Repurposed Outdoor Coffee Table

Video - October 3, 2019

In 2013 I built a table for my backyard in Arizona. Watch the build here. After moving to Denver, I decided to refinish the table in hopes of giving it a “bulletproof coating” that could take anything this high elevation environment could dish out. Watch the refinish video here. Unfortunately, the finish didn’t hold up as well as I had hoped and I decided to dismantle the table and repurpose the material for a coffee table.

To ensure this table doesn’t suffer the same fate as the previous one, I made three important changes:

I included slats in the top to allow for drainage.
I used a hardwax oil finish (Osmo One Coat) containing pigments and no film. The pigments will help block UV rays and the finish won’t crack or peel.
The table will live under a covered area of the patio. This greatly reduces exposure to UV, rain, and snow.

Hopefully, this table will last a lot longer with yearly maintenance. If necessary, I plan to lightly sand the table and then reapply a new coat of the same finish.

There are no plans for this project since I pretty much designed on the fly with the material I had on-hand.

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Discussion

Sean Leonard October 5, 2019 9:11 am

Great video and table, Marc. I used a similar spline jig for a large mitered box before and thought, “I probably shouldn’t be doing this” while pushing it through the blade. It was made from hard maple, so not even close to as light as WRC. Is there another technique that could be used for cutting splines in large, heavy pieces?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo October 5, 2019 11:31 am
  
  You could always cut the spline with a slot cutting router bit. Maybe even cut the splines ahead of time and insert them during glueup.
  
  Reply
Greg Clark October 8, 2019 9:36 am

Cute kids Marc. Your family is growing right before your very eyes. Don’t spend toooooo much time in the shop over the next 15 years. After that, they’re gone! Love what you do and have enjoyed watching you grow into one of the undisputed YouTube woodworking gurus. Keep up the great content and enjoy those kids!

Reply
Josh Davidson October 25, 2019 9:21 pm

Urgh…just started building the original table outside of Denver. I’m using reclaimed redwood and will definitely need to to use epoxy to fill voids. Do you think an oil or water based deck stain after epoxy would’ve avoided some of the issues you ran into with your first two finishes (granted it would need regular maintenance)?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo October 26, 2019 3:36 pm
  
  Possibly. Really depends on the product used, the conditions, and the wood.
  
  Reply
Matt March 29, 2021 1:30 pm

Marc, I’m wondering if you have a recommendation for me. I’m building a picnic table and benches out of reclaimed CVG redwood. I’ll avoid some pitfalls already – no breadboards, slatted boards on top, and this will be on a covered patio. What would you use for a finish to get the least darkening/ambering but still hold up to being outside although under the cover?

Thank you!

Matt

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo March 31, 2021 2:02 pm
  
  These days I’m leaning towards hardwax oils. They all color the wood slightly but you might be able to use one with some light white tint which should help offset the ambering/yellowing.
  
  Reply
Nicole April 10, 2021 4:42 am

Hi. I am doing a project of an outdoor sign for my mom’s bar it’s cedar and will be hung high and mounted on a metal arm away from the building. I really like the original table project you posted in 2017. Since there will be no contact with the sign other than the elements do you think that would work for this sign that I’m making? I won’t be able to maintain it every year because once it’s mounted that’s it I need something that will last for a long time. Thoughts?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo April 10, 2021 8:49 am
  
  It would work. But without maintenance, the sign will slowly deteriorate. It still might take a very long time to get to the point that it needs replacing.
  
  Reply
Max January 2, 2023 1:33 am

Hi Marc, How is the Osmo holding up? Would this still be your choice for non-film outdoor coating? I assume it’s better than the teak oil you originally used?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo January 3, 2023 4:10 pm
  
  It’s holding up quite well. It now gets full exposure in Missouri and has had the hell beaten out of it. Definitely holds up better than any previous finish I put on it.
  
  Reply

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Repurposed Outdoor Coffee Table

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