Outdoor Bar Table Top

Today I'm going to show you the steps to make a metal bar top with recessed ceramic tile.

All of this was made at TechShop!  www.techshop.ws

Equipment:

Horizontal Band Saw (Would've used Cold Saw, but it was under repair)

MIG Welder

Clamps

Rags

Degreaser

Sharpie Marker (Silver)

Square

Material:

12 foot, 1" by 2" Rectangular Steel Tubing

18 gauge Steel

Ceramic Tile

Black Glossy Spray Paint

Black Silicone

First, I took the 12 foot bar and set it up on the horizontal band saw to cut my steel frame pieces (Total of 6 pieces).

I set the band saw to a 45% angle and clipped the beginning of the tubing.

From there, I flipped the bar (to reverse the angle). I measured 68" from the furthest edge and cut it.

I repeated this one more time to make the 2 wide pieces of the perimeter frame.

I then made 2-28" bars with 45% angles to finish off the outside perimeter rectangle of the frame.

From there, I got creative and decided that I wanted to put cross beams in the middle to split up the tile surface that I was planning on putting down.

The 2 cross pieces I cut were flat ended 24" bars to fall in the inner dimensions of the 28" sides.

Once all the bars were cut, I cleaned up the oily steel tubing with some degreaser and then took them to the welding table.

Each bar I squared off, clamped down, and then tacked my welds

From there (after I re-checked each square), I finalized the welds.

Once the perimeter of the bar was made (with the 2 cross beams installed as well), I cut down 18 gauge flat steel with the sheers to sit in the openings.

Now I originally was going to keep the steel sheeting level to the top of the steel tubing for a flat top. However, I had a brilliant idea. Ceramic Tile! How can I include ceramic tile?!

Well, what I did was set the tile pieces that I came up with in the openings of the steel tubing perimeter. From there, I set my steel sheeting over top of that ceramic. (Accounting for the exact recessed distance needed).

I then tacked the sheets, confirmed that the steel was sitting flush, (which I had to break a tack or 2 to bend and hammer it to level). I finished off the welds soon after.

Once everything was welded in place, I took an angle grinder and cleaned up all of the welds.

I then hit the steel with a few coats of Gloss Black Spray Paint.

After painting the steel frame for the bar top, I then set my selected tile in the openings.

Once I lined up the tile with an even spacing between each, I filled in the gaps with black silicone. (I also siliconed the ceramic tile underneath so it wouldn't pop out).

Thanks for looking at my project!