Has anyone done a square "hole" for an XL table?

tbru

My husband and I are about to build our XL BGE table tomorrow. Quick question as I firm up the plans: has anyone ever done a square hole for the Egg in the top shelf?  We don't have a band saw or  router to make it round and wondered if that would work,  with a square the size of the hole needed?   Thank you! 

78 T140E

A square hole would work, but would waste a lot of surface space. Home Depot has a tool rental service that might have the right tool to do the job. I think what you'll need is a jigsaw, and you can even buy them pretty cheap.

kaybee

Depending on what your table top is made of, a jigsaw as suggested by the previous poster should work just fine. Just get some new blades (for the appropriate material) and be patient while cutting. You can either rent one or more than likely a neighbor has one in their workshop that you can borrow (buy a pack of good blades and donate the ones you don't use as a rental gift/fee).

It also might be worth getting one of your own. They are cheap, very useful and Eggs do have a tendency to multiply....

jtcBoynton

You could buy a jigsaw for less than $25.  Not the best for everyday use, but will get your job done.

kl8ton

jtcBoynton said:

You could buy a jigsaw for less than $25.  Not the best for everyday use, but will get your job done.

Agree.  This is where Harbor Freight comes in handy.  22.99 for a Jig Saw.  You may never use it again.  But if you need one, you have one.  

jtcBoynton

Even Home Depot has one for less than $25.

RRP

Lots of good advice here, but several eggers over the years have not cut a circular hole for their eggs. Instead they construct their tables with an open front. That way getting to their egg is much simpler than lifting the it in and out of the hole. TNW has several pictures if you care to look for ideas. Let me get you a link.
http://nakedwhiz.com/tableplans/tableplans.htm
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/TableGallery/tables.htm?I10

1voyager

Just curious. What will the square hole be used for?

blasting

A bottle of brown water offered to someone with a router would be another option.  

fishlessman

i would go with the open front as rrp suggested, there may be a time you need to move that heavy xl out of it

SonVolt

I wish mine had an open front also. I'm going to drop a piece of granite on top of my JJ George table at some point, but I'm dreading having to disassemble the egg just to get the dern thing out of the table first. If it was an open cut-out it would be a lot easier to manage. 

rtgurley

blasting said:

A bottle of brown water offered to someone with a router would be another option.  

A decent bottle probably costs more than the jigsaw or router.

Carolina Q

I used to think I wanted an egg table. Long ago decided that a nest and side table are better. No fire risk, no structural considerations to support a heavy egg, easy to move or rearrange and no grill taking up work space.

blasting

rtgurley said:

blasting said:

A bottle of brown water offered to someone with a router would be another option.  

A decent bottle probably costs more than the jigsaw or router.

I'm sure that is true.  A router with a circle cutter will cut a much neater hole than a jigsaw.  If OP doesn't own a jigsaw it's a safe bet he could use some assistance with the router.

blasting

@tbru I just realized that was your first post and none of us welcomed you. 

Welcome.  Hope you will hang out and post some cooks and share in the nonsense.

mEGG_My_Day

I can’t add anymore to what has been said aboutyour square whole question. But welcome aboard!  

Carolina Q

blasting said:

@tbru I just realized that was your first post and none of us welcomed you. 

Welcome.  Hope you will hang out and post some cooks and share in the nonsense.

How clumsy of us! Absolutely... WELCOME to the madhouse!!

alaskanassasin

Get it real hot and do a burn through 

Fred19Flintstone

Didn't you have one of these when you were young?  I'm telling you, man, the round peg doesn't fit in the square hole!

nolaegghead

SonVolt said:

I wish mine had an open front also. I'm going to drop a piece of granite on top of my JJ George table at some point, but I'm dreading having to disassemble the egg just to get the dern thing out of the table first. If it was an open cut-out it would be a lot easier to manage. 

@sunvolt Why can't you leave the egg in the table and drop the new top over the dern thing?

