My Awesome LBGE Table Build Thread

Toxarch

shadowrider said: Did you do a tongue & groove or half lap on all the pieces for the sides? (The unstained parts in these pics)  

I'm debating how I want to go with this part since I'm using rough cedar.  I could half lap them since I have a router table and a new dado blade.  Then I wouldn't have to buy a T&G bit set.

I guess you could call it a half lap. It's kind of like a rabbet joint. I'm not a regular wood worker so I am not sure what the official name of what I did was. Only the tops and bottoms of the unstained wood have the half lap cut. The top and bottom trim piece have the reverse cut all the way across. So the half lap cut makes the top and the bottom sit behind the trim pieces. Does that make sense?

The verticals between the boards have nothing. Wood likes to expand/contract horizontal to the grain. So I left a tiny gap between the boards for a little expansion and then used a clear silicone on the back side of the gap. The silicone gives a little for expansion/contraction and keeps the inside dry.
Was that the BEST way to do it? I have no idea. I just come up with an idea and go with it. Like I said before, this is my first time with most of this stuff.

A half lap should work fine and be plenty strong if you want to turn it into a solid piece. Only issue will be getting the bit at the perfect cutting depth to make the boards line up. I learned one trick trim installers use is to bevel the edges of the boards with a sander so you don't notice if they are even or not. If you don't want to do a T&G, then you might consider doing biscuit joints. I used a cheap biscuit joiner from Harbor freight and it worked great. Used it for making the drawer faces. A biscuit joiner will make all the boards flush if done correctly.

nolaegghead

The term is "rabbet" - cut, joint, etc.

Toxarch

Couple of pics of the Rutland installed. Came out pretty nice.


Had to switch out the plug cover on the side of the table. As I feared, it wouldn't fit a wall wart and the Stoker I bought has a large wall wart. This new one works fine after I knocked off the lock ring that was on the bottom of it.

Well, the table is finished enough that I could put it on the back porch. So out it went and the is finally installed in the table. If you look, it is installed in front of a door and that's the fireplace to the right of it. This door is never used. On the other side of the fireplace is another door and that is the one used to go outside. Plus there's a plug right next to this door so it's a great place to put the egg.


If you look close, you will notice the grill's wooden handle is missing. That is because I decided to make my own handle. Got a couple of scrap pieces left from the build and ripped them to the size I need. The stock handle is actually two 1/2" thick pieces of wood and my new handle will be two 3/4" thick pieces of wood. Shouldn't be an issue since there's plenty of room for the handle.

I don't have a router table to make the handle, so I figured out a way to secure the wood and move the router to do the same thing. Here's a couple of pictures of the handles being started. I am using longer pieces, routering them, and then cutting them to the correct length. I'll put up finished pics later. Have some customization planned for the handle.

Toxarch

I almost forgot about the beer opener. I know every BGE table needs one. I found this Coca Cola one while I was at a remote lake house 22 years ago. I saw something buried in the dirt and dug it up. Cleaned it up and it had a little rust on it but otherwise looked fine. Kept it since then planning to use it on something and now I have the perfect thing to put it on. Gave it a quick coat of laquer and put it on the table using stainless screws. I'm a can beer guy, but I know this will get used sometime.

Toxarch

After my cook this evening, I felt the table to see how well the metal ring I added had worked.

The egg was already cooling down and was still at 300 degrees. I could put my hand on the wood and it felt warm, put my finger on the metal ring and I could burn my finger is left there too long.
Got the thermapen out and did a little test. Put it on the wood right behind the washer spacers and it was 119 degrees. Put it where the washers met the back side of the metal ring and it was 150 degrees. So I am guessing that the metal ring does do a little bit to catch the radiant heat from the egg and protect the wood table top.

Toxarch

I forgot to get a picture with the LEDs on. I'll see if I can get a decent picture and post it.

coooltroy

WOW.  This is going to be awesome.  Great design even better execution!

shadowrider

Toxarch said:

I guess you could call it a half lap. It's kind of like a rabbet joint. I'm not a regular wood worker so I am not sure what the official name of what I did was. Only the tops and bottoms of the unstained wood have the half lap cut. The top and bottom trim piece have the reverse cut all the way across. So the half lap cut makes the top and the bottom sit behind the trim pieces. Does that make sense?  

The verticals between the boards have nothing. Wood likes to expand/contract horizontal to the grain. So I left a tiny gap between the boards for a little expansion and then used a clear silicone on the back side of the gap. The silicone gives a little for expansion/contraction and keeps the inside dry.
Was that the BEST way to do it? I have no idea. I just come up with an idea and go with it. Like I said before, this is my first time with most of this stuff.

Yes that makes sense.  You could of half lapped the edges too, the idea is cutting the rabbet a smidge wider and a smidge deeper than a perfect fit so the wood has some room to move.  The silicone should work just fine though, it adheres well to dang near anything.

Dude that is one hell of a first effort!  Looks fantastic!