Aug 28 2009
BBQ Table
Last Sunday I was getting coop burnout. I wanted to do something in the shop, but didn’t want it to be about chickens. 
While going though a weekend project magazine that Evelyn had picked up, I saw a neat little BBQ table made out of cedar. I had plenty of cedar, and I needed a table, so what the heck.
Here is how it is set up on our back patio area. The table is on the left, and our Weber Baby-Q is sitting next to it (on a non-functioning old gas grill base).
It’s a pretty good size — about 42 inches long, and 19 inches wide. The original design had the legs fold away into the body. A neat idea, but I didn’t have the right sized wood to make it work properly. (I used my on-hand 1×4 pickets, which are about 1/2″ thick. They call for 3/4″ thick lumber.)
I used bolts with wingnuts to hold the legs on, in case we need to transport or store it. So far it has been very handy to have. Total cost? About $10 in materials.
Update: Here are two more photos of the underside. The first is a closeup of how the legs attach. The second is the whole underside.
The legs are cut at 15 degrees on each end. The corner braces also have 15 degree cuts. If the legs were folding, you’d have to round off the end where the bolt goes, and offset one set of legs so that they nest together. For my purpose, the fixed legs work fine. (I tried the folding, but it was too unstable using my thin lumber. And I didn’t have the patience to cut a proper curve. )
5 Responses to “BBQ Table”
One of the neat things about this project is that it doesn’t require any special tools. The cuts are all straight, except for the legs, which are at a very simple angle (15 degrees). It’s something that could be done with a circular, jig, miter, or even a hand saw.
I’ll post another couple of photos of the bottom so you can see how the legs attach.
The hardest part was getting the slats aligned and pre-drilling / screwing all the boards.
I also like the design because you can size it down pretty easily. For example, make it about 1/3rd as long and use them for end tables.
Oh, and even if you take the time to align all the 12 top pieces, chances are that some will be out of whack (too long). In my case, I had one edge very straight (because it was assembled against a straight edge), but the other size was a little jagged.
This is an easy problem to solve. Just clamp down a straightedge and use a circular saw to cut a clean line down the whole thing (once assembled). That’s how I got the clean line when it’s right-side up. (You can see how some are out of whack from the bottom view.)
Very nice table! One of the nice things about you and Evelyn is that you actually DO all the things you think about, as opposed to the rest of us mere mortals who don’t get off our duffs.
So here’s an idea for you to ponder – how about small greenhouses, or maybe smaller cold frames, made from recycled CD jewel cases? I have not idea if that type of plastic will hold the heat but it sure would keep junk out of landfills while encouraging food production at home!
An interesting idea. Funny, I just ran across this a moment ago:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/09/02/shanghai-corporate-pavilion-greens-up-2010-world-expo/
CD cases are made up of polycarbonate, which is an option for this sort of stuff. The downside is that it has high thermal expansion, so as it heats/cools it can create gaps. I’ll have to play around with some and see if they can be worked into a project.
(Glass, polycarbonate, and fiberglass reinforced polyester are most commonly used in things like solar dryers.)
Great Idea Ron. And for those who don’t want to build and are not familiar, you can order your Park-A-Q from ParkAQ.com today. It will be there in plenty of time for the holidays!
Enjoy
Nick