Coffee table for one

It had to be easy to move and quite small, but big enough to accommodate a cup of coffee and a TV remote.

I started up by cutting the timber to length. Then I cut dados using my table saw. Not too deep, as they will only prevent the parts from spinning around.

Pocket holes were next. Once drilled, their edges were cleaned with little rasps and sandpaper. Every joint was reinforced with glue.

Fixing the last one was a little tricky, I managed by using my ratchet spanner. I also used additional screws for the bottom pieces – having too much faith in pocket hole joinery is not always the best idea.

Sanding and applying lacquer. I’m very happy with the look of the joints. The dados I cut were not even cleaned with a chisel!

So that was the base. Once it was finished, I started making the top. Pallet wood was cut to length, width and what’s most important – it was planed with brand new planer blades to make the glueing easier. I also used some other timber that wasn’t pallet wood, but it was just a couple of strips.

The top had to be flattened with my router flattening jig. I then cut the top to length and applied black spray paint to the bottom.

Sanding and applying varnish came next. I used a traditional approach to the task, which was a paintbrush and undiluted varnish straight from the tin – stirred, not shaken. It looked like 2 coats followed by light sanding, followed by the 3rd and final coat, should do. It was a very satisfying job, not to mention the lovely smell of varnish in the morning 🙂

Once dried, it was time to fix it to the frame. I had some special nails for this task.

Next, I attached the castors. I used smaller screws for the outside and bigger ones for the inside. Drilling holes with 2 different bits and then using both an impact driver and a screwdriver to fix the castors to the legs. All screws were panhead, not countersunk.

I could enjoy this little table straight away, it’s perfect for a cup of coffee or any other drink. It’s stable enough, and it can be moved from one place to another with ease.