Bowling Lane Table Project Complete
One of the key missing pieces in our home has been a dining table. We designed a dining nook based on a specific table size, and I took it upon myself to find the perfect table. For some reason my wife gave me carte blanche on this one design element, so I made the most of it. Last night we assembled the finished product, and I am pretty excited, check it out:
There are three main elements: a reclaimed Maple bowling lane top, a maple beam, and hot-rolled steel legs. Further details are below, and a full gallery with assembly pics is at the bottom of the post.
Background:
Reclaimed Bowling Lane Table Top
My main inspiration for the top was seeing the Brooklyn Bowl preview photos last summer, like this one:

Flickr Photo by Adam Macchia
I located a carpenter selling reclaimed lanes through many hours of googling and several phonecalls. There are sources in Texas as well as further away.
Metal Support Design & Fabrication
Jonathan at Austin Outdoor Studio really came through for me here. I gave him the following problem statement: “I need table legs to support a 200 lb table that allow for people to scoot in to a banquette without bumping their knees. They also must look really cool.” This is what he came back with. The legs are actually two pieces that bolt together around the cross beam. It’s amazing what they can do with a CNC Plasma table and a welder:

Here is a sketchup model I put together (primarily for spousal approval) of the table based on Jonathan’s design for the legs:

Jonathan’s design was inspired by Brander Design’s truss table.
Maple Beam Finishing
I chose a Maple beam to connect the steel legs as it matches the Maple top. My first phonecall was to Austin carpenter Evan McArthur. Evan is meticulous in his finish work and has a good eye for design. We purchased the milled beam from Austin Fine Lumber. Evan then took care of the final cuts and routing as well as the clearcoat. This was the first complete piece of the puzzle, and it looked beautiful.




