Making a Table (and Benches... and Stools)

Step 1: Obtaining Materials
Bill and I decided to make our first piece of furniture together.  We used these plans, with the exception that we added 6 inches of pipe to each of the legs to make it counter height: http://www.storefrontlife.com/pipe-wood-table-v2/. 

We rented a table saw, borrowed a sander from a friend, and bought the rest of the equipment we needed.  It took a few runs to various places (a lumbar yard, Reuse Hawaii, 2 Home Depots, and Lowe's) to find the wood we wanted to use, and we eventually found some pine from Home Depot that we liked.  We bought pipe for the legs, which we had cut and threaded (as shown in the video below).

Step 2: Preparing the Base
This step was straightforward, and consisted of cleaning the greasy nasty pipes and simple screwing them into place.  We later added felt pads to the bottom.  In this picture, Bill is holding a blower for no reason.

Step 3: Ripping the Boards
We wanted our 3 pieces of wood to fit together without grooves between them, so we ripped the 6-foot boards (trimmed them lengthwise with a table saw).  This was a learning process.  We had to replace one of the boards we originally started with, but we were eventually happy with the end result.

  

Step 4: Making the Table Top
We clamped the wood together and cut off the ends to make them even.  Then we used a Kreg Jig to make 32 diagonal holes in the bottom of the table and screwed the three pieces of wood together.  We put some wood glue between the pieces just for good measure.  We used pocket hole plugs and wood filler to patch up the holes.

Step 5: Adding Support Pieces
We added 3 support pieces, which was an important step because our wood was slightly warped and this helped straighten out the pieces.  This step also took some trial and error.  Our original screws were narrow and able to go straight through wood, so they weren't forceful enough to bring the support piece flush with the crooked table top.  We had to replace all the screws with ones that had bigger heads and add washers so we could force the wood together, which successfully straightened out our table.

Step 6: Finishing the Bottom of the Table
We sanded the bottom, applied wood conditioner, and applied a couple coats of combination wood stain + polyurethane.  We felt like the result was too red and glossy for our taste, so we bought new materials to use for the top of the table.

Step 7: Completing the Table
We screwed in the base of the table to the table top, and it suddenly felt real.  All we had left to do was finish the top with lots of sanding (60 --> 80 --> 120 --> 220), 1 coat of wood conditioner, 2 coats of stain, and 5 coats of polyurethane.

 

Step 8: Forgetting We Were Finished
We had an extra piece of wood left over, so we figured - let's make a matching bench.  And while we're at it, we might as well make a bench for each side.  And if we're going to have a bench for each side, let's make a couple stools for the end pieces.  So it was back to step 1 of obtaining new materials, and then cutting/sanding everything down to the right size.

Step 9: Making the Benches
We drew inspiration from this design for the bench: http://www.storefrontlife.com/yet-another-bench/, but we heavily modified just about everything.  We changed the length of the bench based on what would nicely fit under the table, we changed the apron length based on what size piping was readily available, and we made the legs taller so it would be counter-height.  For each of the legs, we decided to put two pieces of 2x10" wood together (instead of five pieces of 2x4"), so that we could use the same wood that we used for the bench/stool tops.

We ripped the wood to make the bench leg pieces more even, and then screwed two pieces together to form each leg.  There were still a lot of uneven areas, so we sanded them down until they were smooth.  Here's a picture of before sanding (bench leg on the left) and after sanding (bench leg on the right). 

This is what it looked like after we were finished sanding all 4 legs (2 for each bench).

We drilled a bunch of pocket holes into the legs and aprons, in preparation for eventually attaching the legs to the top and the aprons to the legs. 

Then we screwed the pipes into the legs.

 

We screwed the legs into the top, the aprons into the top, and the aprons into the legs.  And voila, we had benches!

Step 10: Making the Stools
For the stools, we started with this: https://rogueengineer.com/easy-diy-stool-plans/, but ended up changing it entirely.  We wanted to use pieces of pipe on the bottom so it would match the table and benches.  We used pre-cut pipes that were readily available, which affected the front aprons length, and ultimately affected the length of the stool top.  For the legs, we made them counter height and changed them from 2x2" to 2x4" pieces of wood so the flanges of the pipe could be attached.  As a result, the side aprons and side pieces of wood joining the legs only had to be ~3" instead of ~7".

