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One of my long-time designer clients reached out about doing a simple piece for one of his projects. Normally having products sprung upon me isn’t always possible, but I had the perfect plan for a wood slab coffee table and a free day in my schedule. I decided to go with it and gave myself the challenge of finishing this build in one day without sacrificing the quality, and it turned out pretty spectacular (if I do say so myself).
This build not only results in one stunning table, but breaks down some really key skills that you can apply to future projects of your own. Using a scrap live edge and a simple metal base, I put together this industrial wood slab coffee table in just one day and could not be more thrilled with the results. The major takeaway? You don’t need to use any crazy-advanced metal or woodworking techniques to build beautiful furniture. Check it out!
This wood slab coffee table build is sponsored by Timberland PRO. While this page contains affiliate links, all ideas are my own. For more information, check out my disclosure page.
For this build, I started off with a 5-foot piece of live edge wood that I had leftover from a previous project. I traced out the shape and size for the wood slab coffee table and cut the rough shape with a jigsaw. One done, I routed the edge to ensure a perfectly-rounded shape, which saved me a lot of time in sanding down the road.
The problem with wood slab tables is that they inevitably bend and warp over time. To prevent this, I created a c-channel on the underside of the wood. Get this started by cutting a piece of metal just several inches short of the diameter of your table. Once cut, trace the location of the metal onto the underside of the table.
I then used my palm router to begin cutting out the c-channel so that it tucked neatly into the underside of the table. I made sure to make pilot holes and add wood anchors into the wood before adding the c-channel in so that I wouldn’t split this beautiful piece of wood while screwing it together.
Next, it’s time to prepare your metal legs. I started by cleaning off all the metal to that it would weld and pain nicely down the road. I chose to build up the two metal squares first, followed by the connecting pieces so that I could ensure everything sat square and level. This process was fairly simple because I went with a circle shape and only had two different sizes of metal for the legs.
Industrial tables call for metal legs, and metal calls for welding. There are a lot of alternatives to traditional welding if you don’t have a solid setup - like the technique I use in this industrial side table build - but for a quick and easy project like this, classic welding was the victor.
Once the metal base is built, it’s time to sand and stain the tabletop. If you have any cracks in your wood, it’s a good idea to dye some resin, fill in the crack, and allow the resin to dry prior to sanding and staining. This way, if you get some spare resin dried to the surface of the wood, you can easily sand it away.
I sand down the tabletop until it’s smooth then go in with a rich, beautiful stain. I started with staining the bottom of the table and moved to the top once I was done.
Once the stain is dry, screw the table top to the metal base and voila -- one hell of an industrial wood slab coffee table, all completed in one day.
If you liked this build, check out some other home projects!
Want to try this build out for yourself? Download the digital plan now for step-by-step instructions, measurements, and a detailed look at how to punch this project in the face.
I used to be an offensive lineman in the NFL, Now I run my own furniture business and am completely self taught. In my videos and posts you'll see a variety of wood and metal work as well as some tips and tricks. Enjoy!
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Pittsburgh-based custom wood and metal worker. Tool Reviews, DIY Projects, and a whole lot of yinzer pride. Join the movement & punch your next project in the face.
