Steel is like a pair of jeans; you can dress it down or up. Down would be square tubing and a basic design for a tougher-than-nails shop table. For dressing up, add tile, glass and a few design changes to make this stylish end table.
End tables could stand dressing up. Not too much — an end table should not scream at you from across the room — but just enough that when you set a novel on it, you pause in appreciation.
There’s much to appreciate about this end table. It is strong and simple, true to the Mission/Shaker style. It is also true to the Shaker maxim that “beauty rests on utility”: The beauty of tile and glass rests on steel, creating an end table that is all about utility. The porcelain floor tile doesn’t need a coaster; water won’t hurt it. The 18 x 26in. dimensions allow the table to fit into a cozy corner; yet it is large enough for a vase or lamp and reading materials. The length means it fills the area beside a couch, leaving no difficult-to-clean corner gap. Finally, the glass shelf holds books or looks classy all by itself.
Best of all, the end table is easy to make. Cut square tubing, drill holes and weld the parts together — that’s basically it. The materials are available at hardware stores, home centers, metalworking-and welding-supply shops and glass companies.
For tools, you’ll want a metal cutter and drill press, but you can get by with a hacksaw and cordless drill. You’ll also need clamps, a centerhole punch, a square, a thread tap and wrench, a wirefeed welder and a metal grinder.
Purchase tile first
Tile shops have a huge and fascinating selection, so you can afford to be picky. The stated dimensions for this tile are 16 x 24 in., but it is slightly larger. Measure your tile accurately and then add an extra 1/16 in. when cutting the tubing to frame the tile. The extra ensures that you can easily drop the tile inside the frame once you finish it.
Be sure to cut pieces precisely. It’s hard work with a hacksaw, but at least it’s easy to see the blade and be exact. A metal cutter, however, is generally a little less precise. So cut the pieces a little long and shave off steel until the length is right.
Diligent drilling
To make nine 3/8in. holes in each of the four end rails, you have to center-punch (top left photo, opposite) the end rails 36 times and bore pilot and final holes. Bore pilot holes with a 9/64in. bit (center photo, opposite) before enlarging them to 3/8 in.
To bore holes for the center cluster of rods, drill at the midpoint of the end rail and then on each side so the rods are spaced 7/8 in. OC.
To bore holes for the side clusters, first drill so the outside edge of the rod is 11/2 in. from the inside of the leg (see diagram). Then move toward the center, boring holes spaced 7/8 in. OC.
Assemble end pieces
On a flat welding surface, spotweld the ends of two legs to an end rail; make sure the holes point to the base. Then use a square as a guide while welding so the corners are square.
Insert rods in the holes of the top end rail. It’s a tight fit — meaning no welding or rattling — so you’ll have to tap the rods into place. Now insert the other rod ends into the holes in the bottom end rail. This is easier if you tap the end rail while a helper positions the rods. Start at one side and move toward the other. When you’re finished, spot-weld the ends of the bottom end rail to the lower legs. Then use a square as a guide while welding the bottom end rails.
With one end assembled, repeat the process to weld the other end. Using a square at all corners, put the end table together by welding the side rails and stretchers to the end units.
If the table is tippy, try diagonally clamping (top right photo, opposite) first one end and then the other. This squares the corners and makes the table rest flat on the floor.
Time for tile
The strips support the tile and its wood base. Cut six steel strips and screw them to the underside of the side rails (photo, above left). Use a 5/32in. bit to bore through the strips and a 9/64in. bit to make holes in the side rails. Use an 832NC tap, and secure the strips with the 8 x 321/2in. screws.
Grind all welds smooth and sand them; then wipe with mineral spirits and finish (I used a spray hammered-look black finish).
When the paint is dry, cut 5/8in. plywood or particleboard to fit inside the frame. Lay this base and the 3/8in. tile on the strips. The top of the tile should be flush with the top of the 1in. square tubing.
Final touches: Tap square furniture tips (available at hardware stores) into the leg ends, and stick vinyl tabs on the stretchers. Place the glass on the stretchers. Now brew a cup of coffee, sit in your favorite chair beside your now favorite end table, and read your favorite magazine — which of course would be HANDY.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Use a center-hole punch to mark hole positions on the end rails. This keeps the drill bit from “skating” on the steel surface.
Step 2: Bore small pilot holes in the end rails before drilling full-size holes (3/8-in.). Clamp the end rail in the drill-press vise to prevent a bit catch that could cause injury.
Step 3: Diagonal clamping first one end of the end table and then the other squares the corners and makes the table rest flat on the floor.
Step 4: Six steel strips screwed to the underside of the side rails support the particleboard base for the tile.