4X4 Truss Beam Table

I came across some old 4x4s left over at my job so I decided to do something with them. I was in desperate need of an outdoor table. I found the plans for this table, grabbed the 4x4s I needed and went to work. The 4x4s where in really rough shape. It took me about 7 hours to sand them down to bare wood. In a way I was ok with how old they where because I didn't have to wait to stain them. One thing I would do if I could do it over again is stain, paint and protect the wood before I assembled the table. I had a hard time protecting the table top cracks. Down the road I may epoxy resin the top. I also have the wood ready for the matching 4x4 truss benches, so those are soon to come.

Built from Plan(s)

4x4 Truss Beam Table

Estimated Cost

$250

Estimated Time Investment

Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)

Finish Used

First I coated the entire table with a new stain from Minwax called Weathered Oak. Then I painted all the spots I was going to distress Geyser blue from Glidden. Then I painted the lower part of the table Milky white from Glidden. I distressed the table using an electric palm sander with 220 grit sand paper. As I ran the sander down the wood It found high spots on it that made for a very natural ware pattern. I kept the top of the table the Weathered oak stain color and coated the entire table with Rustoleum Painters touch clear gloss.

Recommended Skill Level

Beginner