# Repurpose build



## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

I recently posted pics of a repurpose build and Taylor suggested I show the process.
I'll give it a go but no promises.

My sister in law owns a retail shop and she often asks me for certain types of furniture. 
This time she asked for a console ????:blink:
I have no idea what a console is but soon found out it's a hall table or a type of narrow sideboard.










So here is my build thread. Trust me, it won't be as good as you guys but I wanted to try.

First step is to paw through my junk and see what looks like a console..










Once I decide what might work, I have to take pieces apart, inspect for nails and fasteners and get the parts on the bench for design.





































Once I get a bunch of parts and pieces, I start with the legs.
I have to figure a way to attach them in a way that will not be seen from the casual observer.

But first I have to determine where to cut the legs to come up with the correct height. In this case 36" total.

I pick my spot and put a leg on my miter station.










The only reference point is on the square end of the leg.
So I attach a temporary fence to the miter saw.










I screw it right to the saw with a 3/4" screw.










I've cut the end of the fence so I can see exactly where the blade will cut.










and I end up with a nice square cut on a turned piece.










I need two of these so I set up my stop on the fence










I have a bunch of these around the shop. I use them for temporary supports when putting boxes together or stops or anything else they look like they are handy for.










Next will be fabricating a base for the leg to attach to the console top.


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

Very good but pics are coming up with error. Is everyone getting that or is it on my end

Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

*Attaching the legs to the console*

I had some 1/2" baltic birch scraps that seem like the perfect application.
I cut some squares 2" larger than the base.










and scribed a line 1/2" from the edge.










Then centered my holes and predrilled with a countersink



















Four holes and she's ready. This will screw to the bottom of the table top.










Next I need to layout for screwing the plate to the leg. A quick centering and layout and I'm ready.










Holes predrilled from each side.










Next step is to round over the edges of the plywood plates.
with 1/4" roundover bit.










I came up with this idea to help stabilize the small pieces that are difficult to hold down while routing and sanding.


























It's just a scrap of 1/4" luan plywood but it worked perfect.


























So I attached the plate to the top of the legs


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

MastersHand said:


> Very good but pics are coming up with error. Is everyone getting that or is it on my end
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


Same results here, error!
Tom


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Geez...I'm really sorry guys......:furious:
I've spent a fair amount of time on this so I'll have to ask a post of how some of you are doing your tutorials.
I'm using Photobucket and it's very cumbersome and time consuming ....:furious:

So I'll stop for now and listen to what you experts suggest.


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## Heath (Jan 29, 2012)

TomC said:


> Same results here, error!
> Tom


Getting the pics ok here. They look great


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Heath said:


> Getting the pics ok here. They look great


wow...thanks!!!!!


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

Got them now looks grey is right. Thanks for not being intimidated really Excellent

Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


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## Heath (Jan 29, 2012)

Really looking forward to seeing this project progress.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Looking good. Keep it coming.


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## JQMack (Sep 24, 2011)

Can't wait to see how this turn out.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Now I need to clean up the legs to get rid of the stubs left after cutting the leg away from the headboard.










I cut them close with my coping saw and then the grinder with a sanding disc followed by the random orbital. I didn't do a photo shoot of the process because it was too dusty.










But here's the final result.



















So now I have my two legs ready and I'll set them up to have a look at the proportions.




























I'm not liking it....the legs are too skinny










This is the challenge of doing this type of build. I'm not making the pieces from scratch. I'm just picking stuff I have laying around.
I need beefier legs with such a large top and bottom.

I think I'll switch gears and use these.










So back to the miter saw and repeat the first part of the build.










I won't bore you with making a new set of plywood brackets.
Same method - larger size to fit the fatter leg.

Okay...back on track.....whew.
Now I have to make a set of round brackets for the bottom feet to fasten underneath the bottom shelf.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*forgive me but...*

This photo seems to show 2 completely different projects...a table with subby legs (shelf) and a very handsome side board table. They just don't go together. I wouldn't make the legs "chunky" myself to suit the "stubby" legs on the shelf. 
Fix the shelf rather than "screw up" the nice table....just my .02$  bill


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Eyes are peeled on this one. Curious to see how this goes.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

*Making the leg brackets*

So I'm off to the drill press with a 3-1/2" hole saw to cut four plywood discs.



















They're very rough...but with a little work.....

I ran a screw through the middle of the disc and hit it with the sander.
This worked really great. I left the screw just loose enough to let the disc spin. As the sander hit the edge, it slowly spun the disc and sanded all the way around it.










I have a hole in the center of the disc so now I need to find the center of the round foot.
A triangle and a square work perfectly.



















