Building a Table Using a Pepsi Cooler

What’s the most you’ve ever had a friend offer to do for you? About 18 years ago during the housing recession, we had two houses that wouldn’t sell, and a building lot we couldn’t afford. One of my friends actually offered to take over the lot payment. Now here’s the thing about this guy- he loves Pepsi. We’ve even joked that some day when he dies, instead of a coffin, we’re going to bury him in an old Pepsi machine. Thankfully one of our houses sold and he didn’t have to help us with the lot payment, but the fact that he was willing to meant the world. Now this guy recently had one of those birthdays that ends in a Zero, so we thought we’d make him something special to celebrate. My wife found this old Pepsi cooler in an auction, and we decided to make it into a coffee table for him. She used a gray stain to pickle the oak- she started by putting it on with brush and then wiped some off so the wood grain would show through. Next, she mixed up the colors of the Pepsi cooler using oil paints thinned with mineral spirits so you can still see the pickled oak underneath. Finally, I shot a border around the edge. Now, he’s got a place to store his Pepsi. Let me know in the comments. What is the nicest thing you’ve ever had a friend do for you? @hausplans #build #howto #carpentry #diy #woodworking