How to Make a Chest Coffee Table

Form the 20- and 40-inch boards into a rectangular box. The ends of the 20-inch planks should abut the sides of the 40-inch slabs, forming the corners of the chest. Apply carpenter's glue to the corner joints of the slabs then set to dry in corner clamps.

Drive five deck screws, evenly spaced, through each of the glued joints of the chest, from the sides of the 40-inch planks into the abutting ends of the 20-inch ones. Pop wood plugs onto the screw depressions.

Place the 1/2-inch-thick 22-by-40 board on top of the box. All the sides of the board should be flush with the sides of the box. Drive a finishing nail through the board into the chest sides every five inches around the perimeter. Invert the chest, so that the board you just attached is on the bottom -- this is the base of the chest.

Varnish the chest at this point, including the 1-inch-thick 22-by-40-inch board, which will be the lid of the chest. Leave to dry. If you don't want to varnish the chest, you can treat it with tung oil or mineral oil after finishing construction.

Position the two brass hinges around 5 inches in from either end of the lid of the chest. Screw the hinges in place with the 3/4-inch screws. Center the lid on the chest and screw the remaining half of the hinges into the back of the chest.

Position the brass corners over the corners of the box. You can put them just on the base, or over the base, the top of the chest and the lid if desired. Screw in the brass corners. Position the brass handles centered on the 20-inch sides of the chest, around 3 inches below the lid. Screw in place to finish the chest coffee table.