Make it: portable beach table

This portable beach table helps eliminate messes and makes your day in the sun a lot more convenient. The slits on the side are perfect for holding stemmed glasses upright and out of the sand.

Supplies:
17” piece of 12” shelf board (hardwoods are better and prevent warping)
½” x 24” steel pipe, threaded (from the plumbing section of the hardware store)
½” PVC pipe end cap
1” long Philips screw and matching washer
Drill bit same diameter as the screw
Hand screwdriver
E6000 glue
5/8” paddle bit
Drill
Jigsaw
Safety goggles
12” ruler
Sandpaper
Primer
Paint
Metal paint

Steps:
1. Mark rounded circles around the edges of your tray. (A CD or mug/plate is handy for drawing circles depending on the size that you like.)

2. Wearing safety goggles cut the corner curves with the jigsaw and sand until smooth.

3. Find the center of the tray using a tape measure. (It’s at 8.5” from the ends and 5 5/8’s inches from the sides).
4. Wearing safety goggles, drill a 5/8” hole at 2” from the each of the ends of the tray. (This is where the wineglass globe will rest.) Drill partway through the wood on one side, then flip it over and complete the hole from the other side to get a clean finish.

5. Mark and then use the jigsaw or handsaw cut a 2” slot extending from the center of the short edges of the wood to the drilled hole. Make the slot wide enough for a wine glass stem to slide through and just slightly narrower than the hole. Sand all rough edges.

6. Pre-drill a hole in the center of the PVC pipe end cap to prevent cracking. Place a small amount of E6000 at the center of board and use a hand screwdriver to screw the screw and washer through the plastic cap and into the center of the board. Be certain that the screw is not longer than the thickness of the table or it will show on the topside.

7. Paint the pipe with metal paint, if desired. Flip and insert the steel post in the cap. Screw the pipe into the cap to create threads in the PVC end cap.


8. If you have used hardwood, a coat of stain would be beautiful. The table can also be primed and painted with latex paint.Add a coat or two of acrylic sealer for protection from the long days of sun and salt.