A fun recycled project, pine coffee table for my nieces new college apartment

allen levine

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This was a fun little project for me the past week during my infusion therapy. My nurse would come around 11 each day and leave by 4, so I worked on this project last weekend a bit, and each morning and afternoon. Afternoons I just kept glueing up and had glueups on the floor, since I didnt have space on the tables anymore.

The top was an old fingerjointed pine ready panel that I recycled from the first coffee table I ever made,
before I owned any tools for hardwoods. I then made my sisterinlaw dump that table when I made her the ash mission style coffee table. I used the top for a work surface in my finish room.
It was getting tossed this week since the finish room is no longer, and in the new room Im using Im building a much larger work surface.
It was all stained up and painted over with many drill holes and nail holes.
I cut it up, planed it down, reglued it and got a nice 22x44 inch top.
Top was a bit bigger, but I cut it down after I ran through the drum sander so I can see what its like to run a large top thru the 22/44.
The legs and aprons, were all part of the cheapo pine bed frame my niece used to use as a twin bed(the niece I made the cherry and maple full bed for), and my bil taped up all the wood and instead of letting him toss it that day, I took it all to use just as spacers when I stack wood.
I planed them all clean, glued them all up, and thats that.(tapered the legs only because I like the way tapered legs look)
Not a work of art, but its going into a college apt, and its not coming back, so I didnt want to waste any hardwood that cost me money.(first pic is the last two pieces of the bed frame I had left over)

I dont care much to work with such softwood for furniture. For an adirondack chair ok, but not indoor furniture.
Everyone is coming over here today for the feast, so Ill let my niece choose any color stain she wants and after some final sanding, Ill stain it up and put some poly on it.
 

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Looks great Allen, nice use of repurposed wood. How'd the 22-44 do on the panel?

It does the job and knocks off any rough spots, makes sure its all even and flat, but handling large boards bigger than this would be a problem for me without help.
Its not a great finish after the drum sander. There are lines from the sanding that need to be hit with orbital sanders working the way up grit.
I havent used anything but 80 grit in the drum sander so far, but I dont think going up much would eliminate all the sanding lines.
Smaller panels over 12 inches wide, when I use for raised panels or similar, are a pleasure to run through the 22/44, as they are easy to handle and make quick work of smoothing out a panel.
I also stopped using sleds to cut tabletops down, now with the track saw its quick, easy and accurate with no handling mishaps.
I would 1000% recommend anyone that does alot of tabletops or similar, to have a quality track saw.
 
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Pretty good idea on the recycled wood. I really like the table.

I kind of thought that track saws were really a waste of money and kind of a fad but you have me thinking a bit different now.
 
bringing the tool to the work makes it alot easier for me.Not having alot of wiggle room on the sides of the ts makes large piece hard to manuever.
I cant handle tabletops anymore. Makes it quick and easy. Breaking down sheets accurately, less waste.
 
Nice save from the dump, Allen. I think softwood is a great material for this type of project. Semi-disposable furniture is a perfect fit for most college students. :thumb:
 
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