WIP - Chunky cottage coffee table (recycled pallet timber)

**Robomanic** · 22nd February 2009, 03:09 PM

Hi All,

After the Pallet challenge held last year I took a real liking to getting something useful out of rubbish pallets. Yeah it's only pine but it should stain up fine.

So first the legs. The stock was not quite thick enough for solid square legs so they are laminated up from 2 pieces. After a few sketches on the piece to get the shape I wanted I turned them down.

Attachment 97053 Attachment 97054 Attachment 97058 Attachment 97055 Attachment 97056 Attachment 97057

Next are the frames for the end panels. These are held together with biscuits where the panel itself is just but jointed.
Not having a 1/2" router just yet means that I could not use a full raised panel set. I have a 1/2" router on the so next time Gadget - next time
Using the full panel set to cut the rails and stiles will be much quicker and stronger but I am happy with the compromise.

Attachment 97069 Attachment 97070 Attachment 97071

The long rails are Mortised into the legs, while the ends are biscuited in. Adapting as I went, I made a shallow rebate to take the panels (sorry no photos) using a trimming bit with an undersized bearing. this made it a lot easier to fit the panels into the frame.

Attachment 97072 Attachment 97073

The top will be breadboarded with a frame around it. This serves two purposes; the first is to build up the thickness to 30mm which I wanted for the top. The second is to cover up the fact that when I dressed the boards and took out the twist, there was not sufficient thickness left to take out the triangles left at each end. I'm sure there is a name for it but it means that the end of the boards would show the dips. there will be a V between the outer frame and these boards just to highlight it.

Attachment 97074 Attachment 97075 Attachment 97076

Todays effort was to get the whole frame together. I wanted to glue all the posts in one go to ensure that the frame would come together flat. I must have done something right because the diagonal measurements where only 10mm different first go, and a quick shove on one corner had the whole frame square and flat.

Attachment 97077 Attachment 97078 Attachment 97079

To be continued

...

**seriola** · 22nd February 2009, 04:55 PM

I live in a chunky cottage, this table would suit just fine.

It is always great to see recycled materials put to good use, well done. look forward to seeing the finished project, cheers.

**orraloon** · 22nd February 2009, 08:07 PM

I just love to see something good emerge from throw away wood.

**Ed Reiss** · 23rd February 2009, 01:32 PM

...so far, so good

**Harry72** · 23rd February 2009, 05:41 PM

Looks like it going to be a nice piece , free wood is good!

**Grim** · 24th February 2009, 01:58 PM

Hey Robomaniac,

I like too like the recycle method, for myself and your effort. I scavenged a hep of 50mm stakes a while back. The thing I have learnt today is to think outside the diamiter of the timber to hand, and to laminate for larger jobs. I guess I would have thought of it if the right job had come to mind, but now I can bring jobs to mind by thinking of them.....if you know what I mean!?!

**Robomanic** · 24th February 2009, 06:16 PM

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I forgot to mention that the overall size is 1300 x 760 x 430mm but you may have seen that from the photos. There are also two draws planned for the side with no panels as yet. The draw face will be set back to look like the panels, and mounted on 500mm full extension runners.

Any comments or ideas welcome

**artme** · 24th February 2009, 06:17 PM

Looking good Shannon!

**pitbull** · 1st March 2009, 03:41 PM

Nice W.I.P. shots Shannon, looking forward to the rest.

**Robomanic** · 1st March 2009, 05:17 PM

This weekend the mission was to glue up the top (stage 2) and get all the holes filled. The first step was to trim the panel made last week to size. I am not really equipped to deal with panels this size so I use other ways to get them trimmed which might be useful to those without a large area around their table saw. Basically the idea is just to clamp a straight edge down to the workpiece with an offset as shown below and trim the last couple of mm after cutting with a jigsaw;

Attachment 97870 Attachment 97871

One 'feature' I did not really want to draw attention to was a large loose knot in the top. A little Urethane glue pumped in around the back of it actually worked all the way through to the front and I was able to sand it down smooth.

(front before sanding)
Attachment 97872

Though I had pictures of the mitered frame as i was assembling it but I don't sorry. The frame is attached with biscuits along all sides and on the faces of the mitered corners.
I don't have long clamps to hold them length-ways so the whole assembly was placed between temporary dogs on the bench and wedged in place. After sanding and filling (well most of the filling is completed here);

Attachment 97873

I am still undecided about a grove around the top where the frame meets the panels to highlight it. Any thoughts?

**artme** · 6th March 2009, 04:42 PM

I think a groove would be OK Shannon, just make it small.

**rgum** · 14th March 2009, 10:03 PM

Hey? I recognise that workshop.
Well done Shannon.

Tony.

**Wood Borer** · 14th March 2009, 10:53 PM

Nice.

The recycling appeals to me.

Don't worry about it being pine, too many times I think people use expensive and rare timbers for jobs that could just as easily been done in pine. Obviously special jobs warrant better timber for stability, grain and colour.

**Robomanic** · 14th March 2009, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by rgum

Hey? I recognise that workshop.
Well done Shannon.

Tony.

G'day Tony,

It looks a little different at the moment after the downpour this afternoon. It was the last straw with the downpipes and they clogged. Only option was to open the bung and try and bucket it out until I could get my hands on some PVC pipe. Man that second heavy shower had it running like a fire hydrant!. Pictures tomorrow and you may even recognize some of the materials that formed my aqueduct

No damage to anything but it would have been a lot worse if I wasn't home. Making me take a good look at my round-to-it list

.

Thanks to all of you for your opinions over the pine. Guess I'm a bit defensive rubbing shoulders with lots of guys who do great work with carefully chosen timber. SWMBO loves it and that's what really matters. I'll give her a taste for expensive timber when I can keep up the $upply.

**Robomanic** · 15th March 2009, 10:59 AM

Pictures as promised - desperate times...

Attachment 99222

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