We started by attaching the pipes to the legs.

Then we added the front aprons using pocket holes.

We added the side pieces and side aprons by drilling screws straight through the legs.

We completed the stools by drilling the legs and aprons into the stool tops.

Step 11: Finishing the Benches and Stools
We were down to the final steps!  We filled the pocket holes, sanded everything down, and added felt pads to the feet.

We applied wood conditioner, 2 coats of stain, and 2 coats of polyurethane.  Here's what it looked like after staining the first bench.

Here's what the set looked like after applying polyurethane.

Step 12: Victory
We brought everything inside, and at last - we had a new dining room set!

Khaled, Paul, and Deby's Visit to Hawaii

Aug 2, 2017
Deby, one of my closest high school friends, arrived on the 1st of August.  She was exhausted from traveling and I was drained from work, so we both fell asleep shortly after I came home.  We woke up bright and early the next morning to take a snorkeling tour on the west side of the island.  It was her first time in a boat, as well as her first time snorkeling.  Deby took to both quite naturally.

We swam with dolphins, which had been on Deby's bucket list since we were in high school. 
If you look closely, you can see ~12 dolphin fins between the land and snorkelers in the picture below, and ~15 dolphins in the underwater shot.

It was our first time seeing spotted eagle rays!  We also saw sea stars, sea urchins, sea turtles, a ton of tropical fish I can't name, and an octopus.

On the way home, we stopped by Makua Cave (a land cave) and Nanakuli Caves (sea caves).  That afternoon, I painted Deby's nails with holographic powder.

 

Khaled, another close high school friend, arrived in the evening with his husband Paul after celebrating their 3 year wedding anniversary on the Big Island.  Bill joined us after work, and we  went out to snow for dessert followed by Burmese food for dinner.

  

Aug 3, 2017
We headed out on another early morning venture to Hanauma Bay, which was Khaled's first time snorkeling.

Breakfast was at a coffee house that had a serene view of Kuapa Pond.  Then we visited Makapu'u Point, where Khaled and Paul joined me on a hike to one of my favorite ocean views on the island.

We stopped at Halona Blowhole, a formation created by molten lava tubes.  The tide was too low for the blowhole to show off for us, but we still took a moment to admire Halona Beach Cove which has been featured in the movies "From Here to Eternity" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

After a break at home and a quick stop for some fresh taro coconut smoothies, we headed to the North Shore.  Deby hung out at Waialua Library while Khaled, Paul, and I took a ziplining tour.  We zoomed down 8 side-by-side ziplines that were up to 2400 feet long, many of which had an ocean view.  It was Khaled's first ziplining experience, and Paul's and my first time ziplining upside down. 

Along the way, we rode an ATV, rappelled, walked over suspension bridges, and ate fresh fruit and macadamia nuts.  

A blind girl named Danielle impressed all of us with her courage throughout the tour, and moved all of us when she sang for the group.  She's in front of the group in the picture below.

Bill joined us again after work for dinner, this time at Opal Thai, our favorite restaurant on the island where the chef chooses what you eat.

Aug 4, 2017

The day started with a tour of Shangri La, American heiress Doris Duke's mansion in Hawaii that she had built in the 1930s and spent decades filling with an intricate and impressive collection of Islamic art.

We swung by a Japanese chain called Don Quijotes for lunch and shopping.  Paul and Deby spent the afternoon at the Honolulu Museum of Art and Ala Moana Mall.  Khaled and I met up with Bill and the dogs to hike through a rainforest to Manoa Falls.

 

 

The group joined back up at Ala Moana Mall and ate dinner at Shirokiya, a Japanese food court.  Deby also tried poke for the first time, which is one of my favorite dishes in Hawaii.

We walked to Ala Moana Beach to watch the Friday night fireworks over Waikiki.

