Category: Uncategorized

DIY: How to Build a Kamado Grill Table

This week we are going to share how you (and I) can build a DIY grill table. Our very own Ben Rivera in Simpson Strong-Tie Marketing built a DIY grill table for his Kamado grill. He shared some tips with me that I’m going to pass along to you. If that isn’t enough DIY for you, Jen Woodhouse from House of Wood also shares how to build a DIY grill table with free plans.

Kamado Grill

Ben is one of our creative designers at Simpson. Since he lives in SoCal, he likes to take advantage of the nice weather and entertain outdoors. He grills so much that his wife surprised him with a Kamado grill for Father’s Day. He spent time researching Kamado nests online and realized that he could build a custom DIY grill table much less expensively. He used reclaimed wood from some outdoor benches, 4×4 studs and cedar planking. For hardware, Ben used Simpson Strong-Tie® LUC26Z and FB24Z connectors along with wafer-head screws, Strong-Drive® SDW EWP-Ply screws  and Strong-Drive SD Connector screws.

He used the LUC26Z hangers to frame the project, then wood-stained with Minwax Jacobean. The hardware was spray painted with Rust-Oleum Flat Black. Here is a blog post on how to paint the connectors. Ben’s quick tip for painting the fasteners is to push them into a Styrofoamtakeout box and spray them all at once.

He matched the DIY grill table to a custom table he built just for outdoor entertaining.

Black stained table

Great minds must think alike, because Jen Woodhouse just shared how she built her DIY grill table. You can download free building plans for this DIY grill table here.

Kamado Grill Table
Jen Woodhouse’s DIY Kamado Grill Table

DIY: How to Build a Simple Indoor Log Holder

We partnered with Jaime Costiglio from That’s My Letter to bring you free plans for a simple indoor DIY log holder that can be built in a day.

With the holidays just around the corner, there’s nothing cozier than sitting in front of a fireplace and sipping hot cider or cocoa. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, it’s wise to have extra firewood nearby to keep that fire burning strong through long winter nights. A DIY indoor log holder is the perfect DIY project to keep your firewood organized and easily accessible.

The simple design of this indoor DIY log holder allows the firewood to be kept off the floor. It features Simpson Strong-Tie® RTU2 connectors, which are made from galvanized steel for extra corrosion resistance. You can keep the natural look of the wood and steel connectors or you can customize your own log holder with paint or varnish. Make sure to read how to paint Simpson Strong-Tie connectors here for tips.

The building plans for this DIY log holder were drafted with indoor use in mind, but you can use cedar or redwood to make the same firewood holder for outdoor use. Cedar and redwood are naturally resistant to rotting and decay. The nice thing about the plans is that they allow you to customize your DIY firewood rack to your own needs. You can make it smaller or larger than specified–just measure the average size of the logs and the storage area and adjust the cut lengths to suit your space.