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D.I.Y. wire side table

Four stacked books with a pair of reading glasses on top, sitting on a small side table next to a chair

Overview

A wire side table is the perfect addition to any home. You can place it next to your favourite reading chair and use it to put your drink on, or to display your photos and flowers. It's easy to make and looks great too.

Steps

1

Have your timber pre-cut at Bunnings

Once you've decided how big you want your wire side table to be, then you can have your plywood pre-cut at Bunnings. Our table has a 600mm diameter.
Pre-cut piece of timber on a workbench

2

Clamp the wood to the workbench

Clamp the plywood for the top of your table to the benchtop. Place a block of timber beneath your ply for clearance when you cut it.
Person clamping timber to workbench

3

Mark your anchor point

Set the adjustable arm on the router to the correct radius. Ours is 300mm. Mark the anchor point with the screw attached to the router arm.
Person marking anchor point on timber with tape measure and pencil

4

Drill the hole for the anchor point

Use the 4.5mm drill bit to drill a hole to anchor your router. Don't drill all of the way through the wood. The side where the hole is drilled will be the bottom of your table.
Person drilling hole for anchor point into timber

5

Secure the router

Remove the router from the arm. Use the drill to secure the router's anchor point into the timber. Re-attach the router to the arm.
Person attaching router to center anchor point of timber

6

Cut the wood

Make sure the adjustable arm of the router is parallel to the timber. Start cutting the wood. Take your time and don't rush cutting out the circle.
Person using router to cut circular tabletop out of timber

7

Sand the tabletop

Used an orbital sander to sand the tabletop. We started with a coarse 40 grit sandpaper and then graduated to a finer 240 grit sandpaper. Remember to sand the edges of the tabletop. Then, wipe away any dust.
Person sanding edge of circular tabletop

8

Varnish the tabletop

To highlight the timber, we're using Cabothane Clear to varnish our tabletop. Apply the varnish with a good quality paint brush. Let it dry and then lightly sand it back. You may need to apply three coats, sanding in between each.
Person applying finish to tabletop

9

Cut the wire trellis to size

Clamp the trellis for the workbench. You can use a timber offcut to keep the trellis secure. Use an angle grinder or hacksaw to cut the trellis to size, just above one of the circles. Ours was cut at 350mm.
Person using angle grinder to cut trellis metal rods

10

Prise open the picture frame hangers

Use the pliers to prise open the picture frame hangers and flatten them out.
Flattened picture frame hangers on a workbench

11

Spray paint the base and brackets

Place newspaper or a drop sheet under the base and the brackets. Use the spray paint to paint them both. You may need to apply two coats.
Person spray painting trellis

12

Mark the bracket holes

Place the base of the table onto the bottom of the tabletop, making sure it's in the centre. Place the brackets where you want them to go and mark the screw holes.
Person marking hole locations on base of tabletop

13

Pre-drill the holes for the brackets

Take your drill and use the 3mm drill bit to pre-drill the bracket holes.
Person drilling holes into bottom of tabletop

14

Attach the base to the tabletop

Use the drill and screws to attach the four brackets to the tabletop.
Person attaching table base to tabletop
Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer.