My Latest Project - Coffee Table

[Chuck Darney]

My boys just moved into an apartment and they took my wife's hope chest to use as a coffee table/footrest. After a week it looked pretty bad. I built them this coffee table so I can bring the hope chest back and refinish it.

It's made with red oak that I put a light coat of cherry stain on. It has enough poly on it to withstand any amount of beverage and foot traffic they can throw at it. The table is 17" high x 33.5" wide x 21.5" deep and has some storage inside. I never found apartments to be particularly secure so I added a couple of hidden drawers that can hold things out of sight.

...Chuck

[Bill Arnold]

Nicely done, Chuck. I like the clean lines of your design. The "secret compartments" are ingenious, also.

[John Keeton]

Great job, Chuck! Given your most recent experience, wrought iron strapping might be in order!:D

Good size, and the hidden drawers are a neat idea. Couldn't tell, but do you have other support for that side of the apron? Just wondered, 'cause sure as the world, they will use this for another seat most of the time! Two or three of them flopping down on the table will give it a beating.

[Zach England]

Any guesses as to what a few young men might keep in those secret drawers?:cool:

[Chuck Darney]

Great job, Chuck! Given your most recent experience, wrought iron strapping might be in order!:D

Good size, and the hidden drawers are a neat idea. Couldn't tell, but do you have other support for that side of the apron? Just wondered, 'cause sure as the world, they will use this for another seat most of the time! Two or three of them flopping down on the table will give it a beating.

For the drawers I built a poplar frame that's glued and screwed on three sides. The top and bottom are 1/4" oak ply secured to that frame. That keeps the front apron secured and there's no movement or splay in the front legs.

[John Thompson]

Like the secret drawers and clever on your part to bullet-proof this thing for young men. I believe my first coffee table was two concrete blocks standing up-right with a 4' sections of2 x 12 across them butted together. Held drinks well and we could re-build and engine while watching football on week-ends. Single guys tend to not handle their furniture with any degree of fragility.. Remember...? :D

[Chuck Darney]

Any guesses as to what a few young men might keep in those secret drawers?:cool:

I try not to think about it.

Having lived in apartments and been robbed I would like to have had something like this. I figure one of the last things taken would be a heavy coffee table. My suggestion to them is to keep the "secret" drawers secret from all but their closest friends. The one time I was robbed it was by the "friend" who lived across the hall.