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| by:
Paul Lewis
photos: Christopher Campbell
illustration: Len Churchill |
SHADE MAKER |
| Splayed
legs give this diminutive umbrella table a sturdy stance |
When faced
with the problem of designing a small side table to support
a patio umbrella, I turned to a shape engineers have been using
for centuries for strength and stability: the triangle. Near
my home, there is a trestle bridge that spans a small valley.
I admire the simplicity of that bridge; it seems to be made
with the fewest possible pieces, yet thanks to its triangular
design, can support a 100-ton locomotive effortlessly. The design
for this table is based on that bridge.
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| Compact
stance: Made with cedar fence boards and railing
balusters, this 16" x 16" x 24 3/4"
umbrella table is ideal for smaller patios and balconies |
|
At first glance, the construction may seem quite complicated,
with lots of strange angles to contend with. In fact, all the
angles are 10° from square, meaning the saw blade only has
to be set once to make all the angled cuts. Also, this project
uses readily available and inexpensive cedar fence boards and
deck railing balusters for all the parts.
Mill the Parts
Begin
at the tablesaw, ripping all the cedar balusters to 1 1/2"
square. This removes the eased edge and gives the finished table
a tailored appearance. Next cut the four legs to length. I used
a compound mitre saw with the blade tipped to 10° and the
table rotated to 10°. If you opt to make the cuts with a
handsaw, mark the cuts first using an adjustable bevel gauge.
Next, rotate the saw’s base back to square and cut all
of the stretchers to length. Remember to flip the workpiece
to make the cuts at each end rather than tipping the blade from
side to side. For the tabletop and bottom platform, rip the
fence boards down to 3" wide, then crosscut them to their
final length. The runners which hold the tabletop are milled
from baluster material. Rip them down to their 1" x 1 1/2"
dimension then cut them to length with the mitre saw.
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| The
staggered design of the stretchers allows the ceramic-coated
screws to be driven from the back of each leg for
extra strength |
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Cut the Dados
The plan shows how the stretchers seat into offset dados allowing
a screw to be driven through the back of each leg into the stretchers.
Lay the legs down on a flat surface and use one of the stretchers
as a template to mark the shoulders and the base of each dado.
I cut these dados by hand using the end of a stretcher to guide
the saw blade. Make several cuts down to the base of each dado
and chisel the waste out. Once the dados are completed the table
is ready for assembly.
Bringing it all Together
The
stretchers are secured into their dados with polyurethane glue
and screws. Use a pilot bit with a countersink to avoid splitting
the cedar when driving the screws in. Join each pair of legs
using the long (upper and lower) stretchers first, then join
the two assembled sides together with the four shorter (upper
and lower) stretchers.
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| CLICK
ABOVE |
|
To make the tabletop, attach the runners to the tops of the
legs first with some polyurethane glue and screws. Next arrange
the slats onto the runners and secure by driving screws in from
below. The slats that make up the bottom platform are also attached
with screws from below. Drill the holes in the top and bottom
platforms for the umbrella pole. As with most of my small cedar
projects, I chose to leave this table unfinished to age to a
silver-grey patina. |
| You
Will Need |
| Part |
Size |
Qty. |
| Legs |
1
1/2" x 1 1/2" x 24" |
4 |
| Long
upper stretchers |
1
1/2" x 1 1/2" x 9" |
4 |
| Short
upper stretchers |
1
1/2" x 1 1/2" x 8" |
2 |
| Long
lower stretchers |
1
1/2" x 1 1/2" x 14" |
2 |
| Short
lower stretchers |
1
1/2" x 1 1/2" x 13" |
2 |
| Table
and bottom slats |
5/8"
x 3" x 16" |
9 |
| Runners |
1"
x 1 1/2" x 16" |
2 |
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