Some of our recent posts show changes we have made to our dining room. I have hated our dining table for the past year or so, but Ben loves our table. It’s solid oak and the price was great. The problem? The table measures in at a whopping 4 foot diameter. The pedestal base makes it impossible to push the large chairs within 6 inches of the table. Our small (9 foot wide by 10.5 foot long) dining room is even smaller.
After discussing a new table with Ben and looking around town, the search died; we couldn’t agree on a table. We discussed building a wooden table and painting it white. But how to make it sturdy enough? Back to the drawing board. Then, Ben had a great idea. Why not build the table out of steel? It’s cheap, durable and rigid.
Ben went to the local steel supply warehouse to see what he could find. He found three-inch square steel tubing for the legs and three-inch ‘L’ pieces for the rails. Score! The supply yard cut the pieces to length, too. Ben left $58.00 poorer and 100 pounds heavier, ready to start welding.
We decided on four outer legs connected by a 1/2 inch inset apron with a cross support. Pass about 4 hours and we had this:
Here’s Ben touching up some areas:
Ben is so amazing, he even added feet!
Add some spray primer and three coats of gloss white Rustoleum spray paint and we had this:
And this:
Because we plan to sell our entire dining set, we began searching for new dining chairs. The plan is to have 4 matching chairs at the table at all times, with these stacking chairs available for larger groups-we already have two.
I loved World Market’s Loft Chairs (see below), but at $100.00 each, they are a little out of our current price range.
After some online searching, Ben found these:
They aren’t quite as good-looking as the Loft chairs, but the price was definitely right and they are nice, solid chairs. The chairs are discounted because they are discontinued. We were sold-we bought four. World Market offers 10% off your entire purchase if you open a World Market credit card, so we got an additional $14.00 off! Here’s our receipt. I love when stores show the amount you’ve saved. I really love when the amount saved is more than the amount spent. Check it out:
Yep, we spent $125.96 and saved $154.00!! Amazing!
We went to our local granite and marble yard. We found a dark greenish-black marble with white swirls. It’s b.e.a.utiful and it’s a remnant! Ben helped cut the slab at the granite supply- it was too heavy and large to cut at home. 
Then he hauled the 4 1/2 foot by 3 foot cut piece home and polished the edges using granite specific polishing pads on a right angle grinder. Here he is, hard at work:
Andrea
/ June 28, 2010Love the table. Now, Ben’s hat….not so much.
Ashley
/ June 28, 2010I agree with Andrea’s comments, 100%.
Katrina
/ June 29, 2010this is a sucha great idea!!!
Julia
/ August 6, 2010Love this!! Followed you over from YHL. Great job, and way to think outside the painted-wood box! One question- how much did the granite remnant run you? Did you have to pay for the whole remnant, or only the 4.5×3′ piece you took? Did they charge you for cutting? I’d love to do something like this for our new eat-in-kitchen breakfast nook. Thanks!!
ourhumbleabowed
/ August 6, 2010Hi Julia,
Thanks so much for your support! The marble top was $200. They did not charge us for cutting becuase Ben helped. Of course that was totally cool to him. We didn’t have to pay for the whole remnant slab becuase it was a fairly large slab, that happened to be a remnant. Your granite and marble supply may have different rules and pricing, so I would recommend stopping by and checking out their remnants and discuss pricing in person. They seem to like if you’re willing to take it asap and get it off their hands.
Thanks!
Amanda
Sunny's Life in Rehab
/ August 6, 2010Nope, sorry, I like the hat too. I would have never thought to do THIS, it turned out great!
Tiffany
/ August 6, 2010Had he ever welded before? How did you attach the top to the base? How heavy is it? We have outgrown a table I covered in tile, and would love to have something like this!
ourhumbleabowed
/ August 7, 2010Hi Tiffany,
Ben had only done minimal spot welding to fix things before. He actually did his first welds on the inside joints as practice since they would not be seen. The marble slab weighs about 300 pounds (the base is about 100), so we didn’t need to attach it to the base-it’s not going anywhere.
Thanks!
Amanda
Yvette
/ August 6, 2010WOWZA! Your table is awesome! All I can say is I am awestruck. This is so creative and looks wonderful. Now if only my hubs could weld…
Ashley
/ August 7, 2010Just visiting from YHL. I had to tell you what an awesome job you guys did!!! The dining room looks BEAUTIFUL!
Rachelle
/ December 28, 2010Wow love your table! I’m in the process of welding a coffee table and would love to know what kind of spray primer you used? Did it help keep it from rusting? And just out of curiosity how did you cut the notches for the table apron? Thanks!
ourhumbleabowed
/ December 28, 2010Hello Rachelle,
Thanks so much!! We LOVE it, too! We used regular spray paint primer. We actually sanded off most of the rust, then primed and painted and it definitely doesn’t show any rust. Though, it would be easy enough to haul the table outside and repaint it down the road. Ben used a right angle grinder to cut the notches. I don’t really have specifics on how he did it. We did use L shaped steel for the apron, so the apron is inset from the legs, but welded flush. Does that make sense?
Have fun welding your table! I would love to see pics!
Thanks!
Amanda