Rustic Sofa Server Table From Old Growth, Reclaimed and Sinker Cypress

About Sofa Servers

One of the most used pieces of furniture in our home is a "Sofa Server", a small table with the leg(s) mounted towards the back so the foot goes under the sofa/couch allowing the top to come back towards you over the cushions. These are not only used in our living room they get relocated to the screen room, up to the loft TV area, out to my wife's cave, to my workshop, the patio and we take one on every RV trip. Although we have several there are never enough and I wanted to add more functionality.

Maybe the place to begin is actually at the "end", the sofa server built for this Instructable while we were RV camping from reclaimed cypress obtained during that trip:

Video: The 28 Second Assembly

Video: The 1 minute 27 second Assembly

Video: Completed Sofa Server For Use in Screen Room

Video: Completed Sofa Server for Use in RV

This was not the first sofa server built while RVing. The videos below show two others where the wood was obtained on those trips by Googling "Reclaimed Wood Near Me":

Video: Rustic Sofa Server Loaned to 92 Year-Old Aunt

Video: Sofa Server Used Daily Built from Reclaimed

Forty Years in Development

Some 40 years ago my fledgling woodworker dad made five sofa servers to give to each of his semi-adult kids. That Christmas he was so proud when we all unwrapped ours at the same time. We all took them home then used ours topped with a Swanson Salisbury Beef TV Dinner as we caught the newest episode of the Andy Griffith Show. Years later, when Andy retired as Sheriff of Mayberry, so did the sofa servers eventually ending up in attics.

Video: Dad's 40 Year-Old Sofa Server

A few years ago, some 4 decades later, I found mine, blew the dust off then positioned it on our couch; placed a mouse pad, a mouse; and a cup of coffee on it and would never want to laptop without one again. In fact, it was so handy I called my siblings to ask if I could have theirs. Much to my chagrin every one of them told a similar story: "I found it in the attic and now use it every day for laptoping, coffee in the morning, adult beverage after 5 o'clock somewhere etc.". After a good laugh and some reminiscing the conversations led to "...the only downfall is the dogs/grand-kids knock over the beverage, the TV remote and whatever else is put on the table...".

Time To Upgrade Dad's Design

Being the only sibling with a mechanical bone in our genetic bodies fueled by the insatiable appetite for even more sofa servers I made a few modifications to my dad's design most notably:

1. Reduced the two "legs" down to just one
2. Added a "Foot" to connect "ballast"
3. Added steel "ballast" to the base for stability
4. Added a 2nd tray for beverages, remotes, devices
5. Made all connections from "knock-down" joinery

Why Knock-Down?

This is a small table, one not typically thought of as needing to be "Knock-Down", but then again:

1. I frequently build these tables while we RV so, as we move from site-to-site, partially completed versions can to be stowed for travel.
2. These are often gifts like the one built for our adult daughter one Christmas. She unwrapped the "flat" gift where, taped to the top, was a 3/16 Allen Wrench. She knew exactly what to do so within minutes she had her coffee cup and iPhone perched safe from the wagging tails of two Golden Retrievers. When it was time for her to fly back to Austin she used the same wrench to disassemble it; put the flattened parts in her suitcase; flew home; then reassembled it.
3. These little tables make an ideal "Class Project" when teaching woodworking courses because there is fodder everywhere for learning:
4. Miters, bevels and partial-throughs on the chop saw
5. Flattening surfaces on the jointer and planer
6. Multi-Board Glue-Ups
7. Drillpressing
8. Routing roundovers and chamfers
9. Mortising and applying joinery
10. All of those can be covered in the short time we have together on a project small enough to complete in that same short period
11. Students in those classes can then "knock-down" their completed project for the return trip home in a VW Beetle or, for many, in their airline luggage.
12. Not sure that I will but if I ever do make these tables to post on Etsy or Pinterest for online sale then they can be "knocked-down" to save on shipping costs.

Video: Breaking Down for Transport, Shipping or Storage

The 92 Year-Old Aunt Situation

Because these tables are so small, knock-downable and can be made from all sorts of materials these have become my favorite project to build on our RV trips. On one of those trips, while in the Ozark Mountains, I Googled "Reclaimed Wood Near Me"; found some nice chunks; stopped by a Home Depot to purchase a few short pieces of copper tubing; went back to the campsite and made the sofa server seen in the images above (the one with the mouse pad, mouse, TV remote and the two copper tubes at bottom).

