Side Table Topper
Back in the mid-90s, we purchased a side table from Crate & Barrel. The form of the table is a pinched cylinder. It’s made of steel, with dark brown jute glued to and wrapping the sides. Jute is glued to top in a spiral. It’s an interesting looking table. But it’s not fun to touch. Jute is prickly, especially when it’s coated with a sealant. This little table made its rounds around the house as we’ve used it in one room or another.
The top was always a little problematic because small items never sat level on the bumpy jute. I was to the point of getting rid of the table when I realized I could simply set a smooth topper of some kind on it. At first, I thought about glass, but I couldn’t find a circular piece of glass the correct diameter. Getting one cut at a glass shop would have been expensive. The edges would need to be polished, too.
Eventually, I decided to make a wood topper. I had on hand, a small sheet of half-inch poplar-veneer plywood from which I could cut a circle. I wanted to cover the edge of the plywood with banding and make the banding maybe an inch or so wide so the top would look a bit more substantial. I procrastinated starting the project for a long time because I do not often make curved pieces and banding the edge was scary, too.
Cutting the circle with my little router took two attempts, but fortunately, I had enough plywood. I cut very thin strips of poplar on the table saw for the banding. To attach the banding, I glued one layer at a time, holding it in place by wrapping an enormous hose clamp around the top. I added five layers of banding, which ended up being just over ½ inch thick. I'm afraid the banding is not machine perfect. A bit of glue, sawdust and wood filler conceal little imperfections, but that gives it … character.