Metal and Wood Coffee Table

I have been pretty much been dying to include metal in my builds for a long time now. But, haven’t had the means or the space to invest in welding equipment. So, when I figured out that I didn’t need the big guns to create a metal table base, I jumped at the opportunity to try!

Directions

1. Cut your aluminum tubing to size on your miter saw. Aluminum is soft enough to cut with a generic blade. I cut my tubing into the following pieces (my table top was 21 ¾ x 32″):
   1. (4) Legs @ 16 ¼”
   2. (4) Short Frames @ 20 ¼”
   3. (2) Long Frames @ 30 ½”
2. File the edges down on all pieces except for the legs — this will create a channel for the brazing material to sit in.
   
   
3. Use a wire brush to give the aluminum tubing a good cleaning before brazing anything.
   
   
4. Clamp your short frame pieces to your legs to start. Use a speed square to make sure everything is lined up properly.
   
   
5. Once everything is clamped and ready to go, fire up your Bernzomatic TS4000 and begin heating the aluminum. You will only want to focus on one joint at a time. The idea is that you want to get the aluminum hot enough for the brazing rod to melt without having to apply a direct flame to the brazing rod. This will take a bit, so be patient!
   
   
   
   As the aluminum heats up, attempt to drag the brazing rod along the joint until it melts on its own. At this point, keep the flame close enough to the joint (not on top of the joint or the brazing rod) to be able to continually provide heat to the aluminum tubing.
   
   
   
   Make sure to repeat this step for all four sides of every connected joint. Once you are done with the short frame pieces and legs, you will need to repeat steps 4 and 5 to connect the long frame pieces to the legs as well.
6. Once all of your joints have been properly brazed and you have allowed the aluminum pieces to cool (I set mind aside for about 30 minutes to be safe), use a power sander or hand sander to buff the aluminum tubing to prep for paint.
   
   
7. Next, apply paint to the base of the table – I used black spray paint in a satin finish!
   
   
8. While the base of the table dries, create and prep your table top (i.e., join the boards, sand, stain, and finish). I had a leftover table top panel from a project I had to reshoot during a data loss, and utilized it for this table.
   
   
9. Once everything has dried, attach your base to your table top by pre-drilling holes with a countersink bit (this will help the tops of the screws stay flush with the tubing).
   
   
10. Next, attach the table base to the table top by screwing 1 ¼” screws into the countersunk holes.
11. And now you’re ready to bring your table home and brag about how you made it all by yourself!