Table Question

johnkitchens · January 2015

I am getting a quote on a cedar table that will hold both of my large eggs.

Should the table nest pictured below work for a table? I know I need a sufficient amount of airflow underneath my eggs. On my current table I have flat concrete blocks sitting under my egg, but there is still plenty of airflow underneath the blocks. I just don't want a fire.

This is what I currently have.

Do you guys that have a similar configuration think the below will work?

Tinyfish · January 2015

Your second picture of the table nest is the proper nest for a table application. For clean looking lines maybe you can recess a stone below the table nest.

johnkitchens · January 2015

Thanks @Tinyfish.

anton · January 2015

From reading, seeing mfgrs suggestions, science, and the forum posts, I think the perfect set-up is the little nest or ceramic feet, on a 1-1/2-2" paver on wood. Gap should be min of 5/8"-3/4",between egg and table hole, and I would feel safe. I have been shooting my set-up with an IR gun to check for hotspots, I still need some feet between my egg and paver so I'm not even practicing what I preach yet, what a hypocrite, right? Be safe and fire free man.
:-bd

theyolksonyou · January 2015

I'm right there with you @anton‌ I did manage to at least purchase a table nest last week, but it's still in the basement. I do plan on putting it on a paver still. I'm going with better safe than sorry.

johnkitchens · January 2015

I think I am going to go with the table nest and put a paver under it. For a large egg will a 12" x 12" paver work?

theyolksonyou · January 2015

John, I went downstairs and measured the large table nest. It's 19" from tip to tip. A 12" square paver is almost 17" on the diagonal. It will work best with a 18" paver. You'd have plenty of room.

johnkitchens · January 2015

Thanks Jason!

anton · January 2015

johnkitchens
Adding the table nest on top of the same thickness pavers or bricks you have there will raise your egg up, giving you a bigger safety gap between wood and table hole as well. Next time you cook, feel around with your hand or an IR gun and see how warm the wood gets, if all is cool, well then you're cool man.
:-bd

orbbq · January 2015

If you're getting a custom table done, i would suggest considering spar varnish + teak oil, mixed 3 parts teak oil to 1 part spar varnish for a finish. I just made a cedar topped table for my XL and i'm getting an awesome glow out of it using this combo. It also feels like it will weather better than straight lacquer or urethane finish. I'll post pictures once the 3rd coat is dry.

grege345 · January 2015

Lots of good advice here. Take it and you won't have any problems. Nest plus paver will raise the egg 4 inches so take that in consideration. You want the handle to be no higher than belt high IMO

johnkitchens · January 2015

I am not sure of the finish. He just said an "all weather finish". @grege345 one of my concerns is that it will be too high.

From all of the pics I have seen most people are using pavers underneath. I wonder if I use the table nest and instead of putting the nest on top of pavers I could put it on top of steel?

I was thinking about using an 18" x 18" square of 1/2" steel plate. Any opinions on that?

Jeremiah · January 2015

John if it was me, I'd design it to have both the table nest and an 18x18 paver or piece of granite. That way you're covered and not worried. Even more so, if I was to build another wood table, I'd cover the entire bottom shelf in granite or pavers.

Jeremiah · January 2015

Wood tables scare me to begin with. I'm planning a steel/stainless steel table for my next one.

Tim (Watkinsville) · January 2015

I have my XL and Medium in my furniture sitting in table nests with fire bricks under that. I also have a fan in there to blow air after a low and slow. Probably overkill but I don't want a fire. I don't bother with the fan if I am doing a direct fast cook.

Mayberry · January 2015

I had my large on my cypress table directly on a paver for a few years. Last fall, I decided to clean the Egg, and sand and apply new polyeurethane to the table. When I moved the paver stone, the table was burned and black directly below it. It never smoked o showed signs of igniting, but scared me nonetheless. I bought a table nest and it works perfectly.

johnkitchens · January 2015

@Mayberry so you are using a table nest directly on top of the wood like my pic above with no problems?

RiverDoc · January 2015

@johnkitchens‌ I am in the process of building a cedar table for my eggs. My plan is to use a table nest which will set on fire bricks that are laid into the table leaving air gaps below egg and below the bricks. Just a thought , good luck.

Mayberry · January 2015

Yes, I'm using table nest directly on the table and there is no direct heat on the wood. Adding a paver or fire bricks into your table plans can't hurt, though.

johnkitchens · January 2015

I just don't want the egg to be too high after it is in the nest and then on pavers. That is why I was wondering if 1/2" thick steel plate would work.

calracefan · January 2015

Have your builder lower the shelf of the table the thickness of the paver !

Mayberry · January 2015

I think steel would conduct heat more than stone/brick. If I were putting anything, it would be brick or paver. The steel may defeat the purpose

johnkitchens · January 2015

@calracefan and @Mayberry I think you are both right. I will do that.

tarheelmatt · January 2015

@johnkitchens, I have mine sitting on a piece of granite. I have felt the granite on cooks to see if it is hot, but it has never felt hot. I am beginning to wonder now though.

nolaegghead · January 2015

johnkitchens said:

I just don't want the egg to be too high after it is in the nest and then on pavers. That is why I was wondering if 1/2" thick steel plate would work.

A steel plate under the BGE Nest would be fine. If anyone thinks the conductivity of the steel matters, well, it doesn't in this case. It actually acts as a radiant barrier and dissipates heat much faster than it conducts, which isn't an issue with the egg a couple of inches above it.

johnkitchens · January 2015

@nolaegghead thanks!

nolaegghead · January 2015

No problem. You don't need thick steel either, but it won't hurt you.

johnkitchens · January 2015

@nolaegghead I am thinking 1/4" or 1/2" I can get my hands on that all day long.

DaveRichardson · January 2015

John @johnkitchens, The table nest should be more than enough for the heat barrier. I saw something interesting where someone too aluminum strips that were thin enough to bend by hand and several feet in length and recessed screws into it an had it fastened along the egg's cutout. Not really functional (in my mind; but I'm a newb at thermodynamics), but it looked really pretty.

If I was going to steal that idea, I'd also place it on the horizontal rails of the table upper and lower sections.

Zmokin · January 2015

tarheelmatt said:

@johnkitchens, I have mine sitting on a piece of granite. I have felt the granite on cooks to see if it is hot, but it has never felt hot. I am beginning to wonder now though.

Granite is not a good conductor of heat, so the heat won't spread out much. What you can't tell is how hot the granite is in the center under your Egg. With the heat not spreading out, the egg & the granite can get quite hot where there is no air flow to cool it. That's how those scorch marks form where people set their egg on top of the paver. I would highly recommend either the Table Nest as shown above or the 3 feet be added to your set-up.

Zmokin · January 2015

johnkitchens said:

I am getting a quote on a cedar table that will hold both of my large eggs.

Should the table nest pictured below work for a table? I know I need a sufficient amount of airflow underneath my eggs. On my current table I have flat concrete blocks sitting under my egg, but there is still plenty of airflow underneath the blocks. I just don't want a fire.

This is what I currently have.

Do you guys that have a similar configuration think the below will work?

That is the ideal support for an Egg in a Table. I have a metal table and I still use the Table nest as shown above as the feet didn't fit properly.

Table Question

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