For the next two months that little table worked great at the couch in our RV for 4:00 AM coffee, lap-topping and then transitioned in the evenings for a twosome to catch, now reruns, of the Andy Griffith Show with all content protected from the wagging tails of two golden retrievers.

On the return trip home we stopped to visit a 92 year old aunt; showed her the table; she liked it; "loaned" it to her so she could "test it". She loved it, especially the slot for her nightly "Evan Williams and Lemon on the Rocks". That was three years ago! :-)

Another RV Trip. Another Sofa Server!

When it was time to pack the RV for this winter-of-22 trip to Gulf Shores, AL, I grabbed an older sofa server along with some templates, a few 18V tools, some hardware and whatever could be stuffed in the RV bins with intentions to build yet another Sofa Server Table implementing even more functionality including the following:

• Slot for a stemmed wine glass
• Larger beverage slot for wider coffee mug
• 2nd beverage slot sized for a 12 oz. can or bottle
• An iPhone holder with charger cable slot
• A mount for an 8" tablet with charger cable slot
• A TV/Stereo Remote Control

The rest, as they say, "is history", documented in the 5 Steps below:

1. Design and CutList
2. Shaping The Materials
3. Glue-Ups and Joinery
4. Finishes and Assembly
5. Back Home Fixes

About the Layout for This Instructable

Woodworking is my passion! Can't get enough! Unfortunately that "problem" causes me to rattle on a bit too long about the subject. At the same time there are students that fly or drive thousands of miles, spend thousands of dollars and weeks of their precious time to attend woodworking workshops at schools like this or this one or those offered at TheClearing.org, a non-profit folk school I'm fortunate enough to be associated with. Then how does one attempt to approach a subject like "Build a Rustic Sofa Server from Sinker Cypress considering the spectrum of folks that have clicked on this Instructable?

Not Into Woodworking?

There are a few sentences for each activity in every Step

Not Into Woodworking But Know Someone Who Is?

Drop them the link to this Instructable

Not Into Written Words But Into Video?

All videos, in random order, are in this Playlist

Into Woodworking AND Into Detail?

Then welcome to the club!! For the woodworking Geeks there are links to videos documenting every cross-cut, rip, rout, drill, roundover and even about retaining "rusticity" during the sanding, varnishing and, for this table, the pour of two-part clear-coat. Hopefully there is enough detail for anyone with the type of tools taken on the RV trip to build a sofa server for themselves. If there is anything left out please please drop a Comment or PM me.

About Mistakes!

I'll be the first to admit there were many mistakes when building this table. Most were because I had not first drawn a plan or written a CutList and then some resulting from a rushed packing job prior to leaving. If there had been a CutList and Sequence it would have been consulted when packing the truck/RV for this 3-month trip. Just a couple more small tools or a few pieces of pre-cut wood/steel would have made it easier to build, taken less time and with better results. (BTW the 3D drawings you will see later were drawn AFTER this project was complete. I wanted to make sure the same mistakes aren't made the next time.)

It is those mistakes I will have the "pleasure" of seeing every morning as the first cup of coffee is set down on this Rustic Sofa Server Table from Reclaimed and Sinker Cypress. That is a nice problem to have! :-)

Enjoy!

Mike

Packing for RV Woodworking

Packing for a 3-month, 3, 000 mile RV trip is tough as it is but adding woodworking to the mix makes it even more interesting. Weight and space are very limited. Not taking nearly as much stuff as earlier trips and yet, hopefully, taking components and hardware that cannot be purchased in remote areas or of the material, size and shape that can't be "worked" with the 18V tools.

Materials

Having made the decision this table would be made from some sort of "reclaimed" wood located while on the trip the "hunt" began. For the next two months we toured the Gulf Coast where, surprising to me, found nothing when Googling "Reclaimed Wood Near Me". A "local" later explained that hurricanes shred that stuff and send it out to sea. Then, as we turned north, to head back home following the Mississippi River, the searches improved.

When In Vidalia Do What Vidalians Have

While camping at Natchez State Park, Mississippi, a Google search of "Reclaimed Wood Natchez" resulted in one just across the Mississippi River in Vidalia, Louisiana. Wow! Might I find "reclaimed lumber" only a 15 minute bridge-cross away? The next morning we packed a lunch, the dogs; stopped at an ATM and were off, over the bridge to Vidalia. There we stopped at Live Edge Supply, a very well kept secret that had a great selection of a type of wood I had never heard of called "Sinker Cypress". This is cypress reclaimed from the bottom of the Mississippi River having been stuck in the mud for 100 years or more. "Hmmmmmm? Might Sinker Cypress be fodder for building the latest-and-greatest version of a Sofa Server Table"?

