When one DIY-er recently happened upon an abandoned hunk of wood and some rusted steel rods, his upcycling brain immediately saw a side table in the making.
Imgur user Cronedstow rushed home and got to work cleaning them up, further revealing their exciting new potential.
While he sanded the splinters and grime off of his reclaimed wood, he simultaneously bathed the rusted steel rods in a distilled vinegar bath.
With clean, smooth, rust-free materials at his disposal, he began configuring and reconfiguring each piece, searching for a balanced composition.
While some upcycling projects start with a strong intention, others are more fluid, relying on a bundle of found objects to navigate the design direction. This DIY-er lets his finds inspire him, allowing their features and limitations to guide his project’s final design.
Scroll through below to see how he was able to upcycle these abandoned materials into a funky new table.
When Imgur upcycler, Cronedstow, found an unclaimed hunk of wood sitting on a slipway by his office, he immediately began drafting ideas for his next woodworking project.
He decided to pair the hunk of wood with some rusted steel rods he'd found on a nearby beach.
Cleaned up and joined together, these materials would become an awesome little side table.
He started this project by throwing the rusted steel rods into a sack with some distilled vinegar for a little bath.
While those rods de-rusted, this DIY-er got to work restoring the gorgeous piece of wood.
He spent hours sanding years of caked-on grime off its surface.
Curious to see what kind of inner grain resided within the block, this DIY-er decided to saw it in half.
Halving the block revealed gorgeous inner grain, perfectly suiting his soon-to-be side table.
To get an ever better sense of the wood's grain, this DIY-er washed off some lingering sawdust.
Staring at each unique line, it became completely clear that rescuing these materials from their untimely demise had been an excellent call.
This DIY-er decided to bevel each wooden round's edges, further transforming this forgotten material into a classic table topper.
To enhance the natural beauty of this wood's grain, he decided to treat each piece with teak oil.
With the oil stain, the wood felt less raw and more polished.
Next, he drilled two holes into each piece, sized to hold the steel rods in place.
Ready to assemble things, the DIY-er used gorilla glue to secure the steel rods to the wood base and topper, affording the table added stability.
Gorilla glue does expand as it adheres, though, so this DIY-er had to do a fair amount of sanding after the fact to preserve the table's overall look and feel.
Steel rods in place, this upcycler's table finally took shape.
One look at this table and you'd never guess it was made from abandoned scraps.
Inspired by these rejected materials, this DIY-er created a unique, industrial-feeling table, sure to intrigue dinner-party guests for years to come.
What do you think of this nifty little table? Have you ever reimagined found treasures into new furniture for your home? Tell us about your project in the comments.
Please SHARE this awesome table design with other upcyclers!
