Lee Marrett wrote:

Hi,

I'm just beginning to learn the craft. I've been doing a fair amount of
reading and I decided a good starter project would be an outdoor table.


After some searching, the basic outdoor table found at ana white's blog
(http://ana-white.com/2010/04/plans-s...ing-table.html)
seems like a simple thing to make to get my confidence boosted.

Has anyone made this table before, or would there be a better one out
there to start with?

many thanks

Lee

Lee, RonB, asked a very important question - "What part of the country do
you live in? That will determine a couple of very important things, 1) the
wood you use, 2) the finish you use.

For instance, I am in South Central Alabama (not far enough south to worry
about salt and not far enough north to worry about snow.). My choice is
wood would be Cypress heart wood (I would buy the boards and remove any
obvious sapwood prior to construction) Then I would finish with an very
good grade of exterior oil (I usually use General Finishes, available at
Woodcraft)

If you are further north, white oak would be an acceptable choice, as long
as it is kiln dried. Again the exterior oil finish. Urethane works well,
but I just like the oil for durability and ease of repair.

I mentioned the finish, if you are either in the South or South-west, you
want something with a very high UV rating. Further north its not quite as
important.

If you are on the West side of the country, redwood would be a great choice

If money is not object, mahogany, jarrah, Ipe, or various other exotics
(read a lot more expensive) are good choices.

You are going to use this outside, I assume you will leave it outside.
Therefore, Titbond III is about your best choice for glue. Use Stainless
steel screws to join.

The advice for using two 2x4's glued together for the legs is an excellent
idea. You will need the mass and its a good way to get it. But going with
any of the woods I mentioned above, you are probably going to be limited to
4x4 stock (actually 3/4" if you are using wood from a Big Box store or a
lumber yard) and will have to glue up the legs and then cut them down.
Still you really need the mass on those legs as they will take a lot of
stress, which a 3x3 leg will be able to handle. It will also look a lot
better than a thinner leg.

WHAT EVER YOU DO - "DO NOT" - REPEAT, DO NOT, BUILD IT OUT OF PINE (most of
which is fast grown and has a much shorter life than the more slowly grown
pines). IT WILL GO AWAY IN NO MORE THAN TWO YEARS.



Deb