Ideas for table top?

caliking · January 2019

I bought a kitchen island from Ikea a few years ago, to use as a bbq work table outside by the eggs. Refinished the top with spar urethane, with some direction from an egghead (thanks again @RRP!). But as expected, the elements took their toll on the MDF and whatever it was made of, and its falling apart.

But I liked the design, and the SS shelves that it came with. So I set about building a better replica, out of western red cedar. This is how far I got in October 2017.

Its been waiting to be sanded and finished with spar urethane since then. I'm determined to finish this project by this spring, but am still pondering what to do about the top. I have been thinking about a granite top, with a cutout for a bar sink, but wonder if there are better options.

Thoughts?

thetrim · January 2019

How about a concrete table top???

caliking · January 2019

thetrim said:

How about a concrete table top???

The thought has crossed my mind. Don't really know where to start with that though. I know some others here have gone that route.

RRP · January 2019

caliking said:

I bought a kitchen island from Ikea a few years ago, to use as a bbq work table outside by the eggs. Refinished the top with spar urethane, with some direction from an egghead (thanks again @RRP!). But as expected, the elements took their toll on the MDF and whatever it was made of, and its falling apart.

But I liked the design, and the SS shelves that it came with. So I set about building a better replica, out of western red cedar. This is how far I got in October 2017.

Its been waiting to be sanded and finished with spar urethane since then. I'm determined to finish this project by this spring, but am still pondering what to do about the top. I have been thinking about a granite top, with a cutout for a bar sink, but wonder if there are better options.

Thoughts?

Thanks Doc! Honestly I don't recall that, but thanks anyway! My new suggestion is to skip a custom stone, or cement top for that wooden frame as it will "wrack" on you unless you add, a LOT of cross bar bracing.

nolaegghead · January 2019

Granite or SS. Cement is either a helluva lotta money or labor. You can buy granite remnants cheap, get them cut polished, even a sink cut out.

littlerascal56 · January 2019

I built one with 1/8” polished aluminum tread plate that was pretty cool and had the “bling” factor. Sold to a buddy with an XL, and he loves the look.

SaltySam · January 2019

Concrete is easier than you think. If you have a way to make straight cuts, like a circular saw, or even better, a table saw, you'll be able to easily build a mold. You can use foam knockouts to create the hole for an Egg to pop through. Definitely make cross braces for the top to rest on, though.

I built one about three years ago, and it's still rock solid, despite being outside in extreme summer humidity and extreme cold of Nebraska winters. It's durable, won't stain like wood. It's not flammable, and I can spray it off, or degrease it if I get a bunch of crud on it. I would definitely change a few things if I did it again:

1. make it thinner. It's 2" thick, 5 feet wide, and a little more than 2.5 feet deep. It weighs a TON. I don't store anything heavy on top, so there's no need for it to be that thick. 1" would have been plenty heat resistant for the times I put the adjustable rig on it. And, it would have saved me probably 80-100lbs.

2. I should have spent more time vibrating/shaking the mold when the concrete was wet. There were a lot of bug holes in it when it cured, and it took a lot of time to fill it with Portland cement. It could have looked so much better, but I was lazy.

3. Instead of buying 2" foam paneling, I bought a sheet of 1" thick foam, and tried to cut a perfect circle out of two pieces glued together. I cut it with a drywall saw. To the naked eye, it looks like a general circle. But, it's not straight, and it's definitely not perpendicular. Again, laziness equated to a shoddy finish.

4. I should have wet sanded the top when done to make it shinier. You don't need a concrete polisher to do that...just some water, 400 grit sandpaper, and some elbow grease. I did make it smooth with the portland cement to fill in the bug holes. I also added several coats of concrete sealer. But, it could be better.

All in all, I wanted durability, space, heat resistance and something that was easy to clean. It definitely serves its purpose. It's not perfect, but it works. The frame I made out of cedar, and covered it in spar urethane. It's held up well, too. The construction probably could have been a bit more solid, given the weight of the concrete top. But again, it's plenty good enough.

