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I looked all over for a good coffee table but could never find one that my fiance’ liked. After two weeks I got fed up because we couldn’t find a table we both liked and I said “If you don’t pick a coffee table then I’ll just build one.” This became a great excuse to buy brand new power tools!

And build one is exactly what I did. Lauren found an old door next to the house at which she works which had a glass center. The glass is two-pane and tempered and held together with a metal box “frame” and sealed with a rubber compound. This is of course VERY heavy.

When picking the type of wood the only thing locally I could find in good supply (and on a Friday) was Red Oak. I like Red Oak and have used it in some of my “heavier” constructions a few years ago (a gun cabinet and a table). I consulted with my structural engineer [Blaize] (actually he is just a lot better with math than I am) and we came up with the correct figures and cuts that I needed to make. The glass itself is about 5 1/2′ long and this makes for a long coffee table. I don’t mind the length at all, I’m actually glad when people sit on my sofa everybody has a spot for their feet

You can see from the pictures it is a simple construction: 45 degree cuts on the corners, the recess sits beneath the top and extends out for the glass to rest on for an 1 1/2 inches. I sanded it with my new Dewalt sander once I assembled it (with my new Dewalt drill and clamps) with 120 grit paper then again with 320 grit to prep it for stain. I used Minwax Red Mahogany wood stain.

As an afterthought, my fiance’ wants a shelf to go beneath the glass for books and whatnot. I’ll probably knock this out next weekend. There was also question as to the warping of the table because it spans so long with no center support and is also holding a very heavy glass top. I sorta planned for this by having the glass ends as close as possible to the table legs but I might go back and support the underside by placing on all sides a 2 inch “trim” so the weight of the top of the table is supported by the side of the trim instead of having the trim’s grain run down the table. In other words the face of the trim will face outward.

So in the mean time enjoy these pictures until I get the construction completed and satin finish put on there. Mr. Leonard Acker at Slidell High School would be proud!

~ by johndball on May 11, 2008.