So now I have my feet ready for installation










But before I do that, I need to shape my bottom shelf










So I get out my high tech circle makers










....and my trusty jig saw










Oh yeah.....before I forget, I wanted to show you how I keep my jig saw handy. I took a 4x4 and drilled a hole in the top of it so the blade can fit into it. This keeps it upright and stores the most frequently used blades in the back.










A little trimming ...and a little sanding......










This thing is starting to take shape.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

*Fashioning the top of the console*

The top I have is too wide so I've decided to cut the back 2" off and preposition it to become the backsplash.










I need to run it through the table saw but I don't have a straight line on either edge. So I grabbed my home made sled.










It's nothing more than just a scrap of 1/2" MDO with a couple of hold downs screwed to it.

This is a lousy picture, sorry. I clamped the piece onto the sled so it's parallel with the edge of the sled. I decided I wanted to cut the fancy edge off where you can see the discoloration. 
It measured 13-11/16" from the edge of the sled to that point.










Then I set my fence to 13-11/16".










....and ran the sled and the clamped piece through the saw.










I now have a straight edge on the back and a pretty cool backsplash.










Now I need to shape the top.










So back to the high tech circle jigs and jigsaw.....did I mention how handy that was??










It has a beveled edge that does not have the same angle as my 45° champfer bit on my router....go figure :sad:

So I'll improvise.......I marked two lines to match the edges of the existing bevel.



















...and proceeded to knock down the edge by just cutting down to the two lines with my grinder/sander










I was very happy with the results










After paint, it will be a good match....










and the top is ready....minus the backsplash but that's in the next session


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## Heath (Jan 29, 2012)

lookin great


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Nice work. Pictures are great and a very comprehensive tutorial...thanks for posting so far.










 







.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

*Putting the console together*

The last part of this project is to install an apron so the top doesn't look so thin.
I'm going to use the scraps you see above the headboard.










I cut them to length and take them to the Kreg.










I mounted my Kreg to a scrap of wood that hangs on the bench out of the way when not in use. When I need it, I can clamp it down (as shown) or screw it to a work surface. I keep the vise grips clamped to it so they're always handy.










Once I pocketed the four sides, I attached them to the top and set the legs inside the apron.










The leg is off center of the apron but centered on the top










Next, I install the four feet to the bottom shelf



















.....and finally the shelf to the bottom of the legs

I'm going to use a 6" GRK screw through the shelf and into the leg...with a lot of predrilling. This step is important since the legs are very dry maple and hard as a rock.










I start with my countersink










and then a 12" x 3/16" bit drilled to 7" to avoid bottoming out of the screw. Usually I just let the end of the screw grab the last inch or so but this wood is sooooooo hard, I drilled deeper than normal.










The impact screw gun worked perfect for running that bad boy in.
The picture is blurry because my teeth are chattering...:laughing:










and I ended up with a nice clean detail for the connection.










and that's a console.........










She'll paint and distress this piece and I'll try to grab a pic before it goes out the door.

Someone will get good use out of unwanted pieces that were headed to the burn pile.

Thanks for watching


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

*Very nice work !!!*

Hey that really looks great.
I like the way you used an old piece and turned it into something new.

Keep up the good work.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Thanks Tex
There's no money in it but I love doing it for the right reasons.....:smile:


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

Be sure to get a picture of the distressed finish, and thanks for the comprehensive tutorial, it was fun going through the experience.


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

Thank you for your detailed journey at salvaging an otherwise piece of firewood. It was fascinating watching how you made progress with the piece. I also liked your jig-saw "holster" that keeps it ready at hand :thumbsup: ..... Do you ever have a problem with knocking it off of there? I know that half the time, I don't want to use mine because of having to get it out and set it up.

Thanks again.

Fabian


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## Joelthemole (Feb 8, 2012)

wow. impressed with the process. thanks for all the little tips


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## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

looks nice


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

thegrgyle said:


> Thank you for your detailed journey at salvaging an otherwise piece of firewood. It was fascinating watching how you made progress with the piece. I also liked your jig-saw "holster" that keeps it ready at hand :thumbsup: ..... Do you ever have a problem with knocking it off of there? I know that half the time, I don't want to use mine because of having to get it out and set it up.
> 
> Thanks again.
> 
> Fabian


Hi Fabian
I have not yet knocked the jig saw block off of there. It seems to fit naturally in that corner of the bench.
If it were to become a problem, I would just fasten it down with a 6" screw right into the workbench surface or the adjoining bench sled. (that's the ugly piece of slab wood next to it)

...glad you enjoyed the trip down Salvage Lane.


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## tackbb (Jan 9, 2012)

Very awesome! this was a great build thread, I appreciate it when talented people show us beginners how it is done.

Thank you!


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