As much as I'd have liked to buy it all the wife reminded me we will need to reconnect the RV in that same truck bed so, only $50 later, we left with the sizes and shapes that could be worked with the tools back at camp including some Sinker Cypress, Old Growth Cypress and Reclaimed Cypress.

Video: Hunting for Reclaimed Wood - Found Sinker Cypress

Where To Get Metal In Rural America

Part of the base on a sofa server needs to slide under the sofa. My dad's was all wood and that needed angled wood braces. Instead I use steel "ballast". The key to ballast is "as much weight in a small space mounted as low as possible". Getting such metal is easy in large cities that have small-order retailers like Metal Supermarkets but none could be found where we were. Another option would have been to order the metal from an online source such as SpeedyMetals.com or OnlineMetals.com but we only stay in a campground for a few days so there is no way to have it delivered. This inability to get pre-sized metal became an issue during the trip but was able to purchase an 18" long Steel Concrete Form Stake at a Home Depot figuring this could became the "ballast".

Tools

Because ours is a 5th wheel the bed of the truck is eaten up by the huge 5th wheel hitch. The Tonneau cover can not be engaged to weatherproof the bed so whatever goes back there needs to be wrapped in something waterproof. The Miter Saw and, when taken, an 18V Milwaukee Table Saw, fit great and stay dry in a Bass Pro Outboard Motor cover.

Video: Space Limitations in Bed of Pickup With 5th Wheel Hitch

Tools Taken With and Used on the RV

• One recently built MikroBench
• One 8" Wen Drill Press
• One 18V Milwaukee 7 1/4" Sliding Compound Miter Saw
• Several 18V Milwaukee Impact Drivers
• One 18V Milwaukee Jigsaw
• One 18V Milwaukee Orbital Sander
• 7/64" Self-Centering Hinge Bit
• Disposable paint brushes
• One Solo Cup with water to keep oil-base brushes moist

Tools Used After Returning Home to Finish

• Jet Horizontal Metal Cutting Bandsaw
• Milwaukee 110v Heat Gun
• Makita 18V Hand-Held Planer

Joinery

Joinery Hardware Used For This Project

• Two Threaded Metal Tenons
• Three 5/16" x 2" Button Head Socket Bolts
• Four GRK #9 x 2" R4 Multi-Purpose Screws

40 Years Later

Things have changed in the 40 years since my dad made his Sofa Servers. Still a very useful piece of furniture there are things that could be done to make it even more functional, the biggest change being the addition of a 2nd "Tray" above the main surface. This added tray provides slots for things one might want while sitting at a couch but also includes slots shaped to prevent beverages from getting knocked off or over like stemmed wine glasses. The rest of this Step deals with design considerations and how the reclaimed materials were incorporated into the table.

Sizing the Sofa Server

Now that I had the reclaimed sinker cypress the next step was to measure the existing Sofa Server and then adapt those measurements to the wood just purchased. Since it was too late to measure the couches at home where this table will be used I was able to measure the RV sofa.

Video: Sizing The Sofa Server Table for a Couch

Design Mistake Discovered Later

After we returned home and the project was completed I brought it into our living room. Turns out it would be almost 5" too high for that sofa. The video below shows that scenario however, this can easily be rectified by removing the threaded metal tenons from one end of the Post; cut off 5" in length; re-mount the threaded metal tenon; and away we go. The downside is that table will then no longer be tall enough to clear the cushion in the RV. This has gotten the wheels turning thinking about methods for making Posts adjustable to fit any scenario. Hmmmmm?

Video: Sofa Server Too High for Living Room Couch

Design Calcs

In this Step I considered the sizes and shapes of reclaimed wood I had purchased AND the limited tools available for working that wood.

Final Dimensions

Height:

Height to the underside of the main Tray to clear the RV couch cushion was measured and decided at 20 1/2". This same dimensions for the table to fit our home living room couch would be 15 1/2".