If you decide to go the concrete route, check out a guy named DIYPete on YouTube. He has several instructional videos on how to make some pretty slick concrete tops for tables, bars, etc. Easy to follow.

caliking · January 2019

RRP said:
Thanks Doc! Honestly I don't recall that, but thanks anyway! My new suggestion is to skip a custom stone, or cement top for that wooden frame as it will "wrack" on you unless you add, a LOT of cross bar bracing.

I lied a bit - I stopped working on the table after adding crossbraces (2) across the top and middle shelf, shortly after taking the pic above. Would that be enough for a granite top?

caliking · January 2019

@SaltySam - thanks for the info and the YouTube channel. I may look into a concrete top to see if its feasible, but still leaning towards granite.

caliking · January 2019

littlerascal56 said:

I built one with 1/8” polished aluminum tread plate that was pretty cool and had the “bling” factor. Sold to a buddy with an XL, and he loves the look.

Do you have any pics? I think an SS or other metal top will get crazy hot in the sun here. How does the aluminum tread plate do when exposed to the elements?

nolaegghead · January 2019

This would look great, brah. Cleans up quick with a pressure washer.

caliking · January 2019

@nolaegghead - i used diamond plate to make a collar for my drum tandoor a while back, and its held up well. But it hasn't been out in the sun and rain like the table will be.

How would i attach that as a table top? Does it need some kind of backing?

Legume · January 2019

Why not cement board and adhesive?

nolaegghead · January 2019

OSB (oriented strand board, AKA "beaver board") is about $15 bucks for a 4 x 8 sheet. Makes a sweet urban thrift statement.

Seriously though...any material will get hot in the sun. Any metal can get fastened with rivets or welded mount tabs.

Don't forget good ol' fashioned wood. I soaked my top in epoxy and a few coats of spar and it's held up for years. You can even bedazzle it with your favorite slogans!

HeavyG · January 2019

nolaegghead said:

OSB (oriented strand board, AKA "beaver board") is about $15 bucks for a 4 x 8 sheet. Makes a sweet urban thrift statement.

Seriously though...any material will get hot in the sun. Any metal can get fastened with rivets or welded mount tabs.

Don't forget good ol' fashioned wood. I soaked my top in epoxy and a few coats of spar and it's held up for years. You can even bedazzle it with your favorite slogans!

Yeah but bare shiny metal will burn the hell out of your arm if you rest it on it on a sunny summer day.

I guess the life pro tip is to just not rest your bare arm on a shiny bare metal surface on a sunny summer day.

Jeremiah · January 2019

Put me in the granite camp. There’s a granite store on every corner here. Plenty of remnants laying around if you’re not choosy on color or shape.

Kent8621 · January 2019

i did a concrete top for mine and have been really happy with the results. there are stains and things out there for concrete so you can match whatever color you want to.

Legume · January 2019

You may want to check for surplus/used lab and medical equipment dealers. You may be able to pick up a cabinet or table on the cheap or just a chunk of lab grade countertop.

Slippy · January 2019

Check on Craigslist for granite or quartz remnants. That's what I did. Found a piece of quartz from a countertop fabricator, and had him cut down and put a hole in it. I think I paid $120 all in. Could be an option..... Also check for pool tables in the FREE section, and use the slate.

SonVolt · January 2019

100% granite... it's smooth, easy to clean and the install is as easy as picking out your color. You can also use it to roll out and stretch dough etc... not a big fan of concrete tops for a variety of reasons.

northGAcock · January 2019

I have a granite top and absolutely love it. I even had them round the edges of the cut out and have it as a marble cutting / hot drop off spot to boot. One word of caution however....that chit is heavy as he!!. You want desire to move it after its set.

nolaegghead · January 2019

caliking said:

@nolaegghead - i used diamond plate to make a collar for my drum tandoor a while back, and its held up well. But it hasn't been out in the sun and rain like the table will be.

How would i attach that as a table top? Does it need some kind of backing?

I realize I never answered your question, just mocked diamond plate.

