table made of water pipes
If you like something masculine and original, then you are probably a fan of the industrial style. Do you want to create a unique flavor in your interior? Make a table from pipes with your own hands, it’s cheap, simple and most importantly, interesting . The essence of the style is structures made of metal, wood, plastic in various combinations. Of course, there are amazing models that cost a lot of money, but if you approach the matter without fanaticism, you can make a very nice table in the industrial style, for example, from water pipes. The material is cheap, you can choose any size you like, and everyone can work with a wrench.
You can use different pipes - profile, plastic - depending on your taste and tools. This article presents thirty examples with step-by-step photo instructions, I hope it will be enough for inspiration.
Profile pipe and its features
Profile pipes of various sections are a durable, accessible and inexpensive material. In furniture production, it is ideal as a reliable frame: frames, stops, and table legs are made from pipes.
Main advantages of pipes:
- structural strength;
- reliability;
- ease of processing;
- variability of sizes;
- availability;
- low price;
- good compatibility with different materials
Pipes have a square or rectangular cross-section, the most popular thickness is from 10 to 40 mm. The larger the furniture and the greater the weight of the tabletop, the thicker the pipes used for the frame should be. As additional reinforcement, use the lower or upper trim. Such products are very stable.
The downside of the design is its impressive weight, which can be adjusted by choosing lighter materials for table tops and seats.
Furniture made from profile pipes can look deliberately brutal or elegant and weightless. If handled correctly, the products will be stable and safe, they will last for many years and will not require repairs. Finished furniture is easy to modify: just change the tabletop or repaint the profile pipe.
Difficulties at work
Making an iron bed is a responsible, labor-intensive and complex process. Is it easy to make it yourself? Everyone decides for themselves based on their capabilities and skills. Some knowledge is required. Replenishment of this knowledge. Creative attitude. You need to start small - get lessons from an experienced blacksmith, or ask for help from someone knowledgeable in this matter. Because there is a high probability of doing something wrong. Trying to create it yourself is an easier option. In addition, you must have at least the simplest necessary equipment. The main difficulty lies in the preparation of components and their processing. All the necessary diagrams can be taken from the Internet. The main thing is a little patience and self-confidence.
But it is not always possible to choose exactly what you need based on all parameters.
Furniture style: how to make a choice
It is believed that a profile pipe is too rough and simple a material, suitable only for unassuming street benches or garden tables. However, with the right choice of material and proper skill, you can assemble completely unique things from pipes that are not inferior to expensive forged products. Even simple rectangular tables and reinforced stools can look stylish if they fit correctly into the interior.
From a profile pipe you can make:
- tables (dining tables, desks, coffee tables);
- bedside tables;
- consoles;
- garden furniture;
- stools and benches;
- bookcases;
- mattress frames;
- beds;
- serving tables;
- desks;
- bar counters;
- workbenches.
Furniture in high-tech, scandi, loft, and modern minimalism styles is most often made from profile pipes. In order for the product to look impressive and not resemble a budget homemade product, it is important to wisely select additions that soften the utilitarian appearance of profile pipes.
Deliberately rough, massive frames go well with natural wood, varnished or stained, tempered glass, natural or artificial stone, and metal. Bent structures will fit perfectly into interiors designed in the spirit of art deco, modern, and vintage.
Expert opinion
Korzhavin Daniil Dmitrievich
Designer of stylish home furniture
Metal parts can be painted in light colors; artificial aging, silvering, and gilding techniques are used. Much depends on the skill of the manufacturer, technique and materials chosen for finishing.
Preparing for work
Before you make a metal bed with your own hands, you need to know the dimensions of the mattress to be placed on it. Since it is almost impossible to change the dimensions of the metal base frame, you should buy a mattress before making the bed. Purchased mattresses have standard sizes. Their length can be (in centimeters):
The width of the bed can be (in centimeters):
After purchase, even if the size of the mattress is indicated by the manufacturer on the label or packaging, you must measure the length and width yourself with a tape measure. Before starting the manufacture of a metal bed, it is necessary to make diagrams and drawings of the bed base, frame and headboard. Following the drawings will ensure speed and quality of work, and will also minimize errors that affect the appearance and symmetry of the bed. Before starting work, you must purchase all the necessary materials and make sure you have the tools, including electrical ones, that will be needed during the work process.
Related materials: the best combinations
For furniture, the frame of which will be a profile pipe, it is hardly worth choosing expensive wood. The ideal option for a countertop is regular plywood. It is quite light, durable, easy to process and suitable for various coatings. An equally good option is thin boards coated with plastic.
For coffee and dining tables with a bent openwork frame, thick tempered glass, transparent or tinted, is suitable. It is best to use a ready-made glass tabletop.
An inexpensive profile pipe is a reason to give a second life to old furniture. For example, a beautiful bed headboard and a welded pipe frame will make an elegant garden bench, a wardrobe door will replace a tabletop, and scrap boards will be useful for stool seats.
