Metalwork
By Greg Holster
In summer, a young or old man’s fancy, and possibly that of the family, turns to outdoor eating beside the backyard barbecue — minus the flies, of course. The question then arises: where to sit? I have seen all sorts of sizes and shapes of outdoor seating and have wanted to make a convenient outdoor table-and-seats combination for ages. I have made all-timber tables but never a steel-framed table. I chose this table because of its simplicity and the opportunity to make it all in one.
I could have made it from straight mild steel tube and galvanised it later, or constructed it from fully galvanised tube. However, with that, the galvanising can be quite thick and difficult to weld with a small 135-amp welder. For a welding machine of 160 amps upwards, with a bit more grunt, it’s not so bad.
I chose to use DuraGal, which is a pre-galvanised tube that has been painted inside the tube. I have found it extremely convenient, as only the welded or cut areas need to be painted or primed, and have used it on many projects. The galvanising is thinner than standard galvanised tube, but certainly ample for this project.
For this design, I decided on 50mm square tube with a 1.6mm wall thickness for the base tubes and supports, and 40mm square tube, 1.6mm thick, for the cross-members or rails that join either ends of the table and seat supports. This is light but strong.
Design
To get the best dimensions for the seat and table heights, I measured up my old table. As this will be a one-piece, I wanted to ensure there was a comfortable distance between the seats and the table. Too close and the table will feel cramped, too far away and you will always feel as if everybody is always reaching out for food or drink.
After I drew up the plan, it looked a bit stark. I used what they call baskets on a balustrade a few
