A Tale of Two Tables, part 1

It’s been a while! I’ve been in the garage, building stuff. What stuff, you ask? Tables! I decided that it would be cheaper (and certainly more fun) to build my own tables to spec than it would be to hunt around at Ikea and various secondhand shops for tables of not-quite-the-right-size. All you DIY people know what I mean.

Of course, the last time I did any woodwork was … never. So never let it be said that I lack ambition when it comes to building stuff.

But I found an amazing site full of furniture plans. Thank you, Ana White! Armed with a plan (yes, carpentry puns!) I headed off to Lowe’s. And then it snowed. Remember my lumber, languishing in the back of my car? Yes, that lumber. Anyway, after the great thaw, I went to work. With some pretty retro tools:

It may be old, but it still has a lot of life (and sparks) in it.

Who could resist such a pretty saw?

These are my dad’s. I suspect they are older than I am. But they sure do work. And although I was handicapped by only having two C-clamps (oh, the humanity!), I made quick progress on Day 1:

Table legs!

Legs, meet stretchers:

“Measuring” boards for the top:

And by the end of the day, I had this sexy little thing:

It only wobbles a tiny bit (I forgot that the square only works when you actually pick it up and use it), but since this table will live outside on a gravel surface, a bit of rocking really doesn’t matter.

Stay tuned for the saga of the big beater table!

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