Sometimes customers come to Aurora Mills looking for specific resources to complete a vision. On Saturday we met Rob, a visitor who was looking for some reclaimed barn wood to build a coffee table. We were happy to be able to help him out.
Here is what Rob said about his project:
“I bought some wood from you guys yesterday to make a coffee table. I had a welder build the frame, I aged the steel and then used your wood for the top. It turned out perfect.
- Rob”
He was also kind enough to include some incredible images of the final product.
Another example of a DIY reclaimed wood table
Get your own!
If you are interested in having one of these fine looking tables, you have two options. First, Rob has kindly offered to hand-make one for anyone who is interested. Just contact him here. Your second option is to take a leaf out of Rob’s book and make one for yourself! Here is a great “How To” (courtesy of www.apartmenttherapy.com) that gives you step-by-step instructions:
What You Need
Materials
Reclaimed Wood (board feet dependent upon table size required)
Table Legs
Sand Paper
Steel Wool
Wood Screws
Tools
Drill/Screwdriver
Hammer
Pliers (optional)
Gloves (optional)
Saw Horses
Rip Saw (with wood blade)/Hand Saw
Instructions
1. Bring Home Salvaged Wood
We happened to have a reclaimed and salvaged wood shop go out of business a few blocks away. So like good soldiers we drove our sweet mini van over and put 3 – 12′ boards on top and strapped them down. They were covered in nails, metal, screws, all sorts of things. Bringing gloves is always a bonus if you have tender paws! If you don’t have access to a large vehicle for transport, check Craigslist for folks with trucks looking to make $10-$20 with their truck for an afternoon.
2. It’s Nail Pullin’ Time
Most salvaged and reclaimed wood will be laden with hardware used to hold it together in its previous life. Our 3 pieces had several hundred nails, screws and staples that needed to be pulled. Just commit to being sweaty and get started pulling! Be careful to pull with the grain of the wood so you don’t damage it if it’s been outside and exposed to weather that will soften it.
3. Cut To Length
For our space we were looking for an 8′ table which will seat 8 comfortably with the style of legs we purchased and 10 when we want to squeeze folks in. The discarded pieces were perfect for braces under the table as they were already split. Score!
4. Line ‘em Up
We were lucky in the sense that our found wood was already straight. Many pieces might require a bit more effort (like being run through a joiner and then table saw) to get them to square up. Ours were good to go and a little muscle helped keep them perfect during the next step.
5. Ah Screw It!
We used screws we happened to already have in our tool box, so although I’d love to tell you the exact ones we used so you can run out to the hardware store, I’m just not that much of a carpentry genius. Instead we walked out, held them against the edge and said, “Yup, that’ll do.” We used 9 (3 for each support) screws, though that number could easily be doubled for better security.
6. She’s Got Legs & She Knows How To Use Them
Although we could have made legs ourselves, we didn’t want things to look too picnic table-ish, so instead we had already ordered legs from IKEA in anticipation of finding wood for a project like this. They are VIKA LERBERG legs and run $10 each. With shipping to Missouri, it was an additional $10 total for both legs. Although that sucks in theory, finding hip table legs close to home was simply out of the question. $30 for legs, even if those who live close to an IKEA get them for less, is still just fine by me. The table can simply rest on top of these legs or you can use additional hardware to secure them to the top.
7. Sand, Buff, Seal
Now is the time to bust out the sand paper, steel wool or orbital sander (though that will remove most of your rustic patina). We used a low number sand paper followed by steel wool to knock down and smooth all burs that might catch our diners’ elbows. From here you can choose to wax, seal or leave it natural depending on the look desired. For now we’re going natural, but there’s probably a coat of Deft in our future!
8. What’s For Dinner?
We now have an 8′ table … who wants to come over for dinner? I can’t promise air conditioning, but I can give you a seat at our table.
