Outdoor End Table with Tile Top - Help

[Thomas Canfield]

Quite sometime ago I saw a plan for a end table or small table that used a large tile in a frame for the top. I need to make a couple out of remaining oak and cypress to go with a bench and swing, and do not want to make a solid wood top for outdoor use. Does anyone remember seeing a plan in a magazine? I know it is possible to just make the frame and tile top to replace a solid top if nothing else, but it is good to look at a successful project before going off in a new direction. I don't remember if the tile was grouted or left free and that could be a concern with differential expansion between wood and tile. Thanks for any input.

[Allen Bookout]

A while back I got a free Preview Issue of Woodsmith magazine and it has a tile top Chraftsman end table in that issue. They used four small tiles but I suppose that you could use one large one with some adjustment. I looked to see if it was a regular bimonthly issue or not but no month on it or magazine number. May be you could call them or look online to see if it is the same issue and get it free. Do not know how long it would take to get it though. I do know that you can request a Preview issue on line.

www.woodsmith.com (http://www.woodsmith.com)

800 333 5075

I just checked the above website and if you click on "view sample issue" it is the same one that I was talking about.

Here is a video about building the table: http://www.woodsmith.com/issues/152/videos/tile-top-craftsman-table/

This is the same table from Plans Now that you can purchase the plans for and download them if it is what you are looking for and are in a hurry:

http://plansnow.com/tiletable.html

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thomas......depending on how "picky" you are I've got a suggeston I'd use outdoors.

A few years ago I built a tile shower in our basement bathroom. I contacted a grout and caulk company. They make custom color sanded CAULK.....not grout.....CAULK. I had bought some of their grout and they had the color code so they were able to make a sanded latex caulk that matched the grout I had. Each of the 3 walls in the shower are floating...the tile doesn't meet at the floor or in the corners. I shot these gaps with the color matched caulk. You can't tell where the sanded grout meets and the color matched sanded caulk begins.....until it gets wet while taking a shower....the caulk doesnt absorb water and when wet it retains the "dry" color.

If it was me.....I'd want to seal the gaps between tiles and I'd use a caulk. I'm sure other companies manufacturer sanded caulk that could be used in this manner.

If you used a sanded caulk...it looks like grout....and no water could get in between the tiles and cause the wood to warp.

JMHO.

[James Biddle]

I think the plan you're talking about is from the American Woodworker, October 2004 issue. I made a few of them. The first is white oak, ebonized. The second is cherry. Both of these are intended for indoor use. They are designed with no grout to shed water easier.


http://home.comcast.net/~jbiddle/pics/blacktable3.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~jbiddle/pics/cherrytable1.jpg

[Thomas Canfield]

Thanks for the 3 prompt responses and all are good.

Allen - thanks for the sites.

Ken - thanks for the caulk suggestion. It will relieve my mind to not have the gap and potential for spills and water down in the gap. The larger tiles seem to be a little irregular and caulk will fill the gap and leave a more finished look.

James - thanks for magazine reference. I think among the many in piles I have that issue and name and date helps the search.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Here's a simple outdoor endtable using 2x4s in either pressure treated wood, cedar or redwood. Caulk is used as a grout around the tile. This is one of three tables that is about 5 or 6 years old. This picture was taken a few moments ago after a routine deck restain this past week.

If anyone is interested in this design, let me know and I'll clean up the ol' drawing.

cheers, Jeff :)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/Beff2/Endtable906x682.jpg

[Keith Christopher]

Here is on from the woodsmith mag I helped my nephew make for his church. All pocket screws and worked NICELY.


This has a wood top but tile would fit in there nicely.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b179/goyde/DSC01046.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b179/goyde/DSC01045.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b179/goyde/DSC01044.jpg

[Charlie Plesums]

I have made a number of tile-top tables for indoor use.

http://www.plesums.com/wood/livingroom/TileTop2564.jpg

http://www.plesums.com/wood/livingroom/TileEnd2563.jpg

I wouldn't hesitate to make them for outdoor use by substituting suitable outdoor wood and finish, leaving out the drawer, and replacing the grout with caulk. The tiles are simply cemented to a sheet of plywood, just like you would to underlayment, with a frame around the edge of the plywood, then grout/caulk. The base is standard table construction - aprons tenon into legs. Since the top is plywood, no expansion issues, so simply use a bunch of pocket holes to attach the legs/aprons to the top.

[Thomas Canfield]

Again thanks for ideas. I went through the old stacks of magazines and found the American Woodworker design, but have ruled out the use of biscuits for outdoors. I have a mortiser and can change to mortise and tendon and othe type of joints. Jeffry's design is a clean simple design, but would not go with the oak swing or cypress garden bench that the tables will be used with. The material I have is 5/4 lumber and it looks like I will either need to glue up some material for legs or go to the "L" shape in Keith's Woodsmith magazine design. The lower stretcher looks to be a good feature for additional stability in outdoor use.

I am giving some thought to going with a top made using a flat band of 1x3 or so with rabbit for the tile insert. The band corners would be mitered with a spline joint and rounded. The exposed spline joint might even add a little character, and did not look bad on another application in the past. The projects are still in the thinking and sketching stage for now.

[John Bush]

Hi Thomas,
I made an outdoor coffee table using M&T joinery and the top had a tile border with stained glass cut into a floural design. I used a piece of wonderboard screwed to an exterior ply base then tile and glass were set in mortar, and then grouted with conventioinal grout. I trimmed the edge with 1" stock. The table was very "stable" i.e., heavy but looked great when done. Good luck, JCB.