Lobster Trap Console/Sofa Table

Lobster Trap Console/Sofa Table

On a recent trip to Key Largo, Florida, we found an art shop with many picture frames made from the wood of old lobster traps. Surprisingly, the only other crafts we saw using this beautifully rustic wood were coffee tables made from the whole intact trap, with a glass top. Although definitely cool, it didn't seem to require much in the way of craftsmanship other than a little sealer. 

So we decided to try our hands at making something out of this beautiful lobster trap wood, going in a different direction, leading to a finished project that no longer resembled its original form, yet retained all it's rustic glory and character. We hope you enjoy. :-) 

We started with an old lobster trap we picked up in Key Largo, Florida.

Piece by piece, the lobster trap was disassembled,  taking care to save as many of the rusty nail heads and staples as possible to maintain the trap's weathered character. A jigsaw was used to get between the slats and frame, cutting through the nails and staples, leaving the tops intact. I'll probably never do another, as these babies were NOT made to come apart! Those lobsters never stood a chance! :-)

The table top and skirt were then constructed from reclaimed pallet wood as a base under the slats from the lobster trap.

The pieces were then arranged as above. The two tones are natural, not stained; the gray slats formed the sides of the trap, and the tan ones were taken from the bottom and are more worn from being dragged on the ocean floor. We alternated the colors in each row for a cooler look.

A little polyurethane to seal and protect the wood, and prevent the rust from transfering to anything placed on the table top.

Starting to come together now; table top post-polyurethane.

Here you can see the construction of the support skirt and legs made from reclaimed pallet wood. The legs are bolted on and are removable, requiring only a wrench or pliers to re-assemble. This will make for easier shipping when some kind soul decides to buy it.  ;-)  (hint hint)

Bottoms up!

A light coat of Ipswich Pine stain was added to bring out the beautiful rustic wood grain. You can see the marks made by the saw blade from when the pallet was made, which really enhances the table's character.

A close up of the weathered wood, rust, and staples. The polyurethane seals the wood, but the texture of everything you see can still be felt when running your hand over the surface. 

Side shot.

The finished product.

Finito! Lobsters not included.  :-)

This Lobster Table is available at our Etsy shop. View it here