None-Wedler Needs Advice Making Metal Coffee Table

laurritta - Sunday, October 11, 2009 - 12:06pm

Hello Expert Welders! I need your help and advice. I really want to make a custom coffee table out of old steel car springs and steel square shapes. Please see pictures below. Layout of Coffe Table.

I am planning on welding all of the pieces together (or at least the springs and pipes to the metal plate below) and buying a piece of rectangular glass to put on top. I would like to sand/buff the springs and pipes and spray paint them a gold/ copper color so they look don't look gray and rusty. I am wondering if anyone has any advice as to how I may go about this project. I have a contact that owns a studio that might be able to help me. I am wondering how much time the project will take and how much I should pay my contact for their help.

I also have another idea that might work instead. I found a modern metal coffee table online that I really like but the colors aren't right for my decor. Please see pictures below.

Bergh Modern Coffee Table

Is this possible to make? I really, really like it. However, the black and silver colors don't go with my decor which is mostly warm tones, like deep reds, browns, and greens. No black or silver. I think something in a copper metal and a bronze or red painted metal would look better. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I might get such materials? I also need practical advice because I don't know how to weld and would need to acquire all the materials myself and then pay my contact to help me do the welding. I would also consider paying someone a total of $300 (prices includes labor and materials) to make the table for me. I know it's not much, but it's all I can afford at present. That's why I am trying to make the table on my own!

Thanks for your help and patience with my complete lack of knowledge.

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Could be

warren - Sunday, October 11, 2009 - 2:27pm

Laurritta,
What you want to do is really not that hard to do if you can have somebody weld it for you. Price wise may shock you a little though. Welding is probably a couple hours of work or around $100. To clean it all up would be best if sandblasted. Not sure what that would cost. You can get metal "rubs" to make the metal look like copper or what ever color you desire and you could do that yourself.
Have you priced the glass yet? That would probably be the most expensive part because you need tempered glass and at least 1/2" thick to make work correctly. Find your glass supplier first and the rest would then be easy. Where are you located there may be somebody on here that could help on the welding?

www Metalrecipes -- heat and beat to the desired shape, repeat as necessary.
warren

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Hi Laurritta, everything

eligius1427 - Sunday, October 11, 2009 - 7:06pm

Hi Laurritta, everything Warren said is sound advice. I like the design, the only thing I'll add is that I think your going to need something on top of the springs/pipes to support the glass. Theres no way to make the surface area of two 2" dia pipe support the whole top economically. Also with your color palate, you might consider just waxing the piece as is. You'll end up with warm tones that will go with your decor colors just fine and save you a bunch of money sandblasting and painting. Odds are the glass top is going to run well over $100 unless you can find a drop. Be sure to post picts of the finished project.

Jake

Jake Balcom
Mettle Design
Lincoln, NE

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Newbie and Coffe Table

laurritta - Monday, October 12, 2009 - 9:22am

Jake and Warren,

Thank you for your responses. I am grateful for your advice. Very helpful. I am wondering if you guys have any comments on the second coffee table idea as well. The picture is small in my post, but if you click on it, it should enlarge. This table is for sale on the internet. I am wondering how difficult the design would be to copy and what materials I should make it with and where I could get them. I think I like this design better than the one I came up with, but the catch is I have all the raw materials for the latter while I don't for the former. I would have to take everything into consideration price-wise to decide which one to make. I live in Denver, CO but am also on the front range near Snowmass and Glenwood Springs, CO. I could meet anyone along I-70 in between those two locations if they were willing to help me! I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say. It would also be great if anyone else reading this post would share their thoughts as well. Have a great day!

Laura

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waiting

warren - Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - 11:40am

Laura,
Looking at the other table, it would take some considerable fabrication. The silver box looks like has machined pattern on it, I can not tell what the black one is made from. Not too sure either how balanced the glass would be on that table, lots of overhang to sit on.
As Jake mentioned with your design not very large area for the support of the glass either. I think you would have to put something going wider, maybe get pieces of leaf spring have arch up and welded to the pipe.
I checked on glass around here, just curious because has been a while since I made a glass top table, and would be a little over $100.00 for a 2 X 4 foot piece.
So if you did all of the clean up on the pieces before welding and then cleaned up too after welding you could get done for under $300.
Not sure what you have for tools but a wire brush on a drill would clean it up pretty good.
As far as a finish you could spray with grey primer than put something like gilders paste (http://www.gilderspaste.com/)
to color. Clear coat and be ready to go.
Now for me I do the vacuuming and moving a glass top table is the last thing I want to do. (grin)

www Metalrecipes -- heat and beat to the desired shape, repeat as necessary.
warren

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a thought for the other table

naturalsteel - Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - 9:49am

Laura
I agree with the advice you've gotten so far. If you're looking for warmer tones cleaning some of the rust and clearcoating will give a nice look but on your original design you do need more width to hold the glass.

But what I got thinking about last night as I was thinking about your other table is, what about wood construction? I think you'd be able to make something close to it out of a couple of sheets of plywood, tops. To get a metal finish, I'd try something like the metal coatings from Sculpt Nouveau (there are other places, I just had a link handy) http://www.sculptnouveau.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=42&category=6
It's a paint containing ground metal that can then be patinaed to look like metal. Just a thought, as I don't think you're going to get it custom fabricated for anything close to $200 (+ $100 for glass).

Good luck with this project and please let us know how it comes out.
Robert

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Your Table....

Jman - Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - 12:25am

Hi there Laurritta,

I believe WARREN has your solution with the 'Leaf Springs'. I would cut them (you'll likely have to anyway..) and then use some short pieces to tie in the pipes and springs. You can use a bunch of SILICONE cushions / dots for the glass to sit on...

As for cleaning the stuff up, I'd use a Low speed grinder that has a 'Wire Brush Attachment' or simply use the old carbon steel hand held wooden brush. You can always use the cordless drill and wire cup brushes and bristles. You'll have much better control over how 'much rust' you want to take out of the project when you do it 'hands on' so to speak.... Leaving some rust on there with a DECENT wax (as WARREN stated..) is a GREAT idea.

Glass:
If you want a nice piece of cheap glass, go to a 'AUTO GLASS Repair SHOP' (not the same as a 'Windshield ONLY repair place...). The former often deal in mirrored glass and glass of different types and shapes. I once ordered a smoked, beveled piece of glass (custom fit) for my coffee table and it only cost me about 60 bucks and it was around twice the size you are looking at...

For Welding:
Find the right shop and you'll 'easily' find some guy who'll be happy to 'help you' with your steel assembly. There are still a lot of shops that are not REAL busy right now, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Just make sure that you go in prepared with the 'Prepped Steel' (ready for welding) with your Parts and a few photos showing how you want it put together. Once layed out, he'll better understand what needs to be done (we MEN are a visual lot :)

Anyway, Just my .2 cents,

Cheers,

/Joe..

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Lauritta, I am not too

Dave83 - Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 5:41pm

Lauritta,
I am not too sure what your capabilities are in regards to power tools and torches, but a warm tone can be achieved by applying a light layer of brass onto steel. This involves heating the metal to a low heat (200f-300f), then using either a brass-bristled hand brush or a brass wire-cup wheel on a grinder. The more you brush the more the brass is shown. Butane torches from Home Depot should supply enough heat for this process to work. I would advise trying a small scale sample using a hand brush.

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