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Dual personality
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A hard-working table does double duty in the garden
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By Paul Lewis; Photography by Mark Burstyn; Illustration by Paul Lewis
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8. Lay the top upside down on your workbench and position the leg assembly on it; make sure the overhang of the top is equal on all four sides and attach the strap portion of the hinges with screws into the underside of the top. Flip the table right side up again, then install the bottom panel.
9. Finish the table using a good-quality, semi-transparent wood finish. I applied two coats of Sikkens Cetol 1 to all surfaces. This will stand up very well to our Canadian weather, but if you really want to get maximum time between refinishing, store the table in the garage or shed over the winter.
Tic Tac Top
Your versatile table takes on a third life as a game board with the addition of a grid to play tic-tac-toe. The compartment in the table is a natural spot to store the game pieces, too. To cut the grooves that define the nine squares required for game play, you'll need to use a table saw.
• Set the blade so that it's 1⁄4" above the table surface. Adjust the saw fence to 51⁄2" so the blade lines up with the joint between boards in the tabletop.
• Run the tabletop through the saw, then rotate it 90 degrees and run it through again. Repeat procedure to make all four grooves.
• Sand the tabletop using 150-grit sandpaper. Then create an interesting design to the checkered top by staining alternate squares before adding a protective topcoat.
• Finally, you'll need to find
or make suitable objects to use as game pieces. I used slices of 3"-diameter willow branches and smooth river stones.
Click here to see how the table is made.
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