Width:

We have several Sofa Servers at home where a tray width of 16" is ideal for snack trays, drinks or combinations of stuff but the piece of reclaimed cypress intended for TRAY1 was 12" so 12" was the final width

Rusticity

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". I tend to lean towards rustic, for this project, very, very rustic. I wanted this table to reflect that style by retaining the live edge; saw-blade kerf; knots; worm holes; and in this case, the characteristic cavities in this "pecky" cypress (caused by fungus) and even several dead bugs. All of the above certainly were challenging especially the upper Tray that had no parallel or perpendicular edges and, again without access to the big tools, but every time I use this table it will remind me of where, when and how it came about.

Stability

This was my first experience working with fungus cavitied cypress. As I started working the really pecky main Tray I could see that board would need to be beefed up. To accomplish this and to provide a surface ready to handle hot coffee cups, sweating beer cans and the occasional leaving it out in the rain I figured it might need a few coats of two-part clear epoxy. This became a real nightmare, as you will see in Step #4 "Finishes".

Woodworking On a State Park Picnic Table

Video: Woodworking in Natchez Trace State Park from an RV

A MikroBench To The Rescue

Woodworking at a State Park campsite is not easy but with help from a previous project, a MikroBench, I started by mounting that workstation on the campsite picnic table.

Video: Setting up a MikroBench on a Campsite Picnic Table

Mounting the Milwaukee 18V Miter Saw

Mounting a miter saw on a picnic table varies from picnic table to picnic table. I did not want to damage the table so, after removing it from the Bass Pro Outboard Motor cover, the Milwaukee 7 1/4" 18V Miter Saw was clamped to the MikroBench figuring I'd make all of the miter cuts then remove it before mounting Trays #2 and #3 to that same workstation

Video: Mounting Milwaukee 7 1/4" Miter Saw on MikroBench

Crosscuts and Miters

Working With VERY Raw Edges of Reclaimed Cypress

Wow! This wood is soooo cool but could see it was going to be a real challenge to get the sizes and shapes of each board for the Sofa Server Table. The videos below show how each board was selected and then "worked" using the miter saw and later the other 18V tools and the 110V drill press.

Selecting and Cutting Wide Reclaimed Cypress for Tray #1

I was hoping to get a board about 1" Thick by 16" wide. One of the boards picked up at Live Edge Supply was about 1" x 13" and 25" long so that will do. This was as "reclaimed" as it gets coming from a tear-down of an old building. It was very fungus-pitted cypress with several nail holes; the shells from several bugs; and, later I discovered, one not-so-dead bug that crawled out of one of the crevasses. That board was too wide for a single pass of the 7 1/4" miter so I crosscut it using a two-pass method.

Video: Selecting then Crosscutting Wide Cypress

Selecting & Cutting Raw Edge Sinker Cypress for Cup Tray #2

This board needed to be 1" x 5 1/2" X 13". The Sinker Cypress is a rare find so I did not want to cut from the middle of a long board creating unusable sections of waste. I selected a section from one end that worked just fine for the Cup Tray. From there I marked and made the cut on the miter saw in one pass.

Video: Selecting Then Cutting Cup Tray from Live Edge Cypress

Tracing and Cutouts for Cups & Stemmed Wine Glass in Tray #2

On several RV trips in the past I took along the small, 12" x 12" capacity NextWave Piranha CNC Machine (similar to current Shark model). Since it was my goal to travel light on this trip that tool was not packed but I did bring along several Cup Trays that had been created on the CNC at home. One of these became a tracing pattern. In this video the tracing took place then, using a combination of Forstner bits and a jig saw, the cup, wine and other cavities were created in the live edge reclaimed Sinker Cypress Tray #2.

Video: Tracing and Cutouts in Tray #2

Select, Cut and Miter The Foot

The Foot is the lowest portion of the table so the heavier the better. It needed to be wider than the Post it will be attached to and to hold steel Ballast that will get installed in it. One of the 8/4 Sinker Cypress boards met these needs and had a number of character features that would satisfy my "rustic" tendencies including:

• A flat edge that will face the sofa and hold the Ballast
• The other side had a natural angled raw edge
• There was a partially rotted end which, I hoped, and later confirmed, would be further emphasized when oil-based varnish was applied. (See Step #4 Finishing).

Crosscutting a 2" thick board at 90 degrees was a piece of cake but then, when the piece was turned upright to miter a 30 degree decorative bevel, the blade guard hit the wood so couldn't make it all the way through. Since this is a "compound" miter I could have tilted the blade sideways to 45 degrees but instead left the blade at a 45 miter angle, flipped the board, then finished the cuts.

