How to make a trough table

Beer trough table

This table was one of the freebies I was given.  I had no idea at first what to do with it because the top was so damaged, and the end had been cut off. But it was such a good size I wanted to try and make a trough table out of it.

Beer trough table

If you are unfamiliar with the trough table, it is a table with a built-in ice trough that can be filled with ice.  When you have large gatherings, the drinks can be stored in the ice trough to keep cool.  No more running to the fridge for a cold one.

How to make a trough table

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Find a table

To hide the damage on the tabletop, I distressed it even further to make all the damage look intentional. I always distress my projects the same way and that is using a drill chuck key. You find a spare drill chuck and cut the end off with a grinder. I use grips to hold the chuck and then randomly hit the table with the chuck. Because the drill chuck has a pattern on it, the dents look more like a pattern than a dent.

How to distress a furniture

The other method I use is a large dowel screw which is randomly placed on the table and hit with a hammer to cause a pattern in the veneer.

How to distress a table top

Make an ice trough

This is not my first party trough table, the first one I made I used 2 plastic planters for the ice trough. They did work fine but they did not look very pretty.  My Son made this trough out of some aluminium. You will have to find someone to make one or make your own. A company that builds sheds near me will make them too order, I have also seen people making them using guttering. So that is a good place to start. 

To start, mark out the position where you would like your trough. It is a good idea to have a lip on the trough, this help to secure the trough.  You must use the inside measurements of the trough not including the lip. 

How to make a Trough Table

Cutting the trough hole

To cut out the centre section of the table you can use a wood router. For my previous table I just a jigsaw, which does work but the router leaves a cleaner hole.   I set up some fences made from scrap wood which I nailed to the table using a nail gun a couple more small holes will not show up with the distressing.  I only did it this way because I did not have scrap wood long enough to be clamped to the table. Using your router and a straight cutting bit do multiple small passes until you have cut all the way through the table.

How to make a Trough Table

If you have one of these cheap routers they work perfectly.  The base plate on the router can slide along the fence so you have perfectly straight lines.

Router

Fitting the trough

The trough can be fitted to the top of the table with the lip sitting on the top of the table. I chose the bottom because it has a more finished look. Turn the table upside-down to fit the trough. I drilled pilot holes into the wood first because it was plywood I was afraid it would split. I only used a few screws for now because I felt if I kept taking them in and out, I would make the hole lose. Screws are not enough to support the weight of the trough full of drinks, so I had to add extra support.  I cut 2 pieces of wood the length of the trough which would be screwed into the trough and the table. 

I also used 2×4 pieces of wood to build a bracket around the trough for added support. (see the image below).  I felt this was more than enough support. The bracket was glued to the bottom of the table using wood glue and screws were added for more support.  Make sure your screws do not go through the top of the table.

How to make a Trough Table

Lid support

I turned my table back over to fit the lid, but there was nothing to hold the lid in place.  So I had to add a lip on the inside of the trough for the lid to sit on.  The only idea I could come up with was to use 2 L shaped brace plates which I riveted to the trough using rivets.  This did work great but did not look great, so I cut a small piece of wood to sit on top of the plates.

How to make a Trough Table

I did try at first to screw the wood in place from the bottom through the hole in the base plate, but it bent in when the lid was added.  So, I drilled a hole and countersunk it so the screw would sit flush. I positioned the block of wood under the top block of wood and screwed it all together.  This made it very sturdy.

How to make a Trough Table

And then the next issue came along.  Because the table was 2m long as soon as I put the lid on it bowed in the middle. (As per the image below).  The 20 mm lid was not thick enough.

How to make a Trough Table

To stop the bowing and add some extra support, I cut a 4cm square block that I screwed into the lid.  This worked great.

How to make a Trough Table

I wanted the table to be tidy when not in use so I bought some flush mounted ring pull handles for the top to lift off the lid.  The hole was chiselled out until the latch sat flush with the tabletop. My veneer kept chipping but I later filled the chips in with wood filler.

latch

Add veneer tape to the sides

To finish off the trough I wanted to add some wood veneer tape to hide the plywood and make my table look like real wood.  I removed all the old veneer from around the sides by heating it up with a heat gun and using a paint scraper to peel it off.  Veneer tape is very simple to use, you just cut it to the length you need first. 

Picnic table with cooler

I used a piece of cloth between the iron and the veneer (I have scorched my veneer in the past).  Move the iron slowly over the tape doing small sections at a time. Once the veneer was attached you can use a Stanley knife to trim off the excess. I repeated this process to all the edges including the lid.  

