DiResta: Car Tables

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DiResta: Car Tables

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In each bi-monthly episode of DiResta (every other Wednesday at 2pm PT), artist and master builder Jimmy DiResta (“Dirty Money,” “Hammered,” “Against the Grain,” “Trash for Cash”) lets us into his workshop, to look over his shoulder while he builds whatever strikes his fancy. On this episode of DiResta, Jimmy speaks! And builds a couple of very unique car tables for a retail store.

You can see a parts and supplies list and read notes from Jimmy on the MAKE blog post:

http://blog.makezine.com/2012/11/28/diresta-car-tables/

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Craft & Design Workshop
DiResta: Car Tables

In each bi-monthly episode of DiResta (every other Wednesday at 2pm PT), artist and master builder Jimmy DiResta (Dirty Money, Hammered, Against the Grain, Trash for Cash) lets us into his workshop, to look over his shoulder while he builds whatever strikes his fancy. On this episode of DiResta, Jimmy speaks! And builds a couple of very unique car tables for a retail store. – Gareth Branwyn

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Materials/Supplies:

  • Old car
  • Plywood (for box and drawer)
  • Steel (for glass frame)
  • Bolts
  • Drawer sliders
  • Wired plate glass

Tools:

  • Welder
  • Bandsaw
  • Sawsall
  • Wrenches
  • 20-ton compactor
  • Sledgehammer

Jimmy’s Notes:

Twenty years ago, I was restoring a 58 caddy. It was a pile of rust, but still looked very sexy. I was determined to get it back looking like new. During the restoration, I thought it would make a great art piece if it was crushed flat and used as a giant table base under glass. But it was too big and I didn’t have a client to sell the idea to. Last year, the guys at Feltraiger Clothing contacted me. They wanted a conversation piece for their shop. The crushed car table was the first thing I mentioned and they loved it. We went to the junkyard and found a 1971 Dodge Dart. In the video, you can see the idea of the drawers come to life in real time. Ultimately, we had enough car to make two tables for the space, the top is wired glass to add to the industrial look of the piece. Cutting up the car was the best part, as you can see! The tables are a big hit at the store.

10 thoughts on “DiResta: Car Tables

  1. Balloondoggle says:

    Now I want to cry. My first car was the ’73 model year of that same car. Loved it, learned to work on cars with it. We called it the Take-Apart-Car and used an old gym shoe as a hood ornament. So many great memories of that car, and now I live just a half mile from the junk yard where it ended up.

  2. Jeff Del Papa says:

    Not what I expected from the description – Around here cars are simply flattened, not cubed. (winding up 5’x15’x6″ thick). I assumed you had started from there, cut to a more manageable size, then added legs, and a glass top.. Yours does a better job at providing/concealing storage.

    One tip – when chopping a body, I recommend a mattock. Good long handle for improved velocity, and blades at right angles to reduce the need to re-position yourself, just flip the handle to cut the other way.

  3. DiResta, Master Builder: Car Tables | How to Videos, Articles & More |How To - Tips for your phone, tablet, computer, home theater says:

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