Video: Selecting and Crosscutting Foot For Sofa Server Table

Video: Bevel Cutting Corners of the Foot for the Sofa Table

Select, Measure and Crosscut The Post

In an earlier video I measured the sofa and jotted down the height to the top of the cushions. This is a critical dimension. If the bottom of the Sofa Server Main Tray was too low the table would not slide over the cushion. While it might seem like one could just make the post taller to accommodate any couch there would be an issue with "ergonomics". The actual Post height needs to be reduced by the height of the finished Foot. Since the Foot had now been determined the compromise height for the Post was 19".

Video: Select, Measure and Crosscut the Sofa Server Post

Tally of All Cuts

Before the Miter Saw was removed from the workstation I did a tally of all the boards needed. There was:

• The 12" x 12" Main Tray
• The 5" x 12" Top Tray aka Cup Tray
• The 2" x 3" x 19" Post
• The 2" x 3" x 12" Foot
• A 2" cutoff to be the temporary Riser to Tray2

Video: Tally of Cuts For Sinker Cypress Sofa Server Table

Removing the Miter To Set Up For Joinery

Everything that needed to be done with the Miter Saw had been done so the saw was removed from the MikroBench then Tray #2 and Tray #3 were mounted to perform joinery.

Video: Set Up for Joinery

Glue-Ups

Normally this section would demonstrate Glue-Ups but there were none on this project since all of the components were from full width reclaimed boards.

Joinery Options

Since this is a small table the joinery could be either permanent or knock-down. Included in the images above are 3D X-Ray view examples of the methods described below:

Permanent Joinery Using GRK Screws

This drawing shows how two #10 x 2 1/2" (or 3 1/8") GRKs could be brought up from the underside of the Foot into the bottom of the Post. This assumes the Post is hardwood. If pine or other soft wood the GRKs should be longer, larger and may require pre-drilling. To permanently connect Tray #2 a GRK 5/16" x 6" could be inserted from the top of Tray 2 then down into the top of the Post as shown.

Permanent Traditional Mortise and Tenon

This drawing shows how 7/8" x 3/4" x 2 3/4" tenons could be cut on the end-grain at the top and the bottom of the Post and then a matching mortise in both the Foot and Tray 1. Once glued this would be an extremely strong permanent connection. This scenario shows how a 5/16" x 6" GRK RSS could be sent down from the top of Tray 2 through the metal channel and then drawn into the top of the post to bring all together tight and permanent.

Semi-Knock-Down Using The "Threaded Wood" Method

The reason I referred to this method as "semi-knock-down" is because one of the connecting points is wood and that wood will wear after repeated assembles and disassembles. Having tested this method I can attest to the fact that the initial connection was quite solid and ideal for situations where the table only needs to be knocked-down once or twice.

The drawing above shows how two holes could be drilled at 2" O.C. on both the top and bottom of the Post. (If only one bolt is used then a shallow mortise and tenon will be needed to prevent twist). The diameter of those holes will depend on the wood species and type of tap. A standard metalworker's 5/16" tap (found at any hardware store) could be used which calls for a 17/64" drill bit although in wood I'd recommend dropping down to 1/4" bit. There is a company, Infinity Cutting Tools, that also carries "wood taps" specifically for thread tapping of wood. Those taps specify the drill bit size depending on the hardness of the wood.

Threaded Inserts Knock-Down Method

Another option for Knock-Down joinery, very similar to the "Threaded Wood" Method above and using the same drawing could involve the use of Threaded Inserts. The procedure would be the same as for the Threaded Wood Method above other than the drill bit used would be the size specified by the manufacturer of the Threaded Insert which may vary with the species/hardness of the wood. The advantage to this method is that it is a metal-to-metal connection. This connection will tolerate many more assemblies and disassembles than the metal-to-wood version.

Hanger Bolt Knock-Down Method

The drawings show how the screw-thread ends of two 5/16" "Hanger Bolts", also found at most hardware stores, could be permanently installed in the top and bottom of the Post at 2" O.C. and the threaded end left protruding about 1 1/4". Using two bolts, instead of one, prevents the Post from spinning on the Foot or under Tray #1. There is a hybrid method that could be done (not shown) where only one Hanger Bolt is installed at the center but then the end-grain of the Posts would be tenoned (same as the Traditional Mortise and Tenon Method above but with a much shallower tenon) and then a matching mortise placed in the Foot and Tray #1. This mortise/tenon connection, even if shallow, will prevent twist.

