Thread: Timber for tables

Try finding pallets. Bunnings and other importers smash up lots of them regularly. Rough but quite easily recyclable and the price is right $0.


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500bux spread across 10 tables only leaves 50bux each. The only thing I can think of from paid-for timber is 90x35 merch pine which goes for about $1.50p/m.

8 sticks for tabletop @ 2400long with a 3mm gap gives you a top about 740 wide. And knock up some 'X' type legs with a single stretcher rail at the intersection of the X.

Probably work out close to about 40-50 bux each by the time u add in screws, glue, stain, finish, etc.

Thank you guys for your ideas.

If you wouldn't mind bearing with me for a moment I have one more question.


Assuming that I already had the necessary things for the legs, and had the finish, glue etc.

at $50 a table just for the boards and assuming it will probably consist of 2 x 325mm or so wide planks, this would work out at about $10/meter.
($50 / 2 x 2.5 )

Would this make a difference as to what quality of wood I would use? If some boards were thicker could I cut them in half length ways and halve the cost, as I think 15mm would be thick enough?

Any help is much appreciated.

Phil

See if you can find a machinery importer who gets gear in enclosed wooden crates. Quite often the sides, top and bottom
are made from a better type on "chip board". I fyou offer to take them off their hands you will have large flat pieces for the
table tops.

Glass people get long open sided crates so they are a good source of longer timber.

I suggest 20mm thickness. much better span. Don't forget if yo cut a 30mm board down the middle you have to account for
the saw blade kerf, so you actually wind up with a thicker and a thinner piece or two pieces up to 2mm under your 15mm.

Slapped this together for New Year's eve dinner: 2400 X 700-800 (?). 19mm pine tongue and groove floor boards from Mitre10 with an offcut across the underside about 200mm from each end. With 3 chairs each side it was a touch bouncey so I stiffened it with 2 packing crate 2 X 1's lengthwise that were picked up off ebay for 50 cents each a while back. Think the top cost $47 and the easles were made from stuff I picked up off a nature strip, including the hinges !

Good luck with the wedding,

Sam

Buy these:
http://www.bunnings.com.au/marquee-s...table_p3191115

Sell on gumtree later for $20 each.

We did our wedding tables out of flooring sheets sitting on trestles. Very cheap.

Thank you everybody for your ideas. I have spent the day exploring them and had a few ups and a few downs! The T&G floorboards I thought were a stroke of genius but lack of options in my small town mean I would hve to go further afield (local bunnings and mitre 10 stock very little choice). The bunnings tables will be the back up plan thanks, but I like the idea of exposed wood. I visited the building recycler and had a few wins though, with new stringy bark palings pretty damn cheap at $2.10 at about 1.2m x 100mm. I know these would warp etc over time but may just be suitable enough to use then take apart to let do their thing before being recycled. Whilst this is still an option, my biggest lead comes in the form of an old barn I remembered on was on my parents property. It is an old 1920's dairy and all the interior pens and yards are made form hardwood.... given it's already dilapidated condition I thought i'd grab a piece of wood and have a look. I wouldn't mind hearing what you guys think....

20150325_181040.jpg20150325_181055.jpg20150325_181104.jpg20150325_181040.jpg20150325_181055.jpg20150325_181104.jpg

SOrry photo's went in twice ad can't figure out how to undo!

EDIT: After a quick sand i just used a bit of gilly stephensons polish to bring it up for the photo so natural colour was a bit blonder!

Ditto to pallets.

Was in a café recently and in conjunction with their pine construction, the gaps between the planks were infilled with a red hardwood (probably forest red decking offcuts).

Along with the clear finish, the end result looked brilliant.

I think the chipboard option is a bit too tacky, but this has some added bling.