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Garden games table
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This games table is tough enough to stay outdoors all year long
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By John Sillaots, photos by Christopher Campbell, illustration by Len Churchill
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Built with ceramic tiles and cedar, this games table is tough enough to stay outdoors all year long.
Gardeners often spend too much time working and not enough time relaxing in their gardens. I built this outdoor games table as a reminder to sit down and enjoy the surroundings, perhaps read a book, write in a journal or play a friendly game of checkers.
Start this project with a walk through a tile store. You'll need sixty-four 2" x 2" ceramic tiles-32 each of 2 different colours. Since tiles vary in size and thickness, assemble the checkerboard first, then build the wooden parts to suit. Part sizes listed in the material list might need to be adjusted based on the dimensions dictated by the tiles you select.
Build the Support Box
Cut the top, bottom, sides and inner supports from a piece of 3/4"-thick exterior-grade or marine-grade plywood. Dry fit them together, then join permanently with a weatherproof adhesive, either polyurethane glue or Type II carpenters glue and #8 x 1 1/2" hot-dipped galvanized screws. Countersink the screws below the surface then cover the holes with exterior-grade wood filler before sanding and painting. The screw holes on the top will be covered by the checkerboard and top trim members.
Build the Checkerboard
Start by cutting the baseboard from 3/8" exterior plywood. This thickness, combined with the thickness of tiles and adhesive, matches the thickness of the 3/4" top trim members that surround the tiles. Since tile thicknesses vary, adjust your dimensions to fit your tiles by dry-fitting these parts together before settling on the baseboard thickness. Ideally, you want the top surface of the trim members to be level with the top of the tiles. If you have trouble finding a combination of ply and tiles that matches the standard 3/4" wood surrounding them, simply plane thicker trim members down to suit. If you don't have a thickness planer, the parts are small and easy to do with a sharp hand plane.
Because tiles vary in size, set the tiles first before cutting the tile baseboard to its final dimension. There are two things that will ensure a successful tile installation: straight tile alignment and consistent tile spacing. To align the tiles, attach two 3/4" guide strips in an L-shape to the 3/8" baseboard. These straight edges keep the first rows of tiles aligned and square. To keep the tile spacing consistent, insert 1/8" strips of wood between tiles during installation.
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