Poplar coffee table with pine base

Got a new sofa and our old coffee table was too large to fit the space. Wife asked for a new one and I took it as an excuse to try out cutting circles with a router.

I couldn’t find poplar thick enough for a sturdy-looking table, so took a pine panel and glued it underneath my poplar panel before routing out the final shape with a router (straight bit).

Finished the top with a few coats of shellac and then polished with wax and steel wool for a smooth finish.

There’s plenty with this build that I’m not proud of, but I was surprised at how easy it was to route out the circular blank. If I did it over again, I’d have used oil-based stain so the final color isn’t so harsh across the various poplar boards. I also would’ve liked to route out some kind of design in the tabletop, but I’m still only just learning how to use the router.

Link to gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/hSzKjGF