How to Create a Marble-Top Coffee Desk

Philip Friedman

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POP Assignments is a selection of new and common projects from much more than a century of Well-known Mechanics. Grasp competencies, get device recommendations, and, most importantly, make something of your extremely have.

I not too long ago turned mindful that we required a new espresso table. Enable me rephrase that. My spouse created me mindful that we required a new espresso desk. All those forms of revelations come about when you are married. We would acquired a coffee table at a tag sale 20 yrs ago, and despite the fact that it served us very well, I have to confess that my spouse was right. The table was beginning to glance a minor dated.

I drew up several layouts for a substitution I resolved to forgo wood, opting alternatively to use extruded aluminum tubing for the foundation and a marble slab for the top rated. I was searching for a cleanse, mechanical, minimalist design. The foundation is made from fractional 15 Sequence clean T-slotted aluminum, an extruded material with slots that settle for connectors. You basically slide the legs, stretchers and connectors together­ and tighten the setscrews.

You can obtain this aluminum in inventory lengths and cut it to fit. For the tabletop, I utilised a 1¼-inch-thick slab of Crema Marfil marble, an inherently long lasting and superbly less than-said material. (Be positive to shield it with a granite and marble sealer.)

Our style and design is quick to build and hundreds of dollars considerably less than identical tables. Far better but, it offers you entire management of the top’s color and edge condition.

These Equipment Will Enable

Options and Resources

Make the Base

If you are slicing the areas oneself, the extruded aluminum is straightforward to perform with: Use an 8-teeth-per-inch metallic-­cutting blade in a jigsaw. Clamp an aluminum rafter square to every single leg and stretcher to assure the jigsaw helps make a sq. lower, and operate the saw’s shoe along its edge. Slice each individual leg and stretcher marginally oversize and clean each and every cut stop, bringing the leg to finished dimension.

We smoothed the slash end working with a huge Delta disc sander with its miter gauge clamped in posture. Flippantly push every single slash floor from 80-grit abrasive paper. Go quick. If you press too tough, you can expect to either tear the disc or take out much too considerably steel.

💡 Maintain the sander’s miter gauge in situation with a clamp.

Missing a disc sander, you can use a 10-inch-very long ­double-minimize aluminum file. Also named a Sort A file, it has a fairly coarse, double-reduce tooth sample.

Use a combination sq. to placement the right-angle connectors on the table legs. Established the sq. to 4½ inches and keep it in opposition to the bottom of the leg. Slip a connector into the leg’s T-shaped slot, then slide the connector down until it hits the stop of the square’s metal rule. Tighten the setscrew with a 5⁄32­-inch Allen wrench.

Thread a rubber foot on to the bottom of each and every leg and tighten it with the Allen wrench, then entire the base by assembling the legs, stretchers and mounting clips for the leading. Slip a stretcher over the connector on each and every leg, butt it tightly to the adjoining surface, and tighten the setscrews. Complete the base by sliding the appropriate-angle mounting clips into the groove.

Attach the Top rated

Rip and crosscut the tiny plywood blocks that you are going to use to mount the marble best to the foundation. Next, lay the best on a padded surface area, mark the outside the house corners in which each and every leg is to be positioned, and invert the foundation on to the top rated. Align the exterior corner of each leg with its pencil marks. You can also invert the foundation onto the major and evaluate to get its appropriate place, then mark the exterior corners of the legs on the top rated to provide the registration marks.

On a scrap piece of plywood, blend two-element epoxy and use a putty knife to distribute it on the back again of each plywood mounting block. (You can wipe the knife thoroughly clean working with a rag dampened with mineral spirits.)

Press the block versus the major and against the leg and weigh it down with a heavy object this sort of as a brick.

After the epoxy has treated, slide down the ideal-angle mounting clip on each and every leg and butt it firmly to the plywood mounting block ­tighten the setscrew.

At last, secure every single clip to the block utilizing a ¾-inch No. 12 pan-head sheet-steel screw pushed via the gap in the mounting clip. Note that these screws are not included in the package.

With the help of some helpers, carry the table upside down to in which it requires to go. Although keeping the desk earlier mentioned the flooring, flip it around and established it down on its ft. Never set the table on its edge and then flip it about. That could injury the major, the ground, the foundation or someone’s foot. Finally, pull up a at ease chair, have a beer, and unwind. Indeed, we know—it’s a espresso desk, but contemplating you constructed it, you’re entitled.