Aug 5, 2017
The whole gang - Deby, Khaled, Paul, Bill, and myself - went to the Kaka'ako Farmer's Market for breakfast, where we enjoyed various snacks while listening to live Hawaiian music.

Deby relaxed at Ala Moana Beach Park while the rest of us were joined by my friend Linda for stand up paddleboard yoga - which is exactly what it sounds like.

 

 

 

 

Lunch was at Marukame Udon and dessert was at Wing's Ice Cream in Chinatown.  The ice cream flavors were uniquely delicious: cardamom yuzu, coconut pandan, roasted soy, and basil lemon strawberry.  Khaled was happy to find Sailor Moon decorations in Chinatown, especially since it was International Sailor Moon Day.

We stopped at another Don Quijote store for more shopping, and then Khaled treated us to homemade ruz u fasoolia for  dinner.  I went to a local theater with my friend Carol to see The Little Mermaid while Bill took my friends to a malasadas food truck for dessert.

Aug 6, 2017
For the third morning of the week, I woke up before 6am to get another early start on the day.  We dropped Deby off at Kailua Beach to watch the sunrise, while the rest of us (Khaled, Paul, Bill, the dogs, and myself) saw the sunrise from Lanikai Pillboxes Hike.

We joined Deby for a beautiful morning at Kailua Beach, one of my favorite beaches on the island.

 

We all went separate ways that afternoon: I visited my friend Joe, Bill worked at a same-day wedding edit, and my friends went to the Bishop Museum followed by more shopping at Ala Moana Mall.  I rejoined my friends for dinner at Thai Lao.  After Bill came home, we watched his wedding edits while wearing face masks that made us look like Smurfs.

The night ended with a viewing of Game of Thrones, the only show that all 5 of us watch.

Aug 7, 2017
Paul made everyone taro pancakes for breakfast, which we ate with honey and sesame seeds.  Then we spent the entire day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

First we visited the New Zealand village, where we watched a show that demonstrated various dances: titi torea (throwing sticks), poi balls (balls on cords used for percussion/dance), and the haka (ancient Maori war dance).

After the show, we tried our hands at playing a game with sticks, danced with poi balls, and got to stand next to this hottie.

At the Fiji village,  we had a quick historical/cultural lesson in a chief's hut replica, and then got stamped with Polynesian temporary tattoos.  Khaled was very excited to choose the tattoo that represented Queen.

We saw a colorful canoe pageant, which represented the 6 villages with beautiful costumes and dances.

Our tour guide Olivia gave us a sample of mashed breadfruit.

We learned a hula dance at the Hawaii village and watched a show about a wedding ceremony in the Tahiti village.

At the Tonga village, we saw a show that combined dancing, drums, and comedy involving three men chosen from the audience.

The last village we visited was Samoa, where we wove little fish out of leaves.  Then we watched a show where performers made fire by rubbing two sticks together and climbed barefoot up a coconut tree.

 

 

Dinner was a buffet-stye luau with more dancing entertainment.

The evening concluded with Ha, a spectacular Polynesian dance show with the best firedancing act I've ever seen.  It was a great way to end our last day together in Hawaii.

Aug 8, 2017
We had a relaxing last brunch together at Koko Head Cafe.  Khaled and Paul got to personally thank chef Lee Ann Wong, who they recognized from the show Top Chef.  In the final hour of our trip together, Khaled introduced us to the show Samurai Gourmet and I introduced our friends to the show Midnight Diner, both of which are charming short shows that feature Japanese cooking.

Khaled and Paul headed to San Diego for the last leg of their vacation before returning home to New Jersey.  Deby and I ate rolled ice cream for lunch, and then she returned to the Bishop Museum for more Polynesian cultural exhibits.

  

Deby and I picked up dinner at one of my favorite poke restaurants, and then joined Bill in watching the movie Moana.  The next day, I headed back to work and Deby flew back to VA.  I'm thankful that Deby, Khaled, and Paul were able to visit me so I could share many of the things I love about this island with them.  I'll miss them, and the pets will miss them too.  Hopefully we'll have a Hawaii: Part 2 adventure together someday.  :)