some resin/hardener back so i could touch it up. I's a bit expensive including postage to order more which is dissappointing. I'll have to see how it ends up and whether i'm happy with it.
 
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