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Picnic tables

Started by metalspinner, June 05, 2010, 05:37:44 PM

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metalspinner

I spent some time in the shop today with my oldest son.  We made a picnic table together for his cedar shack.

We went to the hardware store and bought the hardware neccesary for the bench.  He had to locate the proper bolts, nuts, etc. and weight them so we could get an accurate cost estimate for the table.  After spending $30 on all the hardware, he was shocked to walk out of the store and see a full sized picnic table for sale that cost only $88. :D  So on the way home, we had a discussion on "mass" produced versus "one-off." :D

When we got home, we headed to the wood stack and pulled out some cedar. We like to use natural edges, so we tacked a straight edge to this flitch then passed it through the tablesaw to make the cross members.






And the result after cutting...







Here we have one leg assembly layed out.  We went with 22.5 degree angles on all the mitre cuts.  A couple of carriage bolts in each joint holds it all together.







The table top is held on with little right angle metal brackets and an angled brace for some triangulation.







Here's the finished table with the seats installed.  The seats are another flitch ripped in half and held in place with a couple of metal brackets.  All edges were gone over with a round over bit to ease them.






We finished just in time for lunch. :)


I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Norm


pigman

Nice table, I like the natural edges. I am sure your son did most of the work while you were taking pictures.
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

WDH

You won't get that table for $88!  Also, a great lesson for your son.  You can go out and buy a cheap, low quality, mass produced item, or you can build something yourself.  Sadly, so many people out there have no skills to do anything themselves except play video games  :).
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

PC-Urban-Sawyer

MS,

Great table...

Great kid...

Great dad...

And a great day.

Herb

metalspinner

While climbing into the truck at the big box store, he said "It's more fun to build it yourself, isn't it, Dad." 8)

Pigman,
Yeah he worked pretty hard. :D 
He got to learn where all the power tools are stored along with the extension cords.  He even got to blow out the air filter of the shop vac with the air compressor. :D  He did get to drive all the screws and pound the bolts into the holes with the mallet.

WDH,
He's got plenty of gaming skills. ;)  I'm hoping these little projects plant a seed that will sprout someday.  You should here both boys rattle off their wood and tree identification skills.  Just today while driving to the store, Nick was pointing walnut trees out left and right. 8) :D
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Ianab

Yeah, thats not an $80 table, thats a $200 custom designer picnic table  ;)

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

SwampDonkey

You and your son did well. Plus all the quality time, that has no price.  8) I'm sure it all pays dividends somewhere down the line.  ;D

I don't know where I got the bug from, no one in the family could build anything and nothing much to do it with. Must've been shop class I guess. ;)  I started out with an axe and graduated up the ladder. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Lud

Thanks for sharing  the moment.  He's a lucky lad.   Good job.
Simplicity mill, Ford 1957 Golden Jubilee 841 Powermaster, 40x60 bankbarn, left-handed

Larry

What a neat story.

Me thinks MS is just a pretty cool Dad. 8) 8) 8) 8)
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

metalspinner

QuoteMe thinks MS is just a pretty cool Dad.

I've been accused of reliving my childhood through my boys. :D
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Don K

That's great Chris. Sadly, so few dads and sons get to share an experience like that nowadays. I hope to one day get to do share things like that with my grandson. :)

Your boys will always have fond memories of spending time with you.

Don
Lucky to own a WM LT40HDD35, blessed to have a wife that encouraged me to buy it.     Now that\'s true love!
Massey Ferguson 1547 FWD with FEL  06 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4X4 Dozer Retriever Husky 359 20\" Bar  Man, life is getting good!

Patty

Cool table MS!  8)

You are building great memories for you and your boys.
Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings....
We simply continue to fly ........
on a broomstick.....
We are flexible like that.

Warbird

Nicely done to both of you.  :)

Brad_bb

Yes, nice table.  It's even nicer to impart the lesson on quality, craftsmanship, and the satisfaction of doing it yourself.  Plus you end up with a nicer products usually.

WDH, it's not that people don't have the skills, those can be taught/learned.  It's that they don't have the ambition to learn and try.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

metalspinner

Thanks, everyone for the nice replys. :)

This table was a prototype.  We are building an outdoor classroom at the boys' elementary school and this is one idea to furnish it.

Quoteit's not that people don't have the skills, those can be taught/learned.  It's that they don't have the ambition to learn and try.

This fall, I'm going to have to recruit several helping hands that are willing to learn to get many of these built. :-\
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Walnutclyde

Thanks for sharing!  It is time for my husband to get our boys back out in his shop.  It has been a while.   Hope to be able to share what they do soon.  Love the picnic table! 

Woodhauler

Nice table but is that pizza and beer the boy is having for lunch? :D :D
2013 westernstar tri-axle with 2015 rotobec elite 80 loader!Sold 2000 westernstar tractor with stairs air ride trailer and a 1985 huskybrute 175 T/L loader!

woeboy

AWE-SOME!!!!    ;D
nice table  8)

36 coupe

Picnic table basics.Seats should be near the  same total width as the legs total width at the floor.Seats overhanging the legs make for a tippy table.My tables measure 55 inches seat width and leg spread at the floor is 54 inches.The cross pieces that hold the seats must be 2x6 stock ,never 2x4 stock.An 8 foot table can have 900lb on the seat.Use 3/8 bolts to bolt seat bars to legs.!/4 inch bolts will bend and the small washers will pull into the wood.Hardware cost should be under 10.00.

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