How to Build an Asian Style Coffee Table

An Asian style coffee table will serve well as a decorative item, tying the dcor of a room together; or as a functional serving area for drinks, appetizers and Asian style dining. An amateur woodworker using readily available materials and household woodworking tools can certainly accomplish building an Asian style coffee table. The key lies in keeping the lines of the project straight and clean, and painting the entire piece in a high gloss black, with a super-gloss sealant coat.

Instructions

1

Sand the individual pieces of wood lightly so that all surfaces have been slightly roughened. Sand tabletop edges until they are smooth and rounded, if desired.

2

Paint the individual wood pieces with a high-gloss black paint, using smooth, even strokes and painting with the grain of the wood. Allow plenty of time for the paint to dry and sand again very lightly before applying a second coat.

3

Sand the second dried paint coat very lightly. Be careful not to sand too deeply or leave deep gouges in the painted surface.

4

Apply two or three coats of high-gloss sealant, allowing plenty of time for the sealant to dry in between coats.

5

Place two of the 8-inch boards to create table legs underneath a 24-inch board for a leg support, with one on each end. Pre-drill holes into the top of the supports, down into the table legs. Drill two holes per table leg, using a drill bit slightly smaller in diameter then the wood screws to be used.

6

Attach the legs to the leg supports by screwing wood screws into the top of the supports. Tighten the screws completely, holding the legs tightly in place under the supports. Repeat for the remaining legs, using two legs on each leg support.

7

Set the coffee table top face-down on a blanket or carpet. Place one leg support at each end of the table top, so the four table legs are in the four corners of the coffee table. Hold the supports flush with the edges of the table on all three sides, using clamps if necessary.

8

Pre-drill holes through the middle section of the leg support into the coffee table top, using at least four evenly spaced holes per support. Make sure that the holes do not break the surface of the tabletop.

9

Attach the table top to the supports using wood screws, taking care not to allow the screws to break through the surface of the table top.