We headed to Home Depot for the third time in the weekend (I don’t even get embarrassed anymore, walking out of there with two screws or one can of spraypaint) and was pointed to Varathane Bar and Table Finish (an epoxy resin that for some reason is not sold on Amazon so here’s the product specs). We mixed that up in small batches to pour into the large gaps and (you’ll laugh) but we used a kids medicine dropper (y’know because you get one with each tylenol packet) to get it into the small cracks. Shane did some research online and after tweeting with Rustoleum, we decided we would fill the gaps and knots with epoxy, sand, then do several waterbased clear coats. That’s what gives it so much charm- but after having our patio table with slight gaps for food (and playdoh) to get stuck in, we were done scrubbing nooks and crannies on our table daily. When it was perfectly sanded, we had some thinking to do about the cracks and gaps. We used only the palm sander and sandpaper in hand on the live edge. For sanding, we started with 40 grit paper on a belt sander, working our way up to 180 on a palm sander.
#Live edge dining table full
We let it dry for a full 24 hours, then cut the length perfect (we did 6 1/2 feet) before getting to sanding. We used plenty of screws and it’s perfectly solid. Best case (again) would have been to clamp it, but we didn’t have the proper tools for that. We laminated them together by drilling pocket holes with our trusty Kreg Jig (I seriously need to get my hands on some clamps for that thing though), then liberally applied wood glue before screwing together.
For this table, we had three pieces of wood, two were live edge, one was straight edge on both sides. It’s the same cedar we used for our mantle. I cropped out my kids with their eyes half open and such. I actually didn’t get a good shot of the wood before we started stripping it down! So excuse this zoomed in shot from a distance on my phone. Size your bolts according to the metal bit you use.įor the top, this was the fun part.
#Live edge dining table install
To install the bolts, just make sure to do small pilot holes before putting the bolts through. We used a metal bit (thank you to some mechanic friends) to make our own. We asked them NOT to drill holes in the base since we wanted to make sure the holes wouldn’t go into the seams of the wood. Also- by going directly through a fabricator and NOT a legs company… and by skipping powder coating, we saved a ton. Best case would have been powder coating, but we did this to save mula in the first place, so that was out of the question for now.
When that was done, we wiped it clean (flat paint seems to leave a residue that you can wipe off), then sprayed it with clear flat paint to seal it (especially where it would get kicked). We used Rustoleum for this project ( this paint and this clear to be exact), just because I was shopping at Home Depot- just read the back and make sure it prevents rust. We did some mad wire brushing on it to get all the flakes off and then gave it several light coats of flat black spray paint. They did a fab job and it was done in a week (SO quick!).
For the base, we sent a sketch and measurements to a steel fabricator Shane works with at work. This table is basically two parts- the steel base, and the wooden top. By building the table in the fall, we had lots of tips we’d take away that we put into this (like no pesky cracks in the table for food to get stuck in!).Īlright, let’s get down to it.
So then last fall, we designed and made a patio table out of lumber and were pretty impressed with ourselves, so we got up the courage to start on this one. I got all confident (before ever having made a table, ever) and bought this live edge wood (3 planks) for a steal at $90 last year, but then let them sit and sit because making a table was intimidating as all get out. I have always loved the look of a live edge table with steel but the price tag? Notsomuch. I want to be in it… or staring at it… all the time. If you missed it- we shared the whole dining room reveal on Wednesday and it’s my favourite room in the house right now. But I promised the details… so here they go! This DIY live edge table with steel legs is the newest addition to our dining room and our DIY brag book. *sigh* I just don’t even want to talk about this one, you guys… I just want to look at it.