Make a metal patio table
Richard Ostrowick and Peter Massingue show you how to make a metal patio table.
Tools
Welding machine
Welding electrodes
Angle grinder
Tape measure
Hammer
Vice-grip pliers
Materials
1 x 3mm by 850mm diameter disc
1 x 2.680m flat bar
4 x 20mm by 1.05m tubing
1 x 20mm by 1m tubing
2 x 12mm by 950mm round bars
Project guide
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated time: 2 Days
Cost: R950
Step 1: You’ll have to get the disc for the table top cut at a place that offers laser cutting. We had ours cut at CRH Continental. You’ll also have to get the flat bar, which will be welded onto the edge of the disc, specially rolled.
Step 2: For the table’s legs, you need four lengths of 1.05m tubing. On each length, measure 250mm from one end and make a mark. From the other end, start bending the length into a curve as shown in photo 3.
Not the entire length is bent into a curve, only up until the mark you made. On this mark, bend the tubing in the opposite direction to form a sickle. Do this with all four lengths and be sure to match all four with each other. From end to end, the legs should measure 735mm.
Step 3: Because you are using tubing, it flattens a bit at the 250mm mark when bent. To rectify this, you need to fill the area. Therefore, build up the metal with some welding and, afterwards, use a small angle grinder to make it round and smooth again. You need to do this with all four of the legs.
Step 4: Next, weld the rolled 2.680m flat bar onto the edge of the laser cut disc. Use vice-grip pliers to hold the flat bar on the disc to weld it, but, to prevent the vice-grip from causing any damage to the table top, place a small piece of flat bar in the jaw of the vice-grip where it grips onto the table top.
If you can, use more than one vice-grip, it will make life a lot easier when welding. The ends of the flat bar should meet each other, so just weld them together as well.
Step 5: The four legs should not be welded directly onto the disc. The heat from the welding will leave marks and bumps in the table top. First, mark where the legs will go. This will be at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock on the disc. Now tack 6cm pieces of flat bar onto the disc. To ensure they don’t come off in future, weld these pieces onto the flat bar ring.
Step 6: To weld the legs onto the disc, you will first have to cut the ends at an angle. This angle will depend on the bend in the legs. Make sure the legs are upright to determine the angle.
Step 7: With all four legs cut at the right angle, weld the legs onto the pieces of flat bar with the curves facing inward.
Step 8: To provide strength and stability to the legs, make a ring for support. Take the 1m tubing and make it into a ring, also welding the two ends together. This ring slots in between the four legs on the curves and prevents them from bending inwards or outwards. Place the ring at the appropriate place – about 320mm from the disc – and then weld it to all four of the legs.
Step 9: To provide support to the bottom parts of the legs, take two 950mm pieces of round bar. You also need to make these into a curve to fit diagonally between the legs. Cut the ends at an angle again to weld them onto the legs.
Weld the first one in place. For the second one, determine the middle of the length and cut out the width of the first round bar support, which is 12mm. Now you can weld these pieces to the legs and onto the first support.
Step 10: Clean the welds with a grinder and some sandpaper and you are all set to send it off to the powder coater.
Caution!
Take care not to scratch the table top with welding and grinding swarf when moving it around on the workbench. The top will scratch easily and this will be visible even after powder coating.
The legs are made from 20mm by 1.05m tubing.
You need to bend the legs against a round object, such as the jig used in this picture.
Only bend the one end. From the other end, measure 250mm to indicate where you need to make a bend in the opposite direction.
On the 250mm mark, make the bend against a smaller round object.
Once all four are bent, you will have four sickle-shaped legs.
Make sure the four legs match each other.
Fill the flat area at the bend with welding and grind it round and smooth again.
Weld the rolled flat bar onto the edge of the metal disc.
Place a piece of flat bar in the jaw of the vice-grip to protect the table top.
To make the welding process easier, use more than one vice-grip to hold the flat bar onto the disc.
Weld the ends of the flat bar together.
The 6cm pieces of flat bar onto which the legs will be welded.
Tack the pieces of flat bar onto the disc and weld them on the ring as well.
Cut the ends of each leg at an angle.
Weld the legs onto the small pieces of flat bar.
Make sure the legs are upright otherwise the table will be skew.
Make a ring from a 1m piece of tubing.
The ring will provide support to the legs.
To give the legs some more support, weld 12mm round bars diagonally onto the legs.
Where the support pieces meet, you’ll have to cut the one and weld it onto the other one.