RM100: Stacked Tables Plant Stand
-
“I needed a different place to put my plants when I bring them in for the winter—though this is also a unique all-purpose shelving unit.” —Trudy Shallow
Posted by ReadyMade
Patricia Heal, Styling by Rational Beauty
Put those busted tables to good use.
Trudy Shallow
Lena, Wisconsin
tru-featsandaccomplishments.blogspot.com
“My husband and I operate a small family dairy farm in Wisconsin, which keeps us very busy. When I am not occupied with farming chores, I like to make things out of wood, metal, fabric, yarn, or food.”
From the Judges: “I’ve always had a fondness for the towering stacks of furniture in thrift stores and vintage shops. And I have a thing for sawed-offs, so this is right up my alley.” —Amy Devers
To see Shallow's original entry, click here.
To see the rest of the 2011 ReadyMade 100, click here.
Skill Level
Moderate
Active Time
Half a day
Cost
$$
- End tables
- Coffee table
- Hanger bolts
- Nuts to fit hanger bolts
- Primer
- Paint (like Dutch Boy Porch & Floor paint—if the paint can hold up to foot traffic, it should do pretty well in this context)
- Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish
- Patience
Materials
- Supports
- Level
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Miter saw
- Squares (couple of sizes)
- Clamps
- Camera
- Drill/driver
- Paint brushes and roller
Tools
Start on the bottom to make the height of the tables consistent (this means likely needing to cut some legs shorter). Use a torpedo level to ensure the starting table is level, and then use this same table to level off throughout the rest of the project.
As you cut off legs and add tables, rearrange your “supports” and mark for the next table. (I used whatever I could find around the house that would give me the right height.) A Clamp-It Assembly Square, which is smaller than a traditional triangle square and made of nonscratching plastic, comes in very handy to make sure that the tables are square to each other (which is key).
Clamp, clamp, clamp, and remember to level as you add tables. (You can never have enough clamps.) Make sure to take pictures as you go along so you know which table goes where.
Trace around each leg to line up where the holes will be placed for the hanger bolts that will hold the tables together.
Mark the center of each leg placement and drill holes in the tabletops.
Mark the center of each leg and drill a hole a size or two smaller than the hanger bolts. Screw in bolts.
Do a dry fit to make sure all the holes are in the right places.
Prime and paint each table separately, and let dry completely.
Continue until you have all the tables stacked, and then fasten them with nuts on the hanger bolts.
Seal with Polycrylic to protect from moisture.
