Scaffold Board Table

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by Martyn_P, Apr 16, 2018.

  1. Martyn_P

    Martyn_P New Member

    Hi all,

    This is my first post on here. My wife and I are very keen on having a dining table made from scaffolding boards and hairpin legs; however we've decided that instead of buying one we'd like to build our own using four 6ft boards. I'm not a carpenter by trade but I believe that this is within my capability and I like the idea of creating something for our house and making it more personal

    My question though is in regards to joining the boards together to create the top as I've seen quite a few different methods that people have used. In order to keep the table looking as minimalist and rustic as possible, I was considering using four 5mm heavy duty or 2.5mm light duty steel restraint straps spread out across the underside of the table. I'm more drawn to the 2.5mm strap at the moment as I think that using 5mm might be a bit of an overkill.

    Has anyone else done anything of a similar nature? I just want to make sure that the table is structurally sound and properly supported whilst keeping the look as minimal as possible. Would steel strap be the most suitable method in this instance or are there alternatives that I should maybe consider.

    Many thanks


    Martyn
     
  2. facilities

    facilities Guest


    Martin can you have a word with my dragon I've just spent £1500.00 on ours (I much prefer your idea) bet you can cut a few scaff poles down & make the chairs:)
     
  3. goldenboy

    goldenboy Super Member

    I picked up a beautiful oiled oak table with painted legs for free off a customer not long back as he was making a scaffold board table.

    His looked nice and new. But I was chuffed with the windfall!
     
  4. Martyn_P

    Martyn_P New Member

    It’s funny you should say that as I’m making a bench to go with it as well. We were very close to buying one but I just randomly suggested to my wife that I could possibly make one and to my surprise she actually agreed to it.
     
  5. goldenboy

    goldenboy Super Member

    Once did out a legal firms offices in that there London with scaffold poles/boards and lacquered OSB with glass tops.

    Looked fantastic TBH.
     
  6. Pollowick

    Pollowick Screwfix Select

    You are going to need to stop excessive warping, bending and twisting or you could end up with large steps between boards.

    Maybe use a long 4 mm strip slotted in the side of adjacent boards - much the same as biscuits, or maybe 8mm dowel pegs.

    Holding the boards together - what about worktop clamps? https://www.screwfix.com/p/worktop-clamps-150mm-10-pack/15295


    I will also ask - are scaffold board tables actually made from scaffold boards?
     
  7. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    You can get scaffold boards in two thicknesses, 38mm & 63mm, makes brilliant tables, surprisingly they seldom warp the boards,if using thicker boards, you can use 6mm ply strip as a biscuit along the length of the board in a slot which stop short from end of boards, or the largest bicuits No 20's..

    Loads of idea's on Pinterest.

    And Youtube:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  8. facilities

    facilities Guest

    Well gotta hold my hands up I thought Martyn was having a bit of a giraffe, but lo & behold I googled it and there is some pretty tasty stuff out there for the right type of room:)
     
    KIAB likes this.
  9. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Scaffold boards are so underated.:)

    [​IMG]
     
  10. facilities

    facilities Guest

    Anyone old enough to remember this Scaffold

     
    retiredsparks and DIYperson like this.
  11. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Last edited: Apr 16, 2018
  12. Martyn_P

    Martyn_P New Member

    Thanks for all the replies so far. When I started looking into it all myself, I couldn't get over all the different things that people have been doing with scaffold boards etc, it's certainly given me plenty of food for thought.
     
  13. WillyEckerslike

    WillyEckerslike Screwfix Select

    I like the worktop clamp idea. Coupled with some size 20 biscuits and a good glue you might not need straps.

    The problem with tying wood together across the grain is that the wood and the strap don't expand and contract equally with moisture and/or heat so there is a tendency for the combined unit to either cup or bow. Elongate the fixing holes in any strapping or crossbar you use to minimise this.

    Hope that helps?
     
  14. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Fit boards, one grain up, next grain down & so on, will stop the wood misbehaving in most cases.


    [​IMG]
     
  15. HarDeBloodyHarHar

    HarDeBloodyHarHar Active Member


    Pine scaffold boards?
     
  16. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

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