Threaded Metal Tenon Joinery Method

Disclosure Note: If you've checked out my two previous Instructables ("... MikroBench..." and "... Prototyping Post and Rail...") you know I have a fondness for a method of knock-down joinery I invented and patented (Utility Patent and Design Patent) but, since retired, have not taken it much further other than to have small quantities cut and thread-tapped by a local small-order laser fabricator. This provides enough tenons to use on my personal projects, on Class Projects and for former students and local furniture makers that continue to use these tenons on their projects. These tenons are not available commercially but if/when there are extra tenons or older versions available I post those for sale on my Shopify Store along with templates, digital files and components that are hard to find or would need to be purchased in bulk.

Installing Threaded Tenon Joinery

Having planned to build this table on our RV trip to Gulf Shores several threaded metal tenons were thrown in the truck which were used to demonstrate the joinery shown in the videos.

Dealing With Uneven Reclaimed Boards

The board used for the Post was a reclaimed "old growth cypress" board. Nothing square, perpendicular or parallel about it so instead of using the PVC template normally used for mounting threaded metal tenons on the end grain the video demonstrates the following steps:

1. Placed a tenon on the end
2. Put a temporary screw in one of the three holes
3. Used the 7/64" hinge-bit to dimple the other two holes
4. Removed the temporary screw
5. Counter-bored the center hole for excess bolt length
6. Aligned a threaded tenon over the holes
7. Used a #10 x 2 1/2" GRK in each of the two outer holes

Video: Mounting Threaded Tenons on Uneven End-Grain

Creating the Mortises

One of the benefits of the goofy-shaped multi-circle tenons is that there are then two methods for creating the shallow mortises:

1. Forstner Bit Method to create the 3 matching circles
2. Router Template Method to create a rounded corner rectangle

It's really a matter of the woodworker; the shape of the metal tenon; whether a router or drillpress is preferred etc. Since I had both a drillpress and routers with so could have used either to make the mortises but chose the drillpress method. (BTW the router method was used in Step #5 - Fixes at Home). The following steps were demonstrated in the video showing how the shallow mortises were created in the Foot and in Tray #1:

1. The 8" Wen Drill Press was mounted on the MikroBench
2. The chuck loaded with an 11/16" Forstner bit
3. A 7/64" Hinge bit via a PVC template to dimple the 3 holes
4. This could have been done without a template as well
5. The Forstner bit followed the dimples to bore the 3 holes
6. A 3/8" Kreg-type bit was used to drill the bolt hole

The goofy-shaped 3-circled fabricated metal tenons matches the 3 overlapping holes made by the Forstner bit so nothing else needed to be done.

Video: Creating Mortises With a Drill Press

The mortise and tenon phase was complete and dry-fit. All went well so disassembled for travel and to make finishing (Step #4) easier.

Foot Ballast

Boring Holes in Foot For Round Steel Ballast

Hoping there was a Forstner bit to match the solid steel rod (concrete forming stakes) a small drillpress was setup on a MikroBench on the picnic table. Even without a fence the drilling went fine on a pine test board and it appeared as though the round steel would fit but when the actual Cypress Foot was drilled and tested the hole was not large enough for the steel rod. Finally I gave up and figured I'd wait until we got back home.

Video: Drill Press To Bore Holes for Round Ballast in Foot

Solid Steel Ballast

When it was time to cut the 18" steel concrete stake in half to fit into the two holes just drilled it came to light that was not going to happen on the road with a jig saw. As you can see in the video below 10 minutes of trying to cut the steel only made a dent. This needed to wait until we returned home.

Video: Trying to Cut Solid Steel With Camping Tools

Done Woodworking at Natchez Trace State Park

All of the "Shaping the Materials" from reclaimed Sinker Cypress was now completed using a MikroBench, a Milwaukee 18V Miter Saw and many other tools mounted on a picnic table at Natchez Trace State Park in Mississippi. The next day we'll be heading 60 miles north to Vicksburg, MS where we will tour the Vicksburg Battlefield from the Civil War. It was time to pack up the woodworking tools for that leg of the journey.

Video: Done Woodworking at Natchez State Park

Finishing

The sanding, varnishing and 1st pour of clear-coat epoxy took place at various campsites as we made our way up the Mississippi River.

