One of my good friends recently asked me if I could replace her current garden table with something a little bigger. As she only has limited space, it needed to be compact, fit in with the look of her garden and not cost too much.

As I love working with reclaimed wood I decided that this project should be made from a hardwood pallet for the table top and I already had some pieces of 2 by 4 that I had salvaged earlier along with a couple of shorter pieces left over from another job.

Taking the pallet apart without loosing any of the seven top slats is a skill in itself but over the years I have discovered which pallets come apart the easiest and so I knew that I had to find a two way hardwood pallet without hook nails and in good condition.  After removing the nails and sanding down all the slats I was ready to go.  I built the base using glue and dowels on the end sections and combined them with lap joints and pocket screws on the sides. I then found the centreline and fixed the six slats using galvanised countersunk screws. To tidy up the ends of the table top, I used a ripped down slat on each end to add strength.   All the screw holes were then filled and the whole table was sanded again.

Even though I like the natural wood look my friend wanted it painted to protect it against the weather and to go with her existing garden furniture so I gave it a coat of sage exterior paint.  I delivered later the same day and she was very happy. It will be tested next weekend with a dinner for six (Me included so I will update the story with a picture)

As tables are quite large I generally don’t bring them along to any of my craft markets, so if you are after a table, big or small, please send me a message, email or text and I will be happy to make one to suit your requirements.

Email  martin@goodwithwoodstroud.co.uk

Mobile 0777551624