Easy Woodworking Project for Beginners
This is one of those woodworking projects that I’ve had in the back of my mind for months. We don’t have room for end tables in our living room and depending on where you sit the coffee table can be out of reach. This project was made in about 2 hours which includes the time it took to glue and finish. Something I don’t do very often is go into a project without a plan and that’s exactly what I did here and it turned out great. I just started cutting to size on the table saw what I thought looked to be a good size. The center piece is 4″ x 4″ with a 2 7/8″ hole drilled in the middle. Many of you may not have a forstner bit that big and a jigsaw would do just fine in this situation. The bottom is made up of leather scraps I got from a local art scrap store. Another option would be to take an old pair of jeans and I think that would work equally as well. If you make this project be sure to Tweet me some photos! I’d love to see what you come up with! Be passionate and Make Something!
Tools and Supplies Used
- Micro Jig GRR-Rippers
- Kreg Trak and Stop (Tablesaw Sled)
- 2 7/8″ Forstner Bit
- GRR-Rip Block
- 1/4″ Round Over Bit
- Festool Orbital Sander
- Minwax Lacquer Spray, Satin
- Leather used was picked up from a local art scrap store.
- Titebond Quick and Thick (Not available yet and didn’t work for this)
- Contact Cement
- Foam Brush
Step 1: Rip Board to Width
I first start out by ripping a 1/2″ thick board of red oak on the tablesaw to 4″ wide.
Step 2: Crosscuting all the Pieces
Next I cross cut all the pieces I need using my tablesaw sled. The center piece is 4″ x 4″ and the six outer pieces are 4″ x 1 3/4″
Step 3:
I then drill a 2 7/8″ hole in the center of my middle piece using a large forstner bit.
Step 4: Round Over Edges
I’ll ease the edges over with a 1/4″ round over bit on my router table. If you want your armrest drink holder to look like mine then you’ll only want to round over the top of each piece leaving the bottoms as is.
Step 5: Sand and Finish
Before glue-up you’ll want to sand and finish all pieces. I used Minwax satin spray lacquer for my finish as it dries quick.
Step 6: Glue-up
I picked up some scrap leather from a local art scrap store. I’ll glue all the pieces right on the smooth side. For the glue I used Titebond Quick and Thick but found it didn’t work well for this application. Next time I may try wood glue or contact cement.
Step 7: Cutting Leather to Length
Once dry cut the leather to length using an utility knife or exact-o knife.
Step 8: Adding Reinforcement to the Bottom
I dove into this project without a plan and thought maybe the leather would be a strong enough bottom if glued taught. I decided that the bottom needed some reinforcement so I used contact cement to glue another piece of leather to a 1/8″ thick piece of red oak.
Step 9: Gluing the Bottom Reinforcement
And finally use contact cement to glue the bottom reinforcement right to the underside of the drink holder and you’re done!
SOURCE: Make Something Blog – Read entire story here.