Tales of the Table: Part 2

Recipe for a table:  3 Mountain Bike Rims
                                  1 Cardboard Tube (In this case, a core from fabric bolts)
                                  Heavy Weight Cardboard Boxes
                                  Newspaper
                                  Flour Paste (Papier Mache)
                                  Paint
                                  Sealer

Hoops and Tubes

The first step was deciding on the design of the table. I wanted something light, but sturdy enough to trust with my computer. A round top, with 3 supporting legs, and a center core to tie it together. This is the plan. I took two of the rims and cut them in half. I smoothed out the cut edges with a file and started working on the core. This is not science! Any slack in the fit will be remedied by the papier mache.

Kind of looks like a steering column!

The picture shows what I mean by "the core". I cut slits into the core for the rims to fit through and made certain that the top of the tube would snug up to the table top. The full rim which supports the top is wired onto the legs. Once I was satisfied with the fit, I applied the first layer of papier mache. I cut three circles of cardboard from my large boxes, each 2" larger in diameter than the full rim.  I arranged the plies of the cardboard perpendicularly and joined them together with photo mount glue. White glue and carpenter's glue will work, it just takes longer to dry and increases the chance of warping. Weigh it down while it dries if you go this route. Once it is completely dried, attach the top. 

The top in place

At this point, you work upside down. The top is held on with papier mache, nothing else. It can be wired on to the hoop, but experience has taught me this is unnecessary! The construction gets a bit slow at this point because you must take care to let everything dry completely and keep it weighted so it doesn't warp. Build up the papier mache until there are three layers on all the table parts. 

Ready for paint!

It's time to decorate! I chose to paint a copyright-free design on mine. After the base coat the procedure is the same as I described in "A Little Paint, A New Look". 

From the side

I have been using this table for over 2 years! 

The Top

I love the ornate mandala design, but I'm thinking a top with decoupaged mementos would be fun; as would your own art! In the end, you'll have a unique table from recycled materials!