How to Build a Hockey Stick Coffee Table

Building your own furniture is a great way to save money and to acquire a custom piece designed to suit your individual taste. Custom tables, for example, can be made to fit any space you like and can even be made using unconventional materials like hockey sticks for a one-of-a-kind feel. A coffee table made from hockey sticks is perfect for a man cave or rec room and it is a project that can be made in a relatively short period of time using inexpensive materials. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Cut two 16-inch pieces of 1-by-4-inch pine and two 36-inch pieces using a table saw. These pieces will be used to construct the frame for your hockey stick coffee table. Cut two 14-1/2-inch pieces of 1-by-4-inch pine to serve as the horizontal supports.

2

Arrange the 16- and 36-inch pieces of pine in a rectangular shape, lining up the edges, and apply a bead of wood glue at each joint. Secure the frame by inserting 2-inch wood screws through the joint at each corner.

3

Insert the 14-1/2-inch pine supports inside the rectangular frame, placing them an equal distance from each side. Secure the supports in place by driving 2-inch wood screws through the outside of the frame into the supports.

4

Decide how high you want the coffee table to sit and cut four pieces of 1.5-by-1.5-inch pine to that length. Standard coffee tables generally sit between 14 and 18 inches off the ground.

5

Apply wood glue to the interior of the rectangle frame inside each of the four corners. Press one of the 1.5-by-1.5-inch table legs into each corner so the sides are flush and secure the legs in place with a 2-inch wood screw through the outside of the frame into the adjacent sides of each leg.

6

Cut a sheet of 3/4-inch pine or plywood to 17-by-37 inches and center it on top of the table frame.

7

Secure the table top in place by driving 2-inch wood screws through the pine or plywood into the frame below. Place two screws at each corner and additional screws approximately every 6 inches. Fill the screw holes with wood putty, allow them to dry then sand the surface smooth.

8

Paint or stain the table as you desire. If you choose to paint the table, apply a coat of interior grade latex primer before adding a coat of paint. If staining the table, apply thin coats of stain using a soft brush and wipe away the excess with a clean cloth.

9

Arrange the hockey sticks side-by-side on a flat surface with the blades are pointing upward. Once you connect the sticks you will attach the block of them to the table top. Alternate the sticks so the blades of adjacent hockey sticks are facing opposite directions. Nail the hockey sticks together as you go, using a nail gun to drive nails sideways through one hockey stick into the adjacent stick, and keep adding sticks until the total width equals approximately 18 inches.

10

Lift the block of connected hockey sticks off the ground and set it on top of the table, checking to be sure it is centered on top of the plywood or pine table top. The back sides of the hockey sticks should be flush with the table top and the flat fronts of the sticks will form the new surface of the table.

11

Drive 1-1/4-inch wood screws through the bottom of the table top into the backs of the hockey sticks to secure them in place. Place one screw through each end and through the middle of every third hockey stick.