SamIAm2

As @RRP suggests, build it don't cut it. Had the granite cut to go around the opening and used the cutoff for heat deflection along with the table nest. That board on the left of the egg closes the opening when I need to move the table. 

Edit - yes, I know you asked about a square hole for an XL table and this is a Large. Just build a much stronger support bottom and increase the depth of the table. Maybe have two more legs in line with the opening to the left or in the middle of your build. And make sure you have enough casters on the legs if you are going to move table and egg.

1voyager

1voyager said:

Just curious. What will the square hole be used for?

It seems as if I'm the only one here that doesn't know what the square hole is for. C'mon, friends. I gots-ta know!

BTW - @tbru - Welcome to the nut house! 

Mattman3969

nolaegghead said:

SonVolt said:

I wish mine had an open front also. I'm going to drop a piece of granite on top of my JJ George table at some point, but I'm dreading having to disassemble the egg just to get the dern thing out of the table first. If it was an open cut-out it would be a lot easier to manage. 

@sunvolt Why can't you leave the egg in the table and drop the new top over the dern thing?

Would work if he took the dome and hinge off first unless there is a square notch for the hinge.    Looks like he’s trying to avoid that.  

SonVolt

nolaegghead said:

SonVolt said:

I wish mine had an open front also. I'm going to drop a piece of granite on top of my JJ George table at some point, but I'm dreading having to disassemble the egg just to get the dern thing out of the table first. If it was an open cut-out it would be a lot easier to manage. 

@sunvolt Why can't you leave the egg in the table and drop the new top over the dern thing?

Hmmm, guess I'd need to measure. I just assumed the egg flared enough that the hole wouldn't fit over it... but I think you may be Right. Like Matt said I'd still have to take the dome and/or hinges off tho. Not as big a deal I guess. 

rtgurley

1voyager said:

1voyager said:

Just curious. What will the square hole be used for?

It seems as if I'm the only one here that doesn't know what the square hole is for. C'mon, friends. I gots-ta know!

BTW - @tbru - Welcome to the nut house! 

In the original comments/question they said that they don't have a proper method for creating a round hole

jeffwit

I think we’re talking to ourselves here. 

rtgurley

jeffwit said:

I think we’re talking to ourselves here. 

Who else do you talk to when you need an expert opinion?

SGH

rtgurley said:

Who else do you talk to when you need an expert opinion?

When mathematicians and the scientific community is at a total loss, they consult the greatest mind that the world has ever known. Donald “The Truth” Trump. He has never been wrong. He is an expert on everything. The speed and accuracy of his mind is simply unrivaled and beyond belief. I would seek his council if I wanted an accurate answer.  

SGH

tbru said:

has anyone ever done a square hole for the Egg

Not for the Egg, but I have cooked in a square hole on more than one occasion. 

Surprisingly I have received numerous compliments on the “squareness” of the hole. 

Fred19Flintstone

I must confess I’ve never seen much use for a “hardy hole” in an egg table, but what do I know?  I’m happy XL egging with my nest & mates. 

tbru

I just posted pictures of the finished table in 2018 and now BGE shed finished this year here:   https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/comment/1952740#Comment_1952740 
Thank you for welcoming me and sorry for the way too long delay in responding.  I am not on here as much as I want to be.  I will post some of my cooks, as requested by @blasting. My son says that after Jesus, the BGE is the best thing that has happened to our family!
This is half of 70+lbs of pork butt/shoulder done for a niece's grad open house two weeks ago.


9 racks of baby back ribs for our monthly Saturday Suppers, where we feed anywhere from 20-35 recent college grads who are searching for community, good time together and a home-cooked meal.

















Covid Egging of Picanha, pizza and brisket


And finally...



Smoked salmon and bacon in December to give as Christmas gifts.  I use the Egg all year, even below zero here in MN.

 Thanks for asking @blasting...probably too much, but I sure am having fun with the Egg and so is the family!

@Carolina Q  @mEGG_My_Day