| Project by Bob Areddy | posted 283 days ago | 2371 views | 19 times favorited | 14 comments |  |
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This coffee table is one of my favorite projects that I’ve made. It consists of mahogany, walnut, ash, and ambrosia maple. I’m a fan of contrasting woods, as you can tell.
In addition, I wanted to really use it, so I figured that if I could put some tile in it, I wouldn’t have to worry about coasters. It’s worked well.
The tile is only held in with gravity so I can change the tiles anytime I wish (there are holes drilled through the top so I can easily poke it out from the bottom. Most of the top is made of plywood, with some mahogany glued (laminated, I supposed you could say), then edged with the walnut and maple.
The drawers are on oak runners and they ride in the middle of the drawer, which is great for preventing the drawers from tipping out.
So now fast forward 5 years after I completed this, and I decided I wanted to be able to lift the top up and toward the couch so I could use it as a tray, instead of sitting on the floor to eat (or getting tv trays). I looked around and they make top hinges, but they run about $180. Well, I’ve always wanted to learn how to weld, so I bought a Lincoln Arc Welder for $280 and made it myself. WORKS GREAT, and the way I made the runners really came into play in the design of the hinge, which I designed myself.
-- --Bob http://www.areddy.net/wood
14 comments so far
Dan Hux
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344 posts in 550 days
#1 posted 283 days ago
very nice,,I like the top…
-- Dan Hux,,,,Raleigh, NC http://danhuxwoodworking.wordpress.com
Beginningwoodworker
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7368 posts in 849 days
#2 posted 283 days ago
Nice looking coffee.
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker
gmerteng
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121 posts in 289 days
#3 posted 283 days ago
Nice job on the table i like the contrasting woods.
-- Mert,Oshkosh WI,
shavins
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55 posts in 335 days
#4 posted 283 days ago
great idea well done!
-- shavins
jim1953
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2150 posts in 1018 days
#5 posted 283 days ago
Great Lookin Table
-- Jim, Kentucky
Chris Cunanan
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296 posts in 656 days
#6 posted 283 days ago
love everything about it! makes me want to build one similar =]
RetiredCoastie
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440 posts in 359 days
#7 posted 283 days ago
Very nice table! Especially love the way you framed the tile, it make the piece come alive.
-- Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines! Mike D.
a1Jim
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37496 posts in 753 days
#8 posted 283 days ago
Nice nice did I say NICE looks very cool top to bottom.
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture maker, Riddle Oregon
nuzzo
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36 posts in 293 days
#9 posted 283 days ago
Really nice job. When you said the hinges cost $180, I figured your next comment was going to be that you salvaged a set from and old coffee table. But why even do that when you can make your own.
RexMcKinnon
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1692 posts in 371 days
#10 posted 283 days ago
Beautiful coffee table. Is it tippy with the top raised?
-- If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!
OhVlyArtisan
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603 posts in 297 days
#11 posted 282 days ago
way cool
-- "All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then Success is sure." Mark Twain
Bob Areddy
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112 posts in 578 days
#12 posted 282 days ago
No, it’s not tippy at all. The base is pretty beefy.
-- --Bob http://www.areddy.net/wood
WistysWoodWorkingWonders
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7514 posts in 333 days
#13 posted 280 days ago
very cool design… well built too… I too am a big fan of the contrasting woods… they make almost every project stand out that much more… now pay attention to the following shipping details to get this thing to me safely…...... lol
-- New Project = New Tool... it's just the way it is, don't fight it... :)
punch
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19 posts in 262 days
#14 posted 261 days ago
rareddy, very very sweet table my friend…
-- Greg
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