To the question of durability - almost any aluminum alloy will do fine in the sun and rain. Saltwater (think cooking) will corrode it faster, but there are marine alloys like 5052 (btw- my crawfish boiler is made from 5052 diamond plate) that show almost no corrosion. Any corrosion on any aluminum alloy in that application will be purely aesthetic. In summary, don't worry about it. Same with SS. Heat, yeah, they get hot in the sun. Consider that a bonus to keep food warm. Shiny surfaces reflect more heat energy than dark. Black granite will get hotter than shiny aluminum.

I would want my food preparation counters to be smooth as to be easily cleaned. That's my main point. NSF compliant. Diamond plate is made for traction and stiffens up the sheet. Also gives you a Guy Fieri or NASCAR look. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but function over form, IMHO.

Tspud1 · January 2019

I could do a 304 stainless top for you

HeavyG · January 2019

nolaegghead said:

caliking said:

@nolaegghead - i used diamond plate to make a collar for my drum tandoor a while back, and its held up well. But it hasn't been out in the sun and rain like the table will be.

How would i attach that as a table top? Does it need some kind of backing?

... Shiny surfaces reflect more heat energy than dark. Black granite will get hotter than shiny aluminum..

Black granite may well get a bit hotter than shiny aluminum plate but that is not the relevant factor when one stupidly rests their bare arm on the surface on a bright summer day. The thermal conductivity of aluminum is a LOT higher than granite and that is why one will yell "sh#4 muthrf&(#$" when they rest their bare arm on aluminum rather than just "oh, that's quite warm" when rested on granite.

caliking · January 2019

nolaegghead said:

caliking said:

@nolaegghead - i used diamond plate to make a collar for my drum tandoor a while back, and its held up well. But it hasn't been out in the sun and rain like the table will be.

How would i attach that as a table top? Does it need some kind of backing?

I realize I never answered your question, just mocked diamond plate.

To the question of durability - almost any aluminum alloy will do fine in the sun and rain. Saltwater (think cooking) will corrode it faster, but there are marine alloys like 5052 (btw- my crawfish boiler is made from 5052 diamond plate) that show almost no corrosion. Any corrosion on any aluminum alloy in that application will be purely aesthetic. In summary, don't worry about it. Same with SS. Heat, yeah, they get hot in the sun. Consider that a bonus to keep food warm. Shiny surfaces reflect more heat energy than dark. Black granite will get hotter than shiny aluminum.

I would want my food preparation counters to be smooth as to be easily cleaned. That's my main point. NSF compliant. Diamond plate is made for traction and stiffens up the sheet. Also gives you a Guy Fieri or NASCAR look. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but function over form, IMHO.

Dude, I’m gullible enough that you need to let me know when I’m being trolled

and if ANYTHING can take me to FlavorTown pronto... I may be for it!!

caliking · January 2019

I’m still leaning towards granite for a couple of reasons. Laziness quotient factors in quite a bit.

@Tspud1 SS top is a close second, primarily because of the lighter weight, and it will tie in well with the SS shelves.

But still wary of how hot it will get in the sun here. I’ll pm you some time to pick your brain. And I’m all for dealing with another egghead for this project. thanks.

Tspud1 · January 2019

caliking said:

I’m still leaning towards granite for a couple of reasons. Laziness quotient factors in quite a bit.

@Tspud1 SS top is a close second, primarily because of the lighter weight, and it will tie in well with the SS shelves.

But still wary of how hot it will get in the sun here. I’ll pm you some time to pick your brain. And I’m all for dealing with another egghead for this project. thanks.

Put a umbrella bracket on table

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/45/szxqz6d06mu7.jpg

SonVolt · January 2019

I've learned from experience that anything attached to an umbrella will at some point land in your neighbor's yard.

nolaegghead · January 2019

SonVolt said:

I've learned from experience that anything attached to an umbrella will at some point land in your neighbor's yard.

Or mutate terribly and kill you.

SonVolt · January 2019

That takes me back to my part-time job days in college playing Code Veronica in a dimly lit break-room of a GNC and getting spooked TFO.

Ideas for table top?

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