A unique picnic table project came my way from a friend and local cob oven baker. He was looking for a square 4 sided picnic table, so I designed this one to work with the reclaimed red cedar wood I am using, and it turned out very well. It is made entirely from hand split, salvaged old growth red cedar driftwood I find on local beaches.
The design uses structural GRK screws to hold everything together and the top pieces are screwed on from the frame below so there aren’t any screw heads on the top side. This will help stop water from getting into the wood. I like to use screws when attaching cedar as they tend to hold better than nails and are easier to change or maintain later if needed.
The varied colour tones of the natural cedar are brought out with 2 coats of OSMO clear exterior oil finish, which will also help protect against fading in the sun. Even with 2 coats of oil, in a sunny spot near the ocean, it will need re-coating in a few years. If finish isn’t applied regularly as needed, the wood will start to fade in colour, and then will need resanding to get the colour back. The table is about 42″ square, with a center hole for an umbrella. The dark coloured stripes are also actually red cedar driftwood as well, possibly dyed black by some metal, but I have salvaged them that colour on the beach.
