DIY Network

Stone-Top Coffee Table Q: When is a stone more than a stone? A: When it's a coffee table. From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-205

Stone artistes Derek, Dean and guest Dwayne Cranford with their stone furniture creation.

Stone furniture? Yes, it can be comfortable as well as beautiful. In this project, follow a large piece of stone from the quarry through its transformation into a functional and stylish coffee table.

With help from expert Dwayne Cranford of Stone 2 Furniture®, expert stone masons Derek Stearns and Dean Marsico create a unique design from a single piece of stone. They shape it, add colored stone inlay and spread a high-gloss finish. They also get pointers on creating a one-of-a-kind welded metal base for the stone table top using found metal objects. After transforming this piece of rock into a work of art, Dean and Derek look at stone in a whole new way. Maybe you will too. Read on to see how the process took place.

advertisement

After a trip to the quarry, this project calls for a junkyard excursion to find a metal base for the table.

Tools:

chalk
stone hammer
carbide chisel
finish carbide chisel
circular saw with diamond blade
grinder with diamond blade and masonry blade
inexpensive paintbrush
syringe
tongue depressors
disposable plastic cups
bullet level
four-foot level
safety glasses
mask

Materials:

large coffee-table sized stone
table top resin
inlay material (for this project, we used colored crushed stone with an epoxy mix)
base for stone table top

	Figure A
	Figure B

Picking Out Materials

Begin this job at a quarry or stone yard where you'll pick out the stone for the table top. Look for something proportional in size to a coffee table: about three feet long, two feet wide and two inches thick (figure A). When choosing a stone, pick for color and character, but also make sure that the stone doesn't have cracks or imperfections that will compromise the strength of the table. Once you pick out the stone, transport it back to your work site carefully and lay it flat on a pallet or bed of sand. This will provide adequate support for the stone piece while you work on it.

The base of the coffee table can be made of almost anything as long as it's capable of holding the heavy stone top. Options include an old coffee table base, a tree stump, and interesting junk yard finds. Dean, Derek and Dwayne opt for the latter and head to a junk yard to find material for creating a welded steel base. Dwayne, who has welding experience, shows Dean and Derek how to look for structural steel for welding. They don't want aluminum, stainless steel or cast-iron. Their base is ultimately created from a piece of cylindrical schedule-40 pipe (figure B), a plow disc base and leaf springs from an old truck. Dwayne likes to use parts from old farm equipment because the steel is strong and durable.

Page  1 | 2 | 3