How to Build a Table Over a Cast-Iron Heater

Cast-iron heaters are effective yet bulky.

Cast-iron heaters present an interesting challenge. Their presence is a necessity, yet the space they occupy seems completely unusable in any other form due to the intensity of their heat. One way to overcome this problem is to build a heat-reflecting table over the heater, thereby transforming the space into something more useful and opening the space above the heater for further adaptation and use. The process of rendering the table heat-resistant involves simply attaching a fabric buffer and a heat-reflective metal surface using carpentry staples.

Things You'll Need

• 4 posts, 2-by-2-by-36 inches
• 2 boards, 1/2-by-2-by-24 inches
• Drill
• Drill bits
• Wood screws, 2 inch
• Tabletop, 1-by-28-by-48 inches
• Felt or fabric
• Scissors
• Carpentry stapler
• Thin metal sheeting or aluminum foil
• Tin snips

Instructions

1. Stand up two 2-by-2-by-36-inch posts, which are the table legs, parallel to each other about 2 feet apart. Suspend a 1/2-by-2-by-24-inch board across the two legs, and adjust the legs until their outside surfaces line up with the end of the board, which is the leg support board.

2. Drill 3 holes down through the top of the leg support board and into each individual leg, for a total of 6 holes. Set a 2-inch wood screw in each hole and drill the boards tightly together.

3. Repeat for an additional two legs and a leg support board to complete the leg frames.

4. Flip the tabletop upside down, and position both leg frames on top of it evenly, bearing in mind the size of the cast-iron heater and keeping the legs as far from the heater as possible, right to the edge of the tabletop. Drill 6 holes through each leg support board and into the tabletop, not piercing the top surface of the tabletop. Set 2-inch wood screws into these holes, and tighten them with a drill.

5. Cut out sections of felt or fabric to cover all areas of the table which are exposed to the cast-iron heater, including the bottom of the tabletop, the legs and the leg support boards. Staple the material to the inside of the table in as inconspicuous positions as possible. Cover the material with metal sheeting or aluminum foil, cutting the metal to fit with tin snips or simply ripping it if it is aluminum foil. Staple the metal to the previously installed material to provide heat reflection.

Tips & Warnings

• Use additional insulation for areas closer to the fire.

• Do not set any part of the table within 1 foot of the heater to minimize fire risk.