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		*ISSUE ARCHIVES*

	*MAR/ APR 2001* Volume 44 / Issue 2 IN THIS ISSUE Project Articles Roll-Around Barbeque Cart Patio/Deck Table The Pecking Chikens *DEPARTMENTS* Ask Smitty Owner’s Gallery Letters from Owners Academy Notes Wood Storage Tips Find A Shopsmith Woodworking Academy Near You National Woodworking Academy in Dayton, OH Service Pointers Troubleshooting Worktable & Carriage Problems Safety Tips Do’s and Don’ts *SURF’S UP* The Shopsmith Hollow Chisel Mortising Attachment Specials & Online Catalog Links Worth Visiting Find A Shopsmith MARK V Demo Near You *FREE FROM SHOPSMITH* Free Woodworking Tips Request Accessory Catalog Request MARK V Information Package *FEEDBACK* Contacting Shopsmith Copyright 2001. Shopsmith, Inc. All Rights Reserved


	Weekend Project Article


	Quick, Easy-to-Make Patio/Deck Tables Build one or a set of these handy little tables in a single weekend

Here's an interesting example of a project that's not only quick and easy to build . . . it also provides an excellent opportunity for you to experiment with furniture design. Why? Because of its extremely simple construction. For example, the table shown here is a 20-1/2-inches square end table design. However, it could just as easily be a 36-inches long x 16-inches high cocktail table . . . or a 30-inches high x 36-inches square dining table . . . or any combination of dimensions you may need.

By merely altering the width, length or number of top slat boards, you can create your own different and unique top configurations. Changing leg heights will give you low tables for end tables, cocktail tables or plant stands -- or higher tables for food preparation, dining or potting your plants. Make the legs and side rails of heavier lumber and you can create sturdy, comfortable benches for patio or deck seating. The options are virtually endless.

This project will also show you (in case you don't already know) how the simplest machine set-ups can make quick work of repetitive operations. Whenever you build a project like this, it just makes good sense to think about building more than one . . . providing you have a use for multiples, of course. Once you've set your table saw rip fence to cut 2-1/2-inches wide slats, it's just about as easy to cut twenty-eight of them as it is to cut seven. Once you've configured a miter-gauge or outboard-mounted cut-off stop, crosscutting fifty 20-inches long slats takes just a bit longer than cutting twenty-five of them.

Continue . . .