How to Make a Coffee Table From a Wheel

— -- This wheel, or “drive pulley”, is from the late 1800s and was used in a factory. There would be a main shaft running the length of the factory and then smaller belts would spin off of the main shaft. The smaller belts powered machinery used in every type of manufacturing from large commercial sewing machines, industrial presses, printing and everything that a factory would produce.

When we received this wheel, the first thing we did was to clean it with a pressure washer. The outer rim was caked with a quarter-inch of old, hard tar that was applied for traction, so the belt wouldn’t slip. We tried several methods to remove it but the most effective was by using a wire wheel on an electric grinder.

Once the tar was removed, an electric sander was used with 80-grit sanding discs and then, finally, 120-grit for a smooth finish.

We wanted to add caster wheels but the main spokes of the wheel had two different levels, so we cut two blocks of wood for spacers and then pre-drilled our holes and used lag bolts to attach the casters. All of the metal nuts, bolts and casters were cleaned up with a small wire wheel on a drill.

Cutting glass isn’t very difficult. But to cut circles, experts with the proper equipment are required -- so we measured and ordered the glass top.

Finally, we applied an amber shellac simply by soaking a rag and rubbing it in. Two coats were applied to get the desired color. The more coats that are applied, the darker the finish.

Though it sounds complicated to someone who has never taken on a job like this, it’s actually a very simple project. In a difficulty scale from 1-10 (10 being very difficult), I would rate this as a 4 just because of the tar. It’s an easy project that anyone with basic DIY skills can accomplish!

See more of David Dall’s work on his website. -- http://www.clarkebuilders.com/