01. The Challenge

Build a set of high-top tables for White Barn Farm in Wrentham, MA that can hold drinks and food without wobbling on the uneven ground. These tables also needed to be inexpensive as the budget was tight! 

02. The Solution

I had to go on the hunt for some relatively inexpensive materials, and since these tables would be outside all summer they couldn't be made from regular pine. Fortunately, I was blessed by the Lumber Gods a few days into the project when I stumbled across a handful of 8ft cedar planks on sale at a local lumberyard. Not only is cedar rot-resistant, it's fairly light and makes your workshop smell like a log cabin when you cut it. This also help offset the weight of the pressure-treated 2x2 and 2x4s that make up the frame, as well as the cost! I painted the frame in matte black exterior paint and stained the cedar planks with Thompson Water Seal. To finish, I cut each table foot at an angle so they could be pressed into the ground, providing some extra sturdiness when placed on the farm's mulchy ground.

03. The Result

A set of stylish and sturdy high-top tables that will last for many Summers, and a few cold ones to celebrate.