After cutting the 1x8 - 6 ft board to the right size, I drilled four pocket holes to connect them together. Once that was done, I drilled four more pocket holes on each side which connected the top to the frame. I only connected one side of the frame to the top as I knew I would have to connect the wooden dowels for the magazine rack.
After doing a little math, I spaced out six 1/4” holes for six wooden dowels. This part was a bit tricky since you have to make sure all the dowels are inserted correctly before screwing in the four top screws. You can also think about replacing the wooden dowels with metal dowels for a different look and feel.
The original design of the coffee table was finished at this point. I’d be perfectly content stopping at this point but Melody had asked for an additional lower shelf for extra storage. I drew up a design to accommodate that.
The additional shelf would have the exact same dimensions as the top shelf so that was the easy part. Designing the structure around the shelf was a bit more complicated due to the amount of kreg jig holes needed in a short area. It just worked out and fit snuggly into the original design.
I finished the final sanding the morning of delivery. Overall, I was really happy with the way it turned out. The additional of the bottom shelf really helps balance the design once magazine rack was filled. Thankfully the coffee table fit perfectly in the space and matched the furniture that had already been bought. Please check out Austin Counseling Collective and help support the great work that they hope to do in our community!
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