DIY Outdoor Chevron Coffee Table
The calendar may say that fall is here, but Mother Nature begs to differ! We are still having 70 and 80 degree days here in New York, which means we are taking full advantage of being outside this fall. That being said, my family’s backyard oasis has been in desperate need for a new coffee table. So, I partnered with my amazing friends at Bernzomatic to make it happen. Here’s how I made them a new DIY outdoor chevron coffee table in one weekend!
How To Make An Outdoor Chevron Coffee Table
This post is sponsored by Bernzomatic. For my full disclosure policy, click here.
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The last outdoor project I built with torched cedar was in May and it’s been holding up so well! I’m also a sucker for a good chevron project. So, I wanted to combine those two elements and make a new outdoor table for my parents’ yard.
Here’s how I completed this build in one weekend!
What You’ll Need:
Tools
BZ4500 Heat Shrink Torch for Large Surface Areas
Bernzomatic Propane Tank
Miter Saw
Drill
Pocket Hole Jig
Brad Nailer
Sandpaper
Wire Brush
Heat Resistant Gloves
Straight Edge/Ruler
Tape Measure
Materials
(11) 2 x 2 x 4′ Cedar Boards
(6) 1 x 6 x 8′ Cedar Boards
Water Resistant Wood Adhesive
1 ½” Stainless Steel Brad Nails
2 ½” Exterior Pocket Hole Screws
Waterproofing Finish
The Steps:
1. Cut your 2 x 2 boards into the following pieces:
(4) Legs @ 17 ¾”
(4) Long Frames @ 37″
(4) Short Frames @ 21″
(3) Supports @ 37″
2. Drill pocket holes in the end of your long frames, short frames, and supports.
3. Begin building your table frame sides by attaching the short frames to the legs with pocket hole screws and wood adhesive.
4. Next, attach your two sides together with your long frames using pocket hole screws and wood adhesive.
5. Also be sure to attach your supports 6″ apart the same way.
6. Once your base is assembled, use your BZ4500 Heat Shrink Torch for Large Surface Areas
Bernzomatic Propane Tank to give the wood a rich patina finish.
7. After torching, use a wire brush to remove any char and smooth out torched wood.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 as many times as you want until you achieve your desired look.
9. Once your base is prepared, find the center of the top of the base both vertically and horizontally. Mark this using a pencil and a straight edge.
10. Next, begin cutting your chevron pieces. I’ve found that the best way to do this is to start with two pieces cut to 45-degree angle, place your boards on your base, and then trim it to size later.
Pro Tip: Outdoor wood requires room for movement, so use a spacer in between each row of your design to allow for maximum movement and drainage.
11. Keep repeating this until you’re happy with your pattern. Attach each board using exterior wood adhesive and stainless-steel brad nails.
12. Optional: Use a table saw to cut any leftover boards into ¾” border strips. Attach them to the outside of your chevron partnered tabletop using brad nails and wood glue.
13. Sand your table top.
14. Apply waterproof finishing.
… and in one weekend of work, you’ve made a table that will entertain family and guests for seasons to come!
There are so many things I love about this coffee table, but what gets me the most is how stunning cedar looks after applying applying a patina finish with my Bernzomatic torch!
I also love how fun the chevron pattern is – it totally matches the outdoor bar I made them for their last backyard!
I’m so excited to see this table get lots of use, especially with warm days still to come.
Want to save this project for later? Make sure to Pin It!
Happy DIY’ing!
what do you think?
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23 COMMENTS
Larry Bishop
3 years agoLove the design of this table. I am going to make one just a little smaller for our living roon
Sam
3 years ago AUTHORYes! I love that! Hope you’ll share when you’re done!
Joana
3 years agoHello,
where are the plans for this project?
Best,
Jo
Sam
2 years ago AUTHORHi, the only plans available are the ones in the step-by-step listed on this post.
selina
3 years agoHow do you stop the char from wood from rubbing off?
Sam
2 years ago AUTHORI would give it a light rub down and then use a few coats of clear. Mine doesn’t shed at all!
Andrea
2 years agoI love this project! Can you share what type of cedar boards you used? They look nicer than fence boards. I’m looking at Home Depot’s website and I see a pack of six planks. Love your projects. I’m inspired to tackle this table! Thank you!
Sam
2 years ago AUTHORThank you! I used 1 x 6 cedar boards for this project. I found them at Home Depot!
Raina
2 years agoDo you have the cutlist for the Chevron pattern, or did you just keep trial and error-ing until you got it?
Sam
2 years ago AUTHORNo cutlist – I just cut and fit as I go. I’ve done that with all of my chevron pieces and everything just fits better that way! If you try and need some help, let me know! Happy to help!
David
2 years agoWell Done!
Sam
2 years ago AUTHORThank you!
Emilee
2 years agoAbout how much does this project cost?
Sam
2 years ago AUTHORI don’t remember off-hand, I’m sorry! But, I linked everything I used, so you should be able to price it out based on how much the cedar runs by you!
Thomas J Quarles
2 years agoItsays to use (6) 1×6×8 foot boards for the top. Really? 6 8 foot boards just for a table thats only 37×24 doesn’t make sense.
Sam
2 years ago AUTHORThe reason I bought 6 for this project is because the chevron pattern eats up more real estate than just gluing up the boards straight. It also allows for more trial and error when cutting the chevron. I usually pick up a little extra in case I make a bad cut.
Thomas J Quarles
2 years agoI bought 6 and still had 2 left over even with 2 bad cuts or I would have had 3 left
Adam
2 years agoSam, thanks so much for this! My wife loves the way this has turned out. This is my first big project and has been hugely inspirational in getting me going.
How do you deal with the softness of cedar? I’ve got so many dings in mine already. It’s there a suitable hardwood to use?
I’d also recommend to any readers to follow Sam’s suit and assemble the table frame upside down on A FLAT surface. I tried to do it right side up and I ended up with a bunch of uneven spots which made putting the planks on really bad because everything was uneven. I ended up spending hours trying to make it flat again.
Jonathan
2 years agoI love this! It looks soooooo good!
Going to make my own today. Mybe i will film it and make a video of it! Thanks for the inspo! 😀
John
2 years agoSam
This is such a beautiful and amazing project. Well done.
I cannot find the dimensional lumber in Phoenix at Depot or Lowe’s. Might you be willing to change your lumber list to links to the actual ones you purchased so I can find them. I know you are supper busy, but if you could find time to do this I would really appreciate it.
Thanks much!!!
Kim
2 years agoHi, Sam
Thank you for sharing this project. Just built one for my deck and it looks great! I wanted to ask which outdoor finish you used. Please let me know!
Rusty Varnadoe
2 years agoThank you for the plans. I just finished an indoor version of your table!
Hannah
2 years agoHi! I was thinking about giving this table a shot, so thanks for giving out all the help! Do you think I would need to run these planks through a planer?