Veneer tape

I used a Circular Saw to straighten the end of the table that had been cut away.  It was here that I tried to lift the table and found that the integrity of the table had been weakened drastically by me cutting out the centre and cutting the end off.  It felt like the table would snap in half when I lifted the one side which was also due to the very heavy legs on this table.  To fix this I cut supports out of scrap wood and added them to fill the gap in the wood as per the picture below.   

Picnic table with ice trough

I also added a support beam to the top and the bottom underneath the table to prevent it from bending when lifted. 

How to make a trough table

Sanding the table

I sanded down the trough tabletop ready for staining. The legs were solid wood and had a great pattern in the grain. These I stained dark mahogany and added 2 coats of oil-based gloss varnish. I was going to have a two-toned effect table.

How to make a trough table

Unicorn Spit Stain and glaze

I painted this table using a colour recipe I found on Pinterest using a product called Unicorn Spit Stain And Glaze. Unfortunately, the colour did not turn out how I had hoped it was greener than the blue I was after.

How to make a Trough Table

Adding drainage

My drainage system on this table is the most basic.  I had looked all around town to find a suitable plug, but I found nothing.  So, I used a step drill bit to drill a hole to the size of the tapered cork I was able to find, and just shoved a cork in it. 

How to make a Trough Table

Finished table

The table did not come with any benches, so I made some to go with the table. Here is the simple bench tutorial.

Beer trough table

Beer trough table

Beer trough table

Beer trough table

outdoor table

Below is my first attempt at a party table.

trough party table

Looking for more ice cooler ideas for your patio, check out this Ned Kelly themed patio cooler made from recycled materials.

Patio cooler/ Ice chest

Pinterest pin

How to add a beer trough to a tableIf you are looking for any of the items used in this project, please consider using our links. By clicking on the links we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Which helps us come up with new and exciting ideas to share with you.

Patio Cooler
Trough Table

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16 Comments

  • Reply
    Jake
    May 17, 2018 at 7:35 pm

    Great project, thanks for sharing the tips and build.

  • Reply
    Julie
    December 17, 2019 at 11:11 am

    You know what I love about this project? That you just kept on solving the issues you had as they came up! No quitting! And just as well because you’ve ended up with a table that will be just perfect for summer parties. Well done, I think you deserve a nice cold drink after al that work!

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      December 19, 2019 at 6:39 am

      Thank you so much Julie, because I always make up my projects as I go along I always have issues.🤣 I always say to myself that I am in too deep to quit🤣

  • Reply
    Virginia
    December 18, 2019 at 2:04 pm

    Your table is awesome!

  • Reply
    Cecilia
    December 30, 2019 at 2:42 am

    Great tutorial, Anita! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!

  • Reply
    lisa lombardo
    December 30, 2019 at 3:52 pm

    This is a great idea! I love how you take old things that others might throw away and make them into something new! Thanks so much for sharing on Farm Fresh Tuesdays! I can’t wait to see what you’re up to this week!

  • Reply
    Teresa
    January 9, 2020 at 3:44 pm

    You did a great job, I love the color! Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned.

  • Reply
    Ann
    January 13, 2020 at 12:57 am

    Beautiful project! Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJ’s.

  • Reply
    creativejewishmom/sara
    March 12, 2020 at 9:18 pm

    Wow, amazing table, thanks for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!

  • Reply
    jeffrey scroggs
    December 14, 2020 at 7:27 pm

    Everybody here owes you some money ! If I could do what you do , I’d do it too ! You should put it all in a book and publish it ! If you dont need the money then donate it to ..poor children living in rough neighborhoods . You are an Ocean of Motion, and a Lava of ideas erupting and flowing down upon us all ! Like a quiet and crisp , Early Saturday Morning .you awake with eager ,anxious energy …..etc…etc..

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      December 16, 2020 at 1:22 am

      Thank you so much Jeffrey, that must be the best comment I have ever had. Thank you so much. I would love to make money from my hobby one day, but no luck yet. lol

  • Reply
    Michelle Leslie
    January 4, 2021 at 11:41 pm

    I don’t know what I love more, that gorgeous, rich green or the fact that this table is the best idea ever. Our beers get hot so quickly and when you’re parking on your butt by the pool the last thing you want to do is wander around with a wet bottom to get the next round 😀 So perfect.

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      January 7, 2021 at 1:43 pm

      Thank you so much Michelle. Why walk to the kitchen when you can stay put and enjoy a cold one.

  • Reply
    30 Inexpensive & Easy Backyard Patio Ideas on a Budget
    April 29, 2021 at 4:01 am

    […] This next table is so clever. Anita created an ice trough in a discarded table. She shares how she distressed it and created the aluminum trough. You’ll find all the details at Unique Creations by Anita. […]

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