Pipes and Wood: Dining Room Table

After building the crate coffee table, I felt the need to build something else. My wife suggested we get a new dining room table and she was hoping to get something like this. Since we just purchased our home, my wife and I were in no position to shell out over a grand for a dining room table. I searched around the web and found directions for a relatively easy and affordable DIY table and bench. Much to my wife's surprise, I immediately went out to Menards and bought supplies.

The project can vary greatly in cost. I originally estimated $250-300 for the table and bench, but, in the end, the total cost came closer to $400 (mainly because we chose to glaze the table which tacked on a extra $60). By far the most expensive pieces of the project are the black iron pipe. I think I paid $250 for the pipe alone, but I did end up returning somethings as the directions from the original site were not crystal clear. In attempts to make the process easier for someone else, I've broken down the steps for the table below.

Finished Table with Bench

Please feel free to laugh at the astonishing amount of times I write nipples...

Materials (table only):
12 - 3" nipples
4 - 18" nipples
4 - 8" nipples
2 - 24" nipples
4 - 90° elbows
8 - Ts
12 - Flanges
2 - 2x12x12  (ask them to cut these in half at Menards or cut them yourself)
3 - 1 x 3 x 18 pieces of lumber
All pipes should be in 3/4" size

A few notes about materials: we used black pipe for our table, but you could get away with using galvanized pipes. Galvanized pipes are cheaper and this is particularly useful if you are going to paint the pipes. Example: Flanges are the biggest cost here. Menards has the best price for flanges of the big box stores. A black pipe flange costs about $5 but a galvanized flange is about $4. On flanges alone you can save over $12 by using galvanized. The other fittings will be cheaper as well.

Supplies/Tools:

1. Orbital Sander
2. Tape Measure
3. Utility Knife
4. Circular Saw
5. 1/2 pint of wood stain  (Carrington Color)
6. Spray paint (optional: Hammered Bronze)
7. Rags
8. Epoxy Resin (Optional)
9. 4 - 6 Disposable Quart tubs (Optional for glaze)
10. Disposable Putty Knife (Optional)
11. Plastic sheeting (Optional)

Step 1 - Prep Work:

Sanding - Short Edges Visible Here

Lumber - Use the orbital sander to sand down the lumber. Be sure to sand down the short edges throughly (I did not do a good job of this and it snags our clothes on occasion). Next use a utility knife to wear down the short edges, this gives the table more of a weathered look. Sand down any item numbers that maybe stamped on the wood.

Fittings/Flanges/Ts

Pipes - Prepping the pipes can be a pain in the butt. Remove the labels from the pipes by soaking them in hot, soapy water. Following this process, removing the labels is some what easier than removing them with a utility knife alone. Dry the pipes with a towel.
Optional step: I spray painted the pipes a bronze color. I primed them first and then sprayed them. Although I did a test run without primer and liked the look, I ultimately opted for both coats for a smoother finish.

With Primer and Rec. Assemble 

Flange w/ no primer

Step 2 - Staining:

After sanding the lumber, wipe down the lumber in preparation for staining. Use compressed air to remove pesky saw dust. We played with a couple of stains before deciding on carrington, one of our favorite stains. Make sure the work area is free from anything that can be damaged by the stain. Trust me, stain will get everywhere. Using a brush, apply the stain and wipe off immediately with a clean rag. The longer stain sits on the wood, the darker the wood will get, but less grain will show. It is a matter of preference, but I prefer a lighter tone on the wood. The stain should be allowed to dry for at least 24 hours before moving to the next step.

Stain Options (R-L: Jacobean, Carrington, and Cherry)

Stained Wood

Optional Glaze Coating

Step 3 - Glazing (optional, but recommended):
A friend of ours recommended that we use a bar top glaze to protect the wood. He said that our table would be protected from dings and it would be much easier to clean. The glaze can be expensive (we bought a gallon for $60 at Menards, but a $22 quart should suffice). Prep the area properly by covering the floor with plastic sheeting, making sure the planks are separated, off the floor, and leveled. I used my iPhone's level app to make sure the planks were leveled.

Prep for Glaze

We used some buckets and scaffold steps to keep our planks off the floor. To level them, we used wooden shims. Since the glaze is self leveling, the excess will run off the sides. If the planks are not off the floor, they will be permanently "glued" to the ground.

Follow the prep directions on the back of the glaze. Pour the prepared glaze on the wood. It will only take about 10 minutes before the glaze starts to cure. I poured it on in an S pattern and my wife evened out the glaze while I poured. Additionally, we used a heat gun to remove any air bubbles. I suggest using one batch of glaze for the three table planks and a separate batch for the bench. We only used one batch for the table and the bench and by the time we got to the bench, the glaze had started to cure and made applying the glaze unnecessarily difficult.

After the glaze has been applied, wait 72 hours for the glaze to properly cure.

Step 4 - Painting and Assembling the Pipe (optional, but recommended):

Leg Assembly 

It can be difficult to hit all the sides of the fittings with spray paint, so I assembled a flange, nipple, and a fitting together (see picture in step 1). First I applied the primer and waited a few hours before applying the hammered bronze color. Personally, I liked the look of the black pipe, but my wife thought the bronze looked nicer. Ultimately, I was happy with the final product. Wait until the next day to assemble.

Leg Assembly: Using three flanges, 3 - 3" nipples, one 90° elbow, 2 Ts, an 18" pipe, and a 6" pipe. Assemble as shown in the photo.

The original directions ask that the legs be attached by the 24" nipple. By following this step, the table will be sturdy and won't wobble. What's the trade off? If planning on using seats at the head, guest won't be able to tuck their knees in all the way (see photo).

Note the brown chair barely clears the 24" pipe

Step 5 - Table Assembly 

Take the fully cured pieces of lumber to the table location. Decide on which pieces will go where. Flip the pieces glazed side down. Use one of the three pieces of spare wood and twelve 3/4" wood screws to secure the pieces of lumber together. I measured and predrilled the pieces of spare wood in order to make sure the screws would go in all the way. Once all three pieces of wood are attached to the lumber, the legs can be attached.

Make sure that each set of legs is equidistant from the edge of the table. I believe I measured 3 1/2" from the long and short side of the lumber. Drill guide holes into the flanges before drilling in the screws. Eight screws per leg will suffice. Below is a video of the assembly process. Flip the table over and adjust the fittings to make sure the table is level. 

Here are a few shots of the finished product.

Finished table with matching bench

To build the bench, follow the directions here

If I were going to make this table again...

• Spend extra time sanding down the short edges. Our clothes keep snagging on the short edges (head of table) because it is not sanded down all the way and the glaze did not cover the edge completely there. 
• If painting the pipes, buy galvanized pipe to save about 15%
• Either make the table taller by using pipe that is longer than 18" for the legs OR simply do not attach the 24" pipe that joins each leg. I ended up taking mine out because our guests kept bumping their knees into the table. It's not as sturdy as it was before, but at least we can tuck the chairs in easily and people can sit comfortably. 
• The glaze can be a pain and can get expensive, but I would recommend it. People have spilled all sorts of stuff on our table and we just wipe it clean off. Also, I would imagine that an unglazed table would eventually scratch deeper than the stain and show the pine color underneath. 

I really hope this helps anyone tackling this project. My wife and I really enjoyed the process of making the table and everyone looks at our table and says, "Wow, you guys built that?" Feel free to leave a comment with a question and I'll do my best to respond. Additionally, if you enjoy the post, please subscribe and share!