# Aircraft Window Coffee Table



## ETBee (Feb 10, 2010)

My neighbor's son is in the Air Force Reserve and asked me if I could make a coffee table out of a refueling boom window that he pulled out of a KC-135 tanker. This thing is heavy! It's about 3/4 inch thick.










After much thought, I decided that rather than produce an odd-shaped glass top coffee table, instead I would make something that made you think of an aircraft whenever you looked at it. So I went to the local lumber yard, got some poplar, and jointed, planed, and cut it to size










I glued the top together out of boards that are about 1 1/4 inch thick. The legs and aprons are about 3/4 inch thick. I rounded the edges of the top to look like the leading edge of an airplane wing. The legs are shaped like wings too. Even the top of the table, which really just follows the shape of the window, reminds you of an airplane wing cross-section.





















The toughest part was the painting. I tried gloss black and hated it. Sanded it back down and used flat black. Did a crappy job painting it. Sanded it back down. Repeated until I got a better finish. Wiped on some poly, which caused the paint to streak. Sanded it back down. Sprayed poly and finally got a finish I could live with although it's still not as smooth as I would have liked. Then I attached the window using 42 screws to give it more of a "machine" look. Would have liked to use flathead machine screws to keep the table top flush, but that didn't work so I went with round head screws.


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Very cool. All that sanding must have been a PIA, but the the table looks awesome. Great job.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

That is one solid looking table. The finish process sounds like it was a bit of a nightmare, but from the looks of things it was totally worth it!


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## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

Man that turned out great! Those windows are pretty heavy. I've always wanted to make one from my jet, the kc-10. But it's twice the size of that one. We have one in the desert break room and it's so big all you can do is put a frame under it out of 4x4's lol.


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## desertforest (Aug 6, 2011)

very nice.


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

Really nice angles! Looks first rate.
--Matt


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## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

I like it alot, but I have a soft spot for that kind of mixed media/salvage metal and wood combo.....even though its for the most part glass. You know what I mean, lol. 

Really cool piece! The flat black sets off the metal, lets it stand out and the shape of the table fits the piece. Awesome!


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## Sorrowful Jones (Nov 28, 2010)

Too Cool!!


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

Yep Very Cool !!!!!


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