Purdue Map Coffee Table

This is a guide to create your very own scenic coffee table. By following the steps and procedures below, you will create a table handcrafted by you. In this you will learn how to create the table frame, table top, and drawer from scratch and learn how to apply a portable speaker as well as LED lights to the table.

Materials:

1x 2x4 Stud (8 feet) [1]

2x 2x4 Stud (4 feet) [2]

6x 2x4 Stud (2 feet) [3]

Note: It is important to grab very straight studs that do not have warps or cracks in them.

2x 2'x2' Plywood Sheet (3/8 inch) [4]

1x 2'x2' Birch Plywood Sheet (1/8 inch) [5]

20 Construction Screws (3 inch) [6]

20 Construction screws (1.25 inch) [7]

Wood Glue [8]

Tape (Painter's or Masking preferred) [9] [10]

8 fluid ounces of Polyurethane [11]

Drawer Rails [12]

Drawer Handle [13]

Bluetooth Speaker [14]

LED Light strip [15]

Sandpaper (80 or 100 grit)

1 quart of paint (desired color)

Printed Image: 24" by 48" final size, many available printing options will only do 36x48, so you must cut it to size after printing. Staples poster printing. FedEx Poster printing.

Painter's cloth, tarp, or painting sheet.

Optional: Velcro or Velcro Tape (see step 4)

Tools:

Drill or Screwdriver

Hand Saw and Miter Box, or Table Saw

Measuring Tape

Pencil

Razor Blade

1. Cut your 2x4's to the following lengths:
2. The eight foot 2x4 needs to be cut down to two 2' and 3.5" lengths. These are the end pieces of the frame. Place the remainder in a scrap pile.
3. Cut four of the 2 foot 2x4s to 16.5 inches. These will be the legs.
4. Make the border of the frame
5. Arrange the 4 foot pieces and the 2' 3.5" pieces into a rectangle. You can place your two plywood squares inside the rectangle to keep its shape for this part.
6. Screw the ends of the 4' pieces into the other pieces using 3 inch screws.
7. Add the legs to the frame
8. Use a pencil to make marks 1 inch below the top of the frame on all four corners.
9. Screw the legs into the frame using the 3 inch screws, so that the tops of the legs are 1 inch below the top of the frame. The plywood pieces will eventually be placed on top of these legs.
10. Add a central 2x4 to reinforce the table.
11. Take another 2' 2x4 that will be used to reinforce the middle of the table, and hold up the plywood table top.
12. Using a pencil, make horizontal lines 1 inch below the top of the frame, directly in the middle of the 4 foot sections of the frame.
13. Place the 2x4 horizontally, directly underneath those 1 inch marks, and screw it into the frame with 3 inch screws.
14. Secure the table top
15. Place the plywood snugly into the frame, on top of the four legs and the middle reinforcing piece.
16. Once the plywood is in place, use 1.5 inch screws to screw the corners of your plywood pieces into the tops of the legs and into the middle piece.

1. Cut these pieces out of your 2' by 2' thin birch plywood sheet:
2. A section that is 12" by 14". This will be the bottom of your drawer.
3. A section that is 12.25" by 4". This is the front piece.
4. Another section to 12.25" by 3.5". This is the back piece.
5. Two lengths of 14" by 3.5". These are the side pieces of your drawer.
6. Use your tape to arrange the pieces into a box. The front piece should be a half inch taller than the rest. When secured, place wood glue in all the edges, allow it to dry, then add glue where necessary a second time.
7. Drill or poke two holes in the front piece, halfway up and 1.25" in each direction from the center. These holes should be 1/8 of an inch in diameter.
8. Then place the screws for the drawer handle into these holes, and screw the handle into place.
9. Finally, place the drawer rails on the underside of the drawer, and use the provided screws to gently screw the rail securely into the drawer.
10. The rail is an inch and a half longer than the drawer, so be sure to make the front of the rail flush with the front of the drawer, leaving extra rail sticking off the backside. If you are unsure about the orientation of the rails, consult the handout provided with the rails.

1. Take your remaining wood and cut four pieces that are 7.25 inches long.
2. Make marks on the bottom of a four-foot 2x4 that are 6.75 inches from the center of your table.
3. Place two of your cut pieces underneath the table, outside of the marks you made, so that there is 13.5 inches of room between them for the drawer and the rails. Screw these pieces into place with 3 inch screws.
4. Place the other two pieces 14 inches behind your other 2x4s, and screw them into place through the table top, using 1.25 inch screws.
5. Using a level to ensure straightness and level for the drawer, install the outside of the drawer rails to the inside bottom of the 2x4 pieces, as shown above.
6. Slide the drawer into the rails

At this point, you should notice that if you place the speaker underneath the table, its 2.5" height is the same as the exposed portion of 2x4 inside the frame. The small rubber feet on your speaker will protrude slightly below, which Thanks to this convenient sizing, you can simply cut small pieces of your scrap birch plywood, and if you screw them into the bottom of your frame 3.25" apart, they make an easy sliding rail that snugly holds your speaker. Be sure to sand the edge of your pieces to avoid splinters or getting your speaker stuck.

Alternatively, you may simply stick velcro hooks to the inside of your 2x4 framing, and stick fuzzy velcro to the back of your speaker, for easy attaching and detaching.

1. Place your poster image in the table top, and align it where you want it.
2. Tape one side of the image down so that it does not move.
3. Starting with one corner, press your image firmly into the lip of the table top using your finger. Gently slide your finger around the edge of the table, ensuring the image fits snugly into the lip.
4. Take your razor blade and carefully cut around the edge of the image, removing excess and getting it to fit securely in the table. Having an assistant hold the image in place during this process can be helpful.
5. Then gently remove the image from the table and place it aside.

1. Drill or poke a hole into one edge of the table, opposite the speaker. This hole should be out of the way, placed in an area of your image that is inconspicuous, and should be just large enough to feed the LED lights through.
2. Feed the LED strip through the hole.
3. Using a 1.5 inch screw, screw the battery pack holder to the inside of the frame.
4. Remove the blue peel tape from the back of the LED strip. Avoid letting it stick on anything but the table frame.
5. Apply the LED strip to the table frame and follow the frame around the table until desired length or if you reach the beginning.
6. Cut LED strip at the guided cut lines to remove any excess.
7. Fit your image within the frame to ensure it is still snug, and the LED strip should cover any small errors in your cut.
8. Cut a small in your image to fit around the hole of the LED strip wire.
9. Remove the poster image from the table once again.

After the table has been assembled, you may paint the table any color or design you would like to make it personal for you. Please paint in a well ventilated area and allow 6-8 hours for the paint to dry before moving on to any other step in this procedure.

1. Place the coffee table on a tarp, painter's sheet, or cloth so that the paint does not get anywhere it is not supposed to.
2. Paint an intial coat on all visible surfaces.
3. After two hours, you can add a second coat where needed.
4. Dry for 6-8 hours
5. Return the image to the top of the table for the polyurethane pouring.

Once the lights have been securely placed, the final step is pouring the polyurethane into the frame. In order to do so, place the table on an even surface and carefully pour the polyurethane into the frame until the frame is filled to the edge. Be careful not to overfill as it will begin to flow out of the frame and off the table top. Once filled, be sure there are no bubbles within the liquid. If there are, carefully try to poke at them with a pencil or toothpick to remove them from the liquid. Once the polyurethane has settled and the bubbles removed, leave the polyurethane sit and dry for at least 1 hour. A second coat may be needed and is recommended for higher quality performance. The second coat may be applied after 2 hours. The second coat will be a thin coat applied with a brush over the specified area.

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