I’ve started designing a dining table for our new apartment. I really like the aesthetic of reclaimed wood and steel tables, unfortunately a pre-made table like this costs in the $1500 to $3000 range. Way more than I can spend on a table. The designs are very simple and I figured I could make one myself. After some digging I found a local shop that will build the table top out of reclaimed douglas fir. The legs are designed by me and will be either made by myself (pending purchase of a TIG welder) or will be sub-contracted to a fabrication shop.

It’s hard to visualize the size of the table space an individual will have without some sense of scale. So I have these 5’10” models and the chairs I will be using put into CAD. The dimensions are 72″x39″. A bit wider than an average table, but this allows for more room in the middle for dishes.

The legs are made of 2×1 steel tubing, and are attached with angle iron and steel plates. Initially I had the angle iron bolted directly to the table, but I realized that this is too narrow a contact area, and added a spreader plate for more leg rigidity.

Above, rev 1 with the narrow attachment points, below rev 2 with the spreader plate.

The table top has been ordered and I’m sending the drawings/BOM  for the legs to some fab shops for bids, although this would be a great opportunity to learn TIG welding and do it myself!