This rustic, modern coffee table is made from 2x8s, angle irons and black iron pipe. I used angle irons to bind the pieces of 2x8 together and made legs for the table out of 3/4" diameter plumber's pipe. It's a sturdy table that can be made in a variety of sizes and heights.

SUPPLIES:

2x8s
Available at the Home Depot
I used 2x8s to make the tabletop.

3/4" Diameter Black Iron Pipe
Available at the Home Depot
I used 3/4" black iron pipe to make the legs for the coffee table.

1 1/2" Angle Iron
Available at the Home Depot

TOOLS:

RYOBI 18 Volt Cordless Drill
Available at Home Depot








RYOBI 18 Volt Circular Saw
Available at Home Depot









RYOBI 4 1/2" Angle Grinder
Available at Home Depot








RYOBI Orbital Sander
Available at Home Depot

INSTRUCTIONS:

Download the Pipe Coffee Table Plan »



STEP 1: Cut the 2x8s
Cut three 4 foot long pieces of 2x8 with a circular saw.





STEP 2: Measure + Mark the Angle Iron
Measure a piece of angle iron that's as long as the three 2x8s are wide.





STEP 3: Cut the Angle Iron
Clamp the angle iron securely to a workstation and cut it with an angle grinder and a metal cutting blade. Use the first piece to measure the second piece before cutting it.







STEP 4: Mark the 2x8s
Place the angle irons on the end of the 2x8s and draw a line across the 2x8s with a pencil. The line will guide where to cut a recess into the wood so that the angle irons can sit flush to the surface of the table.





STEP 5: Cut Recesses in the 2x8s
Use the two pieces of angle iron to set the height of the blade on a circular saw to exactly 3/16". Then, clamp a speed square to the 2x8 to serve as a guide and make a series of cuts to create a recess that lets the angle irons sit flush. Use a hammer and chisel to remove bits of wood that are left from the circular saw cuts.











STEP 6: Sand the Recesses
Use an orbital sander to smooth out the recesses until the angle irons fit perfectly. The inside corner of the angle irons are a bit rounded, so you'll need to round over the ends of the 2x8s.





STEP 7: Sand the 2x8s
Sand the 2x8s with the orbital sander and 220-grit paper until they're smooth.





STEP 8: Mark the Holes
Layout the pieces of the table top and mark the locations for the screws. There should be two screws going through the angle iron and into each end of a 2x8.





STEP 9: Drill Holes in the Angle Iron
I drilled holes in the angle iron using my cordless drill and a bit that's just big enough to create a hole that the screws can fit through. I used a drill bit meant for metal and used cutting oil to lubricate the bit and help disperse the heat.







STEP 10: Drill Countersink Holes
I used a larger drill bit to drill a countersink hole in the metal and selected a bit that was the same diameter as the screw head to drill just enough into the metal so that the screw head would sit flush.





STEP 11: Drill Holes Through the Second Piece of Angle Iron
I used the first angle iron to mark the screw hole locations for the 2nd piece of angle iron.





STEP 12: Clean Off Rust
I used the orbital sander to sand off any rust on the angle irons and wiped the clean metal down with some cutting oil.







STEP 13: Screw On the Angle Irons
I used clamps to hold the angle irons in place while I screwed through the holes and into the 2x8s.





STEP 14: Assemble the Pipe Legs
Screw the pipes together tightly.





STEP 15: Attach the Pipe Legs
Flip the table top over and screw through the holes in the pipe flanges and into the under side of the tabletop using 1” screws.





STEP 16: Sand + Finish
Flip the table over and do a little finish sanding with the orbital sander and 220-grit paper before finishing the table with Danish oil in a natural finish.







STEP 17: Adjust the Height
If you don’t like the height of the table, you can make adjustments by switching out the pipes.







Good luck making your own pipe coffee table and please email, tweet or hashtag photos to @benuyeda, ben@homemade-modern.com or #homemademodern. For more detailed instructions, dimensioned drawings and different variations of the project, check out our soon-to-be-released book.

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