The size of the pipes is selected depending on the type of furniture. The general rule is that the greater the load, the heavier the pipe can be. For the home, it is better to use blanks with a thickness of 20-30 mm; for garden furniture, which moves less often and must be especially stable, a 40 mm pipe is suitable. All products are necessarily treated with an anti-corrosion coating, which is recommended to be renewed periodically.
DIY home furniture
It’s better to start with the simplest designs possible: a variety of tables and stools. You shouldn’t invent models yourself: all interesting solutions can be found on the Internet or specialized magazines. It is enough to choose an interesting option of the desired size and calculate what materials will be needed for implementation.
Kitchen table
Kitchen tables must be stable, withstand daily loads, and have a simple but attractive appearance. The best option is a tabletop with a reinforced structure.
The main load falls on the frame and legs, so for their manufacture it is worth choosing a square profile pipe with an edge of at least 40 mm. Additional crossbars are not needed; this will allow you to place roll-out structures with drawers or shelves, pipes, and household appliances under the table.
The tabletop can be made from boards with a waterproof coating, durable plastic, artificial stone or MDF. Depending on the design decision, the profile is painted to match the tone of the tabletop or made in contrast.
Living room table
For a living room in a classic style, an elegant coffee table about 35 cm high can be made from a pipe with a 10 mm edge. The desired shape is given using a pipe bender; in the middle part, the legs are connected by a transverse beam. For additional openwork decor you will need round fittings. The design is quite light, so it is better to use plastic or plywood for the tabletop.
garden bench
For benches it is better to combine metal with wood. The seat is made of wide slats mounted on a welded frame made of pipes 30 - 40 mm thick. Garden furniture must be stable, so the lower base is made in the form of a closed rectangle. It is necessary to coat metal parts with an anti-corrosion compound.
Master class on creating a frameless model
This design is lightweight, portable, does not scratch the floor covering, and can be easily repaired if defects occur. For work you will need foam rubber and durable furniture fabric. The manufacturing process begins with drawing up a drawing. First you need to prepare the required materials and tools, namely:
- sewing machine, threads, needles;
- scissors, glue;
- measuring instruments, chalk;
- highly elastic polyurethane foam brand HR 3535, capable of withstanding mattress loads of up to 120 kg;
- flock, zippers.
Let's look at the master class step by step using the example of a folding sofa consisting of 4 pillows:
- From a standard sheet of HR 3535 foam rubber, the dimensions of which are 160x200x4 cm (length, width, height), we cut out the required size, for example, in this case, 160x90x4 is the base, 160x60x4 is the second layer (seat), 160x30x4 is the second layer (stand under the back), 160x50x4 – back. To form pillows for each of these components, you will need 6 sheets to get a sofa height of 50 cm.
- We form pillows from foam rubber, glue the sheets together, and cover them with lining fabric. This will allow them to maintain their shape and will also make them easier to install in the case.
- We sew a cover from flock. To do this, we make markings on the fabric corresponding to the dimensions of the pillows with an allowance of 1 cm, cut it into rectangles and strips, and sew them together. At the junction of the stripes and one of the rectangles we install a zipper.
- At the final stage, all that remains is to assemble all the parts of the sofa together. How the parts will be connected needs to be thought through at the planning stage. There are two main ways to attach elements. They can be sewn inside out, stitching a double strip over the joint.
Questions and answers
I want to make a light table for the balcony. Is it possible?
Use pipes with a thickness of no more than 10 mm, welding them crosswise and without using the bottom trim. The table can be folded.
There is a dining table with a frame made of a profile pipe, a wooden tabletop. What chairs should I choose for it? Maybe make it in the same style, with a frame made of pipes?
It all depends on the style of the kitchen or dining room. Stools made from profile pipes look good, but they have a drawback - they are too heavy. Choose neutral wooden chairs in a matching color scheme, they are much more practical.
How to strengthen the structure of the table without using too thick a pipe?
The simplest option is a tabletop with a reinforced frame. For maximum stability, install 2 welded rectangles instead of legs, connecting them with a crossbar.
Is it possible to make a bed frame from profile pipes?
Of course, but it will turn out very heavy. To make the structure lighter, it is worth abandoning the headboard, welding only the frame for the mattress on legs with lining of the sides. To secure the mattress you will need a slatted bottom.
Sofa from an old bath
An interesting and creative sofa can be made from an old bathtub. Functional decor will complement any room. A plastic, cast iron, or metal container is suitable for production. A particularly stylish sofa can be made from old-style models.
In addition to the bath itself, the work will require an angle grinder, cutting wheels, and enamel paints. The first step is to clean it well, remove cracked paint and rust. It is better to work outside, since the grinding process will produce a lot of metal shavings and dust.
We lay the cleaned bathtub on its side and draw the expected outlines of the frame with a marker. The depth of the recess and the width of the future sofa depend on personal preferences and the condition of the workpiece. Cut lines can be oblique, even, or semicircular.
We cut out the line with a grinder and clean the edges from burrs. Now you can move on to decorating the walls. Any metal paints are suitable for this. As legs, you can use special overhead elements that fix themselves under heavy weight, wooden blocks, or stone blocks. We make the seat from foam rubber in a cover and decorative pillows.
