Weekend Project #1: Hack a Lego table

One of the suggestions from this post was for weekend projects and I thought it was a great idea. A fun project that could be done in a day or two or less. Here's one from Josie I think would be great for a Sunday afternoon. Am sure the kids would love it too!

Josie's Lego Table

What you'll need:

• 47" Ingo dining table ($69.99)
• 4 Trofast buckets ($1.50 each)
  
• Lego 15"x 15" base plates ($14.99 each) and of course, lots of Legos
  
• Clamp work lamp (featured here is a discontinued Ikea lamp, but any lamp will do)
  

Tools:

• Jigsaw
• Safety glasses
• Sand paper
  
• Liquid Nails adhesive
• Paint (optional)
  

Here's how:

1. Assemble the Ingo dining table as per instructions.
2. Decide how may buckets you will be using.
   
3. Measure the table from underneath. Why? Because there are wooden supports with this table that would interfere with any cuts you would make for the buckets. Once you have avoided them, with the remaining space, subtract the amount of space required by the number of buckets you will be using and add a few inches in between.
4. Trofast has a few sizes of buckets. We used the white ones that are $1.50. There are some that are more shallow but wouldn't hold very many Legos. Also, when measuring the buckets and when cutting the holes, you would think you could just cut an oval shaped insert. But no, you need to cut a rectangle because the Trofast buckets have corners underneath the support lip that stick out requiring a 90 degree cut in the wood.
5. After measuring the rectangles for cutting we drilled in with a bit large enough to pass a jigsaw blade through it. Then cut out all four holes.
6. Sand the edges lightly so there aren't any slivers!
7. Paint if you want.
8. Glue down Lego baseplates, we used Liquid nails for plastic. Let dry over night and up to 24 hours.
9. Insert buckets and go build!!

If you want to copy this one exactly the measurements for the cut-outs are as follows:

• From the top measure down 2.25".
• From the sides measure in 4".
• Each rectangle that you cut needs to be 7" across x 10.75" long.
• And in between each rectangle there is 3.75".

For the lego baseplates I measured in only an inch and then put them side by side, leaving another inch on the opposite side. I put them flush with the bottom of the table.

Have a Weekend Project? Send it over to ikeahacker [at] gmail [dot] com.