Sanding

Just before leaving Natchez Trace State Park I was able to get in the first sanding and one coat of varnish. The video below shows the methods used to reduce the very rough textures while retaining the saw kerf marks. There is a fine line between the two if wanting to maintain rusticity.

Video: First Sanding of Reclaimed Sinker Cypress Table

Varnishing

Because this was the first coat and the cypress was almost powder in some areas that first coat became 3 coats within a half hour. It just sucked up the varnish. But this sealed the pours making the next coat much quicker. As always, the oil-based varnish brush was placed in a cup of water to keep it moist until the next varnishing. This eliminates the need for stinky, messy, expensive chemical thinners.

Video: First Coat of Varnish on Reclaimed Cypress

A few days later when camping at Grand Gulf Military Monument Campground near Port Gibson, MS the parts received a second sanding and coat of varnish.

Video: Second Sanding and Second Varnish on Cypress Table

Clear-Coat Epoxy

Tray #1, made from the reclaimed cypress, was loaded with fungus tracks and, due to its age, was very dry and filled with areas already turned to powder. There was no place structurally sound enough to connect to the Post and the table would have been a bear to clean. For all of these reasons it was decided it needed a few coats of two-part epoxy to fill the voids and stiffen the entire board for joinery.

Wow! This really turned out to be a "What not to do" due to the fungus tracks that extended to the front and back edges of the board. Eventually, after a lot of blue tape and several pours, the top turned out very cool, very functional and so much stronger than it would have been without epoxy. This was one very tough pour and I made the mistake of not taping the edges tight enough.

Pour #1 Outdoors On a Very Windy Day

The first pour took place while camping in an RV park in Vicksburg, Mississippi. It was very windy. The pour was started outside which was not too bad but when it was time to clear the gas bubbles with the only tool available, a butane lighter, that lighter was no match for the wind so took the project inside the RV. Here are some of the activities demonstrated in the video below:

• A very windy day. Not ideal for pouring epoxy
• Decided to use copper pipe to connect Tray #1 to Tray #2
• With no soldering tools the clear-coat became the "joinery"
• No heat gun or torch to clear gas bubbles so used a lighter
• Too much wind for lighter so took project inside the RV
• Moved the project back outdoors since later to cure

Video: Pour #1 on Windy Picnic Table in Campsite in Vicksburg

Avoiding Tornados

Being chased by a series of the worse tornados to hit that area in decades we loaded the RV to head back to Wisconsin, just in time for tornado season there, so all of the remaining epoxy pours and other finish work took place there.

Home Again

Initially this Instructable was going to have just the four Steps"

1. Design and CutList
2. Shaping the Materials
3. Glue-Ups and Joinery
4. Finishing and Assembly

However, due to some missing tools and inability to obtain some needed materials on the trip certain activities needed to wait until returning home. This 5th Step covers those.

Tools Added at Home

• Makita 18V Hand-Held Power Planer
• Milwaukee Heat Gun
• Jet Horizontal Metal Cutting Bandsaw

The Steel Ballast

In Step #4, Shaping the Materials, I "attempted" to cut the solid steel concrete stakes intended for ballast. Lacking a Sawzall or other tool that did not happen. When returning home it took only a few seconds on the Jet Metal Cutting Horizontal Band Saw to cut the solid steel pipe.

Installing The Solid Steel Rods

Once back home I used a slightly larger Forstner to bore out the two holes in the Foot for the pipes. Still did not have the correct size of bit so now the holes were too large. Figuring the construction adhesive would fill that gap I installed the pipes. Unfortunately, not until the next day, did it become evident this was not going to be a solid enough connection. The two rods moved inside the holes so the table was not stable. (I will fix this soon, probably by drilling through the bottom of the Foot into or through the steel pipe then using a screw from underneath to lock the rods in place. Will update this Step with the results soon.)

Video: Installing Steel In Foot Using Construction Adhesive

Tapping the Copper to Attach Tray2

While on the road, due to lack of certain tools and access to materials, I deviated from the original joinery method of attaching the two trays to the Post. You will see in previous videos I bought some copper plumbing parts and then epoxied those to Tray 1 when pouring the clear-coat on the table. This worked great to hold the copper to Tray 1 permanently but then that copper got in the way of the long bolt that was supposed to have gone down to the threaded tenon on the Post. Eventually I saw the error of my ways and figured it best to simply wait until we returned home where I'd have the tools and materials to fix it.

