Here it is – the big finish.
The first part of this DIY project can be found HERE.
To complete this upcycled pallet table you will need:
-wheels (the ones we used were from Etsy.com)
-scrap plywood
-primer and paints of your choice
-a router
-2X4 scraps
-wood glue
-washers, bolts and nuts that fit your wheels’ specific dimensional needs
-drill
-saw (we used a table saw for expedience but a handsaw will do the job)
At this point, your table top is complete. Now you get to be creative and add your own aesthetic preferences to this piece.
To complete our table we used some scrap (to keep with the “reduce, reuse, re/upcycle” theme) plywood (1/8” thick) which we cut into triangles to serve as the leg supports to connect the table top to the wheels. For each of the four legs two supports are required. Between the two plywood pieces we affixed a (7 1/2” long) piece of plain 2X4.
Before attaching the vertical supports to the 2X4 drill a hole through them so that you will be able to attach the wheels (the size of the hole you need to drill depends on the size of your bolts, which depends on the diameter of the holes in your wheels). We also decided the legs looked a little bulky, so we used a router and rounded the points and cut a smaller triangle (with rounded angles) out of the center of the (total of 8) supports. This step is by no means necessary; you can leave the supports whole, create a simple cutout or an ornate design if you like.
The next step is to prime the plywood pieces (and wheels if you want to paint them). For this project we used RUST-OLEUM Painter’s Touch Flat Gray Primer. Priming is important, do not skip this step. After priming all of the pieces (follow the directions on the can) you can apply the first coat (and subsequent coats, if desired) of your final paint color. For this, we opted for RUST-OLEUM’s “Hammered Copper” for our wheels and “Hammered Brown” (also by RUST-OLEUM) for the eight support pieces. We really liked the hammered texture for this project; it made our wooden wheels look metallic. We also decided to use earth tones for this table so that the reclaimed wood and supports complimented each other. At this point it is also a good idea to paint the washers and bolt heads as well.
Once all of the painted pieces are properly dried, you can glue them to the 2X4 pieces. After the glue has set, align each wheel with their leg. Run a bolt through a washer, outer leg support, wheel, and inner leg support. Add another washer onto the bolt and tighten down a nut to hold all of the pieces together. Repeat this for each of the remaining three legs.
You are almost done!
The last task is to align each of the legs where you want them to go on the underside of the table top. Our pallet had two cutouts on each of the side support pieces; we decided to center our legs in each cutout. Once you have determined where you want the legs to go, mark the inside of the support piece on the top where you will attach the legs. Attach the legs to the tabletop with long bolts. This keeps any messy glue from seeping through the boards of the tabletop and keeps the sides of the table clean (no extraneous screws or nails).
Once all of the legs are attached, flip it right side up and voila! you have a recycled pallet table with your own unique style.
I hope you enjoyed this project, I had fun making this gift for my sister. If you make your own pallet table please tell me about it/share pictures of it in the comments or email me (theonekidneywonder@gmail.com); I would love to see your projects!
