# Birthday Plant Stand



## MoHawk (Dec 8, 2013)

My wife likes to raise Bromeliads and needed a new plant stand to hold 4 small pots. Most of her stands are Mid Century Modern, so I decided to build a similar type for her birthday. I glued up some red oak to 18" X 18". I couldn't find red oak dowels, so I bought oak dowels at Lowes and did a little staining to make them match the red oak base. I milled the main body of the stand on my cnc router, with 4 recesses for the pots and through holes for the legs. She was very pleased with the present.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

That is actually really neat . Great idea


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## Dimitri M (Oct 4, 2011)

Hi Bob,
you designed and built a beautiful addition to the pre-existing pot supports. The execution is lovely not only in terms of design but also of total camouflage of any et==technicalities like screw heads etc.

On the practical point of view, I wonder if the wooden plateau will react to water overflow while the bromeliads are being watered - I have made several plant containers and they all suffer from this long-term illness. Well, you chose oak very wisely - if one wood can stand warping and splitting, this is oak.

Looking at the surface i can't help but think that without legs protruding upwards it would make a nice side table, the shallow recesses safe enough to support some nuts here and some glasses there yet overall flat enough to put a tray on it as the bridges between recesses can be made a bit wider, giving the overall use as a flat surface. I might try one - in my style, not midcentury but free edge supported cypress - as the CNC is not mandatory for just four simple shallow circular recesses.

Well done, it is and looks beautiful, complementing the other plants and plant stands.

D


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Looks great, Bob. When I saw the first picture, I was wondering how you stabilized the legs. Then the second one showed the cleats. Did you use only glue to attach the legs to the cleats, or are there also screws?


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## woodworker47 (Dec 19, 2008)

Bob,

Really nice job. Simple but strong. Good design.

Frank


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## MoHawk (Dec 8, 2013)

chessnut2 said:


> Looks great, Bob. When I saw the first picture, I was wondering how you stabilized the legs. Then the second one showed the cleats. Did you use only glue to attach the legs to the cleats, or are there also screws?


The legs are glued and brad nailed where they pass through planter surface. The cleats are glued and brad nailed through the pot recesses from the top. Cleats are also glued and brad nailed to the legs. It's very strong.


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## MoHawk (Dec 8, 2013)

Dimitri M said:


> Hi Bob,
> you designed and built a beautiful addition to the pre-existing pot supports. The execution is lovely not only in terms of design but also of total camouflage of any et==technicalities like screw heads etc.
> 
> On the practical point of view, I wonder if the wooden plateau will react to water overflow while the bromeliads are being watered - I have made several plant containers and they all suffer from this long-term illness. Well, you chose oak very wisely - if one wood can stand warping and splitting, this is oak.
> ...


The pots have water retention trays builtin however I told my wife to be careful in watering them.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

It's amazing how well you matched the pre existing design. I also think it would make an excellent side table. Just thinking, expansion of the top. Using cleats will allow for some expansion, at least enough to avoid splitting.

Not being critical at all, but I'm just wondering if the V shape of the cleat's attachment to the legs could have been rounded using some sandpaper wrapped around a dowel to perfect the curved shape and make a really tight fit. I can also imagine making this with an apron on all four sides and installing a shallow drawer? I always need a handy drawer to hold the overflow from the table top.

This is a beautifully executed project.


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## MoHawk (Dec 8, 2013)

DesertRatTom said:


> It's amazing how well you matched the pre existing design. I also think it would make an excellent side table. Just thinking, expansion of the top. Using cleats will allow for some expansion, at least enough to avoid splitting.
> 
> Not being critical at all, but I'm just wondering if the V shape of the cleat's attachment to the legs could have been rounded using some sandpaper wrapped around a dowel to perfect the curved shape and make a really tight fit. I can also imagine making this with an apron on all four sides and installing a shallow drawer? I always need a handy drawer to hold the overflow from the table top.
> 
> This is a beautifully executed project.


Tom,
Did you ever complete a project and then wonder why you constructed in that way? LOL

I wanted the cleats to be the same thickness as the diameter of the legs, 1". I just happen to have a 2' length of red oak that was 1 1/2" X 1/2" thick. I decided to cut 2 pieces at 45 deg and glue them together which formed the V. After gluing them and attaching to legs/top; I thought to myself, why didn't you put the 1" sanding spindle on the Rigid sanding station to round out the V to conform to the legs! That's what happens when I get in a rush to complete a project.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Great job of matching the colors Bob. From the photo you can't tell a difference. And the design matches the other stands beautifully.


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

That is wonderful


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