Redwood Patio Table with Solid Steel Base (2011)

Continuing the chronological posting of past projects.

I took a welding/metal arts class at the "Academy of Art" in 2011, and was intrigued by traditional blacksmith methods. I found these in many ways very similar to woodworking techniques, and decided to make a arts and crafts like table with a hand forged steel base and a wooden top.
 
My idea was to imitate woodworking mortise and tenon joints, as you can see in the pictures. The holes for the rails were "cut" into the glowing hot metal with a punch. By cutting this way (instead of drilling only), you get the nice bulging out around the "mortise". The punch had the same size at the rails, and thus I could bang the rails through the "mortise"... afterwards. It really was a lot of metal banging... together with the teacher, but also a lot of fun.
 
To make the rails "stick", I formed a mushroom-like end by heating and hammering on the ends over and over again, and finally drilled two holes through leg and rail through which I then stuck long bronze rivets, which prevent the rail from coming out the other way.
 
The feet of the legs were "upset" by heating the end in the forge, and then banging them with full force onto an anvil. This would not work in woodworking 😁.
 
The thin metal piece on top connects the legs and is screwed in. This was the first time I made threads, a very useful technique to know. The other holes in this piece are used to attach the steel base to the wooden table top.

Finally the steel structure was heated and then painted with a linseed oil/beeswax mix, which has proven to be a very durable finish.
 
This was my first blacksmith project, and for a first one, I think it came out pretty nice.

For the table top, I first had the idea to make it wavy, as in this sketch:

But I decided that this was to difficult to achieve (this was only my third "real" woodworking project). So I made the top with straight slats. If I remember correctly, all the lumber was "clear" redwood 2x4s from Lowes.

The joinery is simply a slot in the breadboard ends, and matching full width mortises in the slats. Later on I regretted that I didn't make the mortises deeper, as this is a bit of a weak point... although only if you stand on the table... not really an issue during normal use.

Linseed oil was used to finish the top.

This table is now 13 years old, and has held up really well.  I intended to put cross braces between the legs, since it does occasionally shake a bit, but decided against it, as it would make sitting at the end a bit uncomfortable. 

Well, and at one end I sat for the next 10 years nearly every morning for breakfast on our deck! It really is a joy to have an idea for a project, build it, and then end up using it for so long, probably for the rest of my life.

After our move to France the table got a new spot in the garden, where it does suffer a bit from the harsher weather here as opposed to San Francisco. I may have to redo the linseed oil/bees wax finish, and the top also needs a bit reviving. But it's certainly still standing strong, and also one of my favorite projects because of the combination of two traditional crafts.