Recycled Wood Dining Table

Print

92
Twitter

Design  
pallets recycled wood table wood
5 Comments  ·  32 Saves  ·  46 Likes :) I like this
  • pallettable_800
ReadyMade

Posted by ReadyMade  
by Jen Turner; Photos by Greg Scheidemann

A few years ago during a visit to Paris, Jen Turner had dinner en plein air with a friend named Julien around a table he’d cobbled together using parts of a European construction pallet. Back in New York, she began noticing cast-off pallets everywhere. Having designed a line of furniture pieces that perform multiple functions, Turner jumped to give Julien’s idea an American twist.

As we’re sure you know, pallets are unique by nature, hence no two are ever exactly alike. That’s OK—the directions below can be adjusted as necessary. We suggest finding all of the pallets first, comparing them with the dimensions in the instructions, and then shopping for the rest of the materials.

To download PDF instructions for making the table, including Turner’s renderings, click here.

Shown in the Picture: SOLVAR dining chairs, $50 each; GODIS Mix glasses, $7 for six; LEENDE carafe, $8, all available at ikea.com.

Skill Level

Hard

Active Time

Weekend

Cost

$$$

    Materials

  • [A] Two 40×48-inch pallets (tabletop)
  • [B] Two 2424-inch pallets (or cut down 48-inch pallets) (base)
  • [C] Two 8-foot-long 2x4s (center gussets)
  • [D] Two 48-inch-long 1x4s (gussets)
  • [E] Four 22-inch-long 1x4s (angled braces)
  • [F] One 2x6 measuring 4 feet 7½ inches (rail)
  • [G] One 2x4 measuring 4 feet 7½ inches (rail)
  • [H] 1-inch-thick boards for infill (width and color is up to you)
  • [I] Six plastic ends of cardboard mailing tubes (optional)
  • [J] #10-32, 1½-inch and 2-inch deck screws
  • [K] twelve 3- to 4-inch pots with herbs or small edibles

    Tools

  • Sanding block (or electric sander)
  • Saw (or have the hardware store do your cutting)
  • Drill with corresponding bits
  • Clamps or vises
 
1

Remove any splintering wood and sand boards as necessary.

2

2. Assemble the top:

2a. Arrange the two pallets end to end along the 40-inch sides. Place the center of [D] against the inside faces of the pallets at the joint between them. Screw the gusset from the inside face using 1½-inch-long screws so that you don’t see them when looking from the outside.

2b. Insert the two [C] gussets leaving a minimum of 4½ inches of space from the pallet’s center gusset. Screw through the top and bottom existing boards to secure the gussets using the 2-inch-long screws.

3

Assemble the base:

3a. Predrill holes in the four [E] brace boards using the downloadable renderings available at the top of the page. Use the “A” jig for the pair of braces on one side of the truss and the “B” jig for the pair on the other side of the truss.

3b. Use 1½-inch-long screws to secure the brace pieces to the top [F] and bottom [G] rails. (Clamps and/or grips would be handy here.)

3c. Screw the [I] feet into the bottom of the base pallets.

3d. Center the assembled base truss in the "hollow" sides of the upright base pallets (use clamps and/or grips for help) and secure the truss with 2-inch-long screws at the top/bottom edges and all four ends of the rails.

4

Attach the tabletop to the base pallets by screwing through the bottom boards of the pallet to the 2x4 side (top) of the base pallet at four evenly spaced locations along the 24-inch length (predrill the bottom boards of the tabletop pallets to make this easier).

5

Arrange the infill material as desired and secure into gussets below with a 1½-inch screw at each end.

6

Fill the openings with potted herbs (good for garnish!) as desired.

7

Variations:

1. Finish the table with oil, wax, or a polyurethane/deck sealer to add weather resistance.
2. Use a more expensive wood like cedar as another weatherproofing alternative.
3. Scale the table down by making it half as long.