A Handsome Industrial Coffee Table for Less Than $200

YOU'VE SEEN THE ADS AND CATALOGS HAWKING TRENDY FURniture featuring pseudo-repurposed materials for gobs of money.

If you've ever wondered How hard could it be to make that? or How much would it really cost to make that? we've got answers: not all that hard, and not all that much. And we can point you in the right direction to build an industrial-style coffee table that will cost between $50 and $200-depending on your choice of materials or what you might already have on hand.

The most specialized tool you'll need is a welder. If you don't have one, you can get a 110-volt welder that will do the trick for around $100. Welding takes a little practice, so get some scrap metal to warm up on before you start the project. The good news is that we're just making a coffee table, so you only have to get two pieces of metal to stick together well enough to support a coffee cup and magazines. And don't worry about how your welds look; you'll be able to clean them up with an angle grinder.

CUT THE SQUARE TUBING FOR THE COFFEE TABLE FRAME

You can use any size of square tubing you like. I chose tubing that was 1½ inches square because I liked the proportions for the size of this table. Of course, you can also make a larger or smaller table, and the steps will still be the same. You can cut steel tubing with a hacksaw, a handheld band saw, a reciprocating saw, or an abrasive chop saw-just be sure to use an appropriate blade for the tubing you're cutting.

• Measure and cut the four pieces of square tubing for the coffee table top [1]. You'll need two lengths at 40 inches long and two at 22 inches long.

• Mark and cut both ends of all four pieces at a 45-degree angle so they'll fit together like a picture frame.

• Use an angle grinder to bevel both ends of each piece [2]. When the pieces are butted together, this will allow the bead of weld to get good penetration in both pieces of metal.