Dayne (57)This table lives outside next to a hot tub. I used cedar because it lives at a cabin in Tennessee that already has a bunch of outdoor cedar.Also, cedar naturally repels insects and does not need to be pressure treated with chemicals to live outdoors. This cedar was left over from another project too so the choice was easy.
Built a frame out of left over SPF. I would've like to do this out of cedar but didn't have anything long enough. I made it exactly 12" wide so I could wrap the long sides with cedar and have them butt into the legs. You'll see what I mean later.
I was a little bit concerned about a 6' span for 2x4" SPF but its not meant to last forever and its what I had so I'm happy with it.
Marking the arc of the legs. I used a spare piece of cardboard to freehand and tweak the arc until I liked it.
Cutting the arc. No bandsaw or even jigsaw for me :(
I cleaned up the arcs with the spokeshave. Here are the 4 finished legs. They turned out similar enough for me.
Skipping a few steps...
I attached the legs using screws, from the inside of the frame into the legs. I attached them flush with the top of the frame.
The bandboard around the frame is ripped cedar pieces screwed in from the back.
The top pieces are attached with nails.
Looking at the feet, I ended up needing to attach the two legs together with a block. This also helped make the legs sturdy.
I finished the whole thing with a couple coats of boiled linseed oil. We'll see how it holds up!
Danish oil is a general purpose natural finish for wood. It adds depth and richness to any wood species and protects and seals at the same time.