Reclaimed Oak Night Table

These pieces of oak were used to transport pipe for a pipe line via train. They had wedges nailed on them and they were going to get thrown in the landfill.

They were really twisted and had many cracks.

The pieces measure 10' long, 6" wide and 1 5/8" thick.

I cut them into smaller pieces so it was easier to work with. I also cut out the really bad cracked parts.

I used a combination of a planer and table saw to get the pieces as straight as possible.

I cut blocks 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" and made a groove in the middle where I put 1/4" slats. I made 2 of these which will be the side walls of the stand. They were glued and clamped together. They measure 20" x 14".

I then cut 4 more pieces 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" to connect the two side walls.

Next I made a bunch of corner braces to add support to the whole structure. These are all glued and nailed together.

Next I made some quick drawer boxes out of pine. Ran the side through the table saw a few times and used a chisel to make a groove. I then attached some strips to the inside of the night stand so the box could slide on.

For the drawer faces, I used the same design as the side walls of the night stand, just on a smaller scale. The frame of the face is only 3/4" thick. Again I cut small slats to slide into the middle groove and glued and clamped everything together. I aligned the faces, then glued and nailed them to the drawer box.

For the top frame I used pieces 3/4" thick and about 1 1/4" wide. I cut a notch out of the corner and mitered the ends and used miter clamps to make the frame. I also notched a middle support to add more stability.

I cut some slats to fit in the notch of the top frame. First I started with a thicker piece and notched all 4 ends. I then ripped it down the middle to create 2 pieces which fit under my frame.I left 2 openings where I made small boxes for hidden compartments which are recessed below the top and are covered with thin slats. I glued and clamped this to the top of the cabinet.

I attached some 4" high legs to the bottom and added a angled support piece behind every leg.

Made some quick pulls and glued and nailed them to the drawer faces.