When home I drilled a 17/64" hole in the copper and then threaded that hole with a 5/16" tap. This process and the results are demonstrated in the video below.

Video: Joinery Fixes Made After Return Home

New Mortise over Old Mortise Via Template Router

Now that there were threads in the copper pipes for a bolt I needed to find an area on the top of Tray 2 to send down the bolt. There was an oval cutout on Tray 2 about 3/8" x 1 1/2". Initially this was intended for the charging cable of an iPhone to come up from below to connect to the phone when perched on the top tray. Although that will now be lost that location was perfect for the bolt to connect to the copper tube below.

Not wanting any bolt heads or washers above the surface that would interfere with the iPhone I used the PVC template to rout a deep mortise that matches a 5/8" x 1 3/4" rectangular metal washer that I use frequently so have laser cut for me. Because they are laser cut they have 1/8" radius corners so perfectly match a mortise made with a 1/4" spiral bit. This solution worked awesome! Both the washer and the bolt head will be below the surface.

Later, when I placed a finish coat of varnish on the tray, I applied a thick coat of varnish in the mortise, placed a washer in it while still wet so that washer will now be permanently kept in place.

The video below shows how the PVC template was aligned on this very awkward shaped board and then routed using four passes at 1/8" per with a 1/4" solid carbide upspiral bit in a matching guide bushing.

Video: Template Routing New Mortise Over Old

Epoxy Pour #2 from Home

After returning home to Wisconsin I needed to do an epoxy pour of a much larger project. Figuring there might be some extra material for this small cypress top I taped it and got it ready for its second pour.

• Note in video how, at this stage, a level should be used and the top shimmed otherwise the poured material will flow in one direction.
• Still having an issue with epoxy flowing (user error) through fungus cavities in cypress top and along edges.
• Epoxy was added inside the copper pipe as a form of "joinery" since those were not held on to the top via any other fasteners.
• The Milwaukee Heat Gun really was HUGE for removing the gas bubbles in the epoxy. It worked much better than a hair dryer some folks use since this gun does not blow a high speed air flow. Much simpler too than the propane torch I used to use to clear gas bubbles and much more affective than the butane lighter used when camping.

Video: Pour #2 at Home While Pouring a Larger Project

Epoxy Pour #3 - Remove Tape and Pour Again

Before pouring another coat the blue tape needed to be removed. That was a major project.

• Tried sanding and scraping but none of that worked
• Eventually used the Makita 18V Hand-Held Planer which worked very well. If careful these little planers can be used against the grain. That took off the tape and brought the surface back to a doable stage.
• Then re-taped and did another pour
• Still had issues (again "user error") with epoxy flowing through the fungus cavities
• Slowly removed tape while epoxy still wet but not flowing much any more. That kind-of worked.
• Used foam brush to keep heavy drips from gathering underneath. This worked well
• May have been last pour. Will see once dry and chance to review

Video: Remove Blue Tape - Pour 3rd Clear-Coat Epoxy

Final Cleanup of Blue Tape and Oozed Epoxy

This, I decided, would be the last time to clean up and do not plan to do any more layers of two-part clear-coat epoxy. Had to use the Makita 18V planer again but it worked wonders at removing the oozed epoxy and some blue painter's tape mixed in with it. The bottom of Tray 1 was now clear of residue. Since all surface finish had been removed by the planer I applied a coat of varnish on just the underside later.

Video: Final Cleanup of Cypress Top After Final Epoxy Pour

Conclusions

When all was said and done there was a "Very Rustic Sofa Server Table From Reclaimed and Sinker Cypress". Now "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so, to some, this level of "rusticity" may be a bit too much. What makes it really fun though is the "process" of getting there especially knowing how some of this Cypress came from the bottom of the Mississippi River having been down there for 100 to 200 years; some from hurricane-downed buildings; and all the steps it took to convert those very rough boards to a functional table.

• There are still a few minor fixes like stabilizing the two steel rods. Not a big deal.
• The appearance of one Tray having several layers of epoxy with the other just varnish kindof throws me off a bit so I may pour epoxy on Tray #2 at some point.
• Before building another I will retrieve the 3D drawings for previous models, update as needed and then review those and the related CutList/Sequences.
• On our next RV trip I will take along an 18V Sawzall so there is the option of working metal if need be.
• On our next RV trip I will precut and pre-drill any steel components before leaving and take it with

Other than that I hope you found this Instructable useful an encourage you to Comment or PM me!

Thanks,

Mike