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.

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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.