Cam Builds a Bedside Table

I've been exploring making metal and wood furniture for the past little while. I have all my metalworking stuff I need, plus some basic woodworking tools. After scrolling too much on Pinterest, I finally got off my butt today and picked up some steel from a department store. Yes, I definitely overpaid for it. Yes, next time I build something I will see if I can get it free or from an actual steel supplier for much cheaper. BUT I have the steel and now I have no excuse but to get going.

I started with some rough drawings. I want the table to be about 17" tall, and 17" long, and about 16 1/2" wide. The legs will be made of 3/4" hot rolled square tubing with 16 gauge (about 1/16") wall thickness. My first drawing I did in metric, because it just makes more sense and it's what I do at work.



Aaaand then I remembered all our tape measures at home are imperial. So the next slightly refined drawing was in imperial.



I got the circular saw out, and my speed square to do some cuts. 5 cuts of 16 9/16" to be exact. I used the speed square to draw my lines square, but also to cut square. Fun little tip I learned from Youtube University. This video explains it well. Here are the cuts. All perfect except for 1 being about a 1/16" shorter than the rest. I might clamp them all down and cut just a teensy bit off so they're perfectly even.



Oh and the wood is 3 3/8" x 3/4" stuff that has been sitting in the garage rafters for as long as I can remember. So it was free!

And here is what I just completed. It's a more detailed side view drawing of the table, along with a cut list for the legs and braces.



The two little rectangles in the top corners of the square are braces that will add strength and give me something to screw the wood into. Next step is to slice up the tubing! Here's what it looks like now.



More posts to come.

Congratulations for taking that first step to complete a drawing with measurements and gathering supplies.  Best to you!

Angela Wilcox wrote:Congratulations for taking that first step to complete a drawing with measurements and gathering supplies.  Best to you!

Thank you Angela! I've made a lot more progress on it, just gotta post the pics.

More progress has been made. The legs are welded together, nice and square with the help of a welding table I picked up for $230 - cheaper than the price of steel to build my own!!

All the legs need are some black paint, then I will consult my carpenter friends for help with the wood working. I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

Here's a not bad looking weld. All welds are flux cored with 0.030" wire on 1/16" wall tubing. Had to do a slight whip and pause to avoid burnthrough.


Here is a...let's say rougher one. I burned through as a result of going too slow, so I had to do a series of small tacks to fill the gap. Not acceptable on anything structural, but for holding a couple books it will do just fine.


Then I ground the welds flush with a flap wheel.


And here is one leg ready to be painted!

Looking good Cam!
Grinders are a wonderful thing!
A shot of paint and it will look like it came out of a factory!

Wish there was just one more lower setting on our welder too to keep burn through from happening as much.
It does however force me to learn a new techniques for working with thinner metals.
Then there is upside down welding...not even going to go there!

Gerry Parent wrote:Wish there was just one more lower setting on our welder too to keep burn through from happening as much.
It does however force me to learn a new techniques for working with thinner metals.
Then there is upside down welding...not even going to go there!

Do you have a wire welder Gerry? I find they're way better for thinner material than stick welders. I struggled a bit yesterday because the machine was acting up, the voltage was reading real low. My guess is the wire is going bad from too long outside with differing humidity, or something else entirely.

And yes I have only done overhead a couple times - it's how I got a good burn on my left bicep!! The scar is still there. When the spark lands in the crook of your elbow and your arm is parallel to the ground, there isn't anywhere for it to go...ouch!

thomas rubino wrote:
Looking good Cam!
Grinders are a wonderful thing!
A shot of paint and it will look like it came out of a factory!

They sure are thomas!

Yes Cam, I use a Hobart 120v mig wire fed welder set on the lowest amp setting and a pretty fast wire feed rate along with speedy whip and spot techniques as you mentioned to make the thin metals workable.
Yeah, I know about those nasty sparks which can really make you jump quick if one lands on you! It’s the ‘tattoos’ of the trade I guess.

Gerry Parent wrote:Yes Cam, I use a Hobart 120v mig wire fed welder set on the lowest amp setting and a pretty fast wire feed rate along with speedy whip and spot techniques as you mentioned to make the thin metals workable.
Yeah, I know about those nasty sparks which can really make you jump quick if one lands on you! It’s the ‘tattoos’ of the trade I guess.

Nice choice. You got that right about the tattoos! One on my arm, one on my left hand, and one on my right foot. Each one has a story to go along with it too, just like a tattoo

Hey Cam;
Do you wear a welder's beenie yet?
You put the bill over whatever ear is pointing up.
You will always remember the first time a hot spark gets in your ear...
Shortly after you will buy a beenie and start wearing it.
I always thought it was a pipefitter-style thing... oh my I was wrong about that!  

thomas rubino wrote:Hey Cam;
Do you wear a welder's beenie yet?
You put the bill over whatever ear is pointing up.
You will always remember the first time a hot spark gets in your ear...
Shortly after you will buy a beenie and start wearing it.
I always thought it was a pipefitter-style thing... oh my I was wrong about that!  

Thank you for the tip thomas I never thought of that. I always have ear plugs in so they keep my inner ear sealed. At work I wear a bandana of sorts, as my head is too big for the beanies with elastic in them lol! Big head, big brain, at least that's what I tell myself

I'm sure there is an extra large option available I just haven't explored it much. Anything to reduce the chance of a hot ember in the ear is a good thing to me!

I've not seen a welder beenie that was elastic, I'm sure they are out there though.
Mostly I see them at job sites for sale.  Guy's wives make them at home. Hubby sells them at break time and lunch.
Etsy has bunches for sale, custom-made to whatever size you need.
Plenty of fitter welders out there with swelled heads... :) I'm sure you can find one you like!

https://www.etsy.com/search?q=welding%20beenies