Is this the Easiest and Cheapest BGE Table Ever Made???

lukemcf01

So I headed to Home Depot this weekend, Naked Whiz's plans in hand, prepared to shell out a few hundred bucks for some nice wood, and prepared to spend the entire weekend screwing, gluing, nailing, and staining (wow, that sounds dirty).

On a whim, I decided to see if Home Depot had any stock shelves that I might convert to a table.  Lo and behold, I found the perfect solution: the Edsal 5 shelf, 24" deep, heavy-duty steel shelving unit, priced at $78.  Here is the link to the shelf.  

Fully assembled, the shelving unit is 72" tall, 48" wide, and 24" deep, however you can also assemble it as two shelf units that are each 36" high.

I assembled as two units, put one in my basement for extra storage, and easily converted the other to a BGE table.  I simply cut a 22" hole on the top shelf, using the middle shelf to hold the weight of the egg (similar to the actual BGE table and the Naked Whiz design).  I used some leftover tile for under the egg, and on the table top to mimic the nice features of the Naked Whiz design (the tile I used has a faux wood grain, so looks like wood in the photo):

The table top is just under 36" (perfect for me as I am relatively tall).  The middle shelf is adjustable depending on which egg you have - I put mine at about 15" below the top shelf to hold my large egg.  If you felt 36" was too tall for you, you could lower both the top shelf and the middle shelf very easily in 1.5" increments (although you would still have the four 36" vertical pieces sticking up a bit).

The shelves are made of particle board with a wood grain on the top.  It was plenty strong to hold the egg with just a little flex - if you wanted to add strength you could substitute a nice piece of thicker plywood or add some bracing.  The shelf actually sits just a bit below the metal ledge, so the tiles will not slip off the shelf.

I plan on doing a bit more customization - maybe some hooks to hold tools and perhaps some wheels on the bottom, both of which would be easy.  The shelf unit is very sturdy (the way it is designed, the more weight that is on it, the sturdier it is), and could easily be moved if you added some wheels to the bottom.

I don't think the shelves would hold up that great if exposed to rain/snow - fortunately I have a roof that will cover mine.  Otherwise this table will fit under a 2" x 4" BBQ cover, or you could use a higher quality wood instead of the provided shelves and seal them.

This table also has an extra shelf vs. the Naked Whiz table, for a bit more storage.

In short, I got a table that functions almost the same as the Naked Whiz table, for the low price of $39 (I'm not counting the other half of the shelves that I used elsewhere, or the spare tile I had lying around).  All I had to do was assemble it, cut out the top hole, and throw some tile down, so it took me about 30 minutes start to finish.  I think it looks fine, if a bit industrial.  While I would prefer the look of a nice wood table, considering the savings in money, time, and effort, I am very happy with my end result.

If anyone is looking for a workable table for their egg, doesn't want to spend the money to order one or build one, or perhaps lacks the time or expertise to make one from scratch, I think this is a great solution!

Ragtop99

Not as pretty as what you would built, but it is functional.  what's the shelf rated for, weight wise?

I'd put some caps on the vertical pieces so you don't accidentally cut yourself.

njl

Definitely not going to win any beauty contests with that...but if the shelf really is strong enough to hold the egg, then it might win as cheapest table ever.

tnbarbq

I'm all for saving some $$$$$$$. I like the idea.  The table can easily dressed up some and still save a wad of cash!

ShedFarm

I have several of those shelving units in my various sheds, and I have to warn you that the shelf material will start to sag in short order. At a minimum, I would recommend you get yourself some 3/4" BCX plywood (if not pressure-treated), and swap out the board that's under the Egg, within a couple of weeks.

twlangan

Dang, I think I might have held the record for the cheapest Egg table - and then you come along with this! Mine is a tool bench kit from Menards that I converted into a table - $70 plus some paint. Mine isn't the prettiest either, but gets the job done. I like your idea and wish I had thought of it. My egg sits in a spot on my deck that is not visible to anyone but us - so function over form for me.

Botch

Great idea!  The possibilities for bolt-on additions is almost endless.  

spotco2

I like it!

What is that tile made of that the egg is sitting on top of?

lukemcf01

A few responses:

1. The vertical pieces come with some plastic caps that are on there to prevent cutting yourself.  After knocking them off a couple times I glued them down and they seem to be on there pretty good now.

2. I agree that it won't win any beauty contests -- someday I would like to build an outdoor kitchen, and I really didn't want to spend a bunch of time and money on a table when hopefully within the next couple of years I would be incorporating the egg into a nice outdoor kitchen...  Also given the relatively high cost of a new egg, I think a table like this might appeal to new buyers as a "starter table" (it can easily be converted back to shelves if you decided to upgrade to something prettier!) - especially since it is 1/3 the price of a nest, and 1/2 the price of the basic shelves from BGE.  

3. As for the shelves, I agree with ShedFarm -- they are just particle board with some thin veneer on top.  While they seem very sturdy right now, I am keeping a close eye on them (particularly if they get wet, etc.).  Fortunately it will be very easy to change the shelves out with some bcx plywood or other material down the road (shelves are exactly 2' x 4' and just pop up and out).

4. Ragtop99, per the packaging, each shelf is supposed to be able to hold 800 lbs., so much more than the ~140 lbs that my large egg weighs.  As mentioned above, I am a bit skeptical about how it will hold up being outside (even covered), especially with the weight centered in the middle of the shelf and not spread out over the entire shelf.  I actually jumped up and down on it before putting the egg on it and it was surprisingly sturdy though.

5. twlangan, technically you still might still have me beat since the shelving unit really cost $78 (but I only used half, so I adjusted the price!).

6. spotco2, the tiles are ceramic tiles, good quality, finished to mimic the look of wood.  I had them left over from a shower I installed in my man cave.  I actually think the tiles are super cool and combine the toughness/waterproof-ness (if that is a word) of tile with the look of wood.  I bought them from a website called woodgraintile.com, here is a link to the actual tiles but they have them in just about any finish.

http://www.woodgraintile.com/palma-ceramic-tuscany-series-antik-timber-wood-look-porcelain-tile.html

RunninBombtech

If you visit a new home being built you might be able to talk the foreman in to letting you salvage some 2x4's, 1x4's, and maybe some plywood.  Those guys throw away a LOT of good lumber.  

Kingmc

Looks nice and easy, just watch out for that tile under it. I had one shatter from the heat. I stuck a pave stone under it and that seems to be able to take the heat no problem!

Dr. Strangelove

Nice, good thinking! Looks fine to me, it does what you want it to, right?

gtk10583

I've never been one to "dress to impress". Functionality comes first. I like your egg table.

mrjwhit

I like that a lot. What about adding casters? Would that be possible? Also what about adding wood trim?

stike

you're going to want a thicker tile, and/pr airspace between the tile and the egg.  that right there is a recipe for scorched shelves (eventually)

Bear 007

You want to talk trailer trash,

Salvaged cinder blocks and $30 worth of 20" pavers

Elde

I have several of those shelving units in my various sheds, and I have to warn you that the shelf material will start to sag in short order. At a minimum, I would recommend you get yourself some 3/4" BCX plywood (if not pressure-treated), and swap out the board that's under the Egg, within a couple of weeks.

Indeed -  between the weight of the Egg and particle board's susceptibility to moisture, there's a high chance of sudden failure.  Even dew and atmospheric moisture can be enough, it doesn't need to be rained on.

jlloyder

I agree with ShedFarm and Elde... particle board is going to have a very short life span especially with the weight of your mighty egg.