How to Build a Picnic Table with Built-in Cooler | The Home DepotPosted by Gonzales Winstead on June 3rd, 2021 Here'S a picnic table with a refreshing twist, a built-in cooler with a replaceable cover ready to serve it up. Let'S do this. Here'S a quick shot of everything you're going to need all available. Of course, at your nearest Home Depot you're going to need two pressure-treated eight-foot. Two by sixes for the table legs, the rest of the lumber can be treated or untreated number two grade or better, including five twelve foot, two by sixes for the top seats and cooler sides to ten foot two by sixes for the table, supports and top braces. One eight foot, two by four for the seat: braces and angled table two leg braces and one four foot: 1 by ten common pine for the cooler bottom and end pieces. A single one and a half inch by four-foot slotted angle. Iron will secure the cooler to the tabletop next you'll need 16 3/8 by three and a half inch galvanized carriage, bolts, nuts and washers a box of two and a half inch deck screws, a box of one and a quarter inch deck screws, a tube of construction. Adhesive one quart of spar, urethane or similar finish a tube of all purpose, exterior caulk, a three-quarter inch by half inch plastic 90 degree, double barbed elbow and 1/2 inch inside diameter plastic tubing for tools, you'll need a good circular or miter saw a drill driver along With a 3/4 inch wood-boring bit a sander, a jigsaw as well as a hacksaw, a 3/8 or adjustable wrench, quick grips and pipe clamps, a speed square, a tape measure and a pencil begin by cutting the major pieces of your table, the four legs will have 65 Degree cuts and measure 32 inches, as shown here next cut the 12-footers in half. To give you 10 6 foot boards set eight of these aside to be used for top and seat boards cut one of the remaining six footers in half again for the two cooler sides and for the center of the table cut the last six footer into two Boards 14 and a half inches long and one 42 inches long for the removable cover on this piece drill. A three quarter inch hole about five inches from one end for a finger pole. Next, take each 10 foot board and cut them down as follows. One 27 inch top support 127 inch, top brace and 158 inch long for the seat. Support you'll need two sets of these from the 8-foot 2x4 you'll need a pair of nine inch centre seat braces leaving the rest for later. When you cut the to Table two leg angle, braces cut the four-foot one by ten down to three feet to form the bottom of the cooler divide. The remaining 12 inch piece into two six by ten inch end pieces then finally use a hacksaw to cut the angle iron in half to give you a pair of two-foot brackets. Let'S start with the top lay out the top boards bottom-up without the cover and shim. Roughly a 3/8 inch gap between them, as you clamp them together, measure out and draw lines, seventeen and a half inches from each end. These will serve as markers for the inside of the top braces set the two top braces in place and mark. The remaining outside lines now apply construction adhesive within the lines of the top braces, but not near the gaps, replace the braces and use two and a half inch deck screws to per top board to secure them. Note that the center top boards don't extend all the way across the brace, so the glue and screws need to be closer to the edge for them using one and a quarter, inch deck screws glue and attach the 1 by 10 bottom to the cooler side. Boards and the 2 6 by 10 inch pieces to the ends aligning them with the sides and bottom of the box, leaving the gap along the top drill. A 3/4 inch hole in the bottom of the trough and force fit the 3/4 by 1/2 inch. felix furniture into the hole, then seal, all interior edges with caulk screw each angle, iron along the top edge of the 2 cooler sides using 1 and 1/4 inch deck screws and some washers lightly glue the side, edges and screw the brackets to the underside Of the tabletop centered above the open Center space, adding a little weight to the boards will help the glue bond against the underside of the top next mark apply construction adhesive and place. The top leg supports on edge eight inches in from the table. Edge use two two and a half inch screws to toenail the supports in place then flip the table over using a pair of two and a half inch deck screws, / top board screw. The leg supports from above to draw the pieces securely up to the underside of the tabletop when the glue has set. This will provide a strong brace than the legs now, it's time to mount the leg pieces flip the top over again and securely clamp each leg to the top support so that they line up with the second and fourth top boards and are flush to the underside Of the top drill two 3/8 inch holes and the legs through the supports, as shown then remove the clamps apply glue with the legs meet the supports set the legs in place and install the carriage bolts measure 10 inches from the leg bottoms and draw parallel lines Across the legs, this marks, the lower edge of the seat, supports carefully Center and securely clamp each seat, support to the legs and drill to 3/8 inch holes in the legs through the supports. Remove the clamps apply glue where the legs need to supports and reattach them with the carriage bolts to attach the seats Center. The outer boards on their seat, supports with a one inch overhang off the back edge mark glue and screw these boards down using a pair of two and a half inch screws into each support next position: the inner seat boards, with the same 3/8 inch gap. You use for the top board, spacing flip the table over and install the seat braces from below, using glue and screws. Do not let these screws protrude from the seat, op now measure and cut the leg two top braces. These should be cut on 45 degrees attached to the center of the leg, supports, and also to the bottom of the cooler using glue and one and a quarter inch screws on each corner of the seat. Boards measure N two and three-quarter inches and place a mark using a speed square, draw a 45 degree diagonal line on all eight outside corners of both bench seats using the jigsaw cut the corners off of each corner. Finally, you should sand all edges of your new table and apply the finish of your choice. To make it weatherproof, then, attach the half inch tubing to the plastic elbow under the cooler and run it to a bucket or along a table leg and out to the grass. That'S it. If you already have a picnic table, you might just reinforce and cut out a center panel from the top and just add the cooler below either way just add a little ice, some cold drinks and a few good friends and you're all set for complete PDF instructions Of this and other how-to projects go to Home Depot, comm slash. Let'S do this now. You know how see you next time,Like it? Share it! More by this author |