Cook Station - Work Table project

 

Deck and cook station at dusk

The summer of 2020 was unusual because of the CCP Covid-19 virus

I probably should have posted this in July 2020, but I had not yet decided to expand the blog with more coverage of our winter and summer "lily pads". In 2021 I decided to include all of our camping experiences, so, here it is, better late than never as the saying goes. 

In July 2020 we spent more time at our summer "lily pad" which is a travel trailer at a campground in Michigan.  We did not travel very much due to covid restrictions. I took the opportunity to build  a cook station - work table on the site. It was a CCP Covid-19 project. We have made a number of improvements at this annual site, including adding a deck and wooden stairs. Because we do a lot of outside grilling and other cooking I had wanted to do this. With things "slow" and Gov. Whitless of Michigan playing tyrant, it seemed like an opportunity.  The Home Depot was open for business as was the Ace Hardware.

I didn't tell G what I was up to.  I told her I was building a "Mystery Project".  I had a budget and so  I made it simple. I made some sketches and from that got the dimensions of the 2x4s and three - 4 ft x 4 ft. x 3/8 inch exterior plywood. I sized it for 24 inch deep shelving top and bottom.  I would cut several 4x4 ft pieces of 3/8 plywood; I wanted minimal waste. I also needed deck screws of two sizes, sanding sealer for the plywood, and a quart of royal blue Rust-oleum gloss enamel. I used left-over Cabot gray solid wood stain with which to paint the frame.

Tools:

• Circular saw
• 3/8 inch electric drill
• Screw drivers
• Tape measure
• Square
• Pen
• Paint brush
• Note: All screws were drilled with a pilot hole. 

2x4 frame - on end, during assembly

After assembling the frame I set it in place to check overall fit and height. I then cut the shelving.  The photo was taken before the final small pieces were cut to make top and bottom shelves continuous. The top will be screwed into place and top and bottom rest on front to back 2x4 supports positioned at the seams. The bottom shelf will be set in place and be  removeable for winter.  The bottom shelf is three pieces and will be placed on top of the upper shelf during winter, then the grill folded and placed on that as well as an extra water hose. The topmost shelf ad contents are protected with a tarp during winter.  We did this for the the winter of 2020-2021 and it was fine in the Spring.  

Rough setup

I removed the shelves, which were simply set in place to check the fit.  I then set the frame on edge and stained it.  After staining the 2x4 frame will be rotated into the normal position. 

At this point G didn't have any idea of what it was, because she hadn't seen it set properly in position. I placed it at a corner of the deck and out of the way. After a coat of Minwax water-based sanding sealer on the shelves and a light sanding to knock off the shine I painted them with Rust-Oleum Royal Blue gloss enamel. The sanding sealer seals the grain and reduces the absorption of paint into the wood.  As a consequence less paint is used and there is a better, glossier finish:

Painting the shelving with Royal Blue enamel

I used deck screws to hold the 2x4 frame together. I used a shorter deck screw to hold the top shelves in position. All holes were pre-drilled before installing screws. The shelves cover the entire top and bottom surfaces. The 2x4 top frame provides a left and right "edge". 

After painting both sides of the shelves and the edges and allowing to dry overnight, I fasted the top shelf in place:

Using flush screws to hold the top shelf in place

I placed the fully assembled unit in place.  G said the really likes the height of the top surface, which is convenient for cooking.  It is of sufficient dimensions to facilitate serving and is near the 120VAC outlet on the side of the rig, which is necessary for the induction electric cooktop/ cast iron cooking. We purchased the propane BBQ in the photo from a camper who was selling their rig. It replaced the one that came with the Heartland travel trailer:

Cook station in position

After a full season of use (August 2020-2021), G says she really like it. We use it with the cast iron and inductive heater, toaster and so on.  I had considered a small cabinet on the lower shelf, but decided to build a separate cabinet and hang it from the side of the travel trailer, using the 3/8 inch tube shelf that held the Celano BBQ.

I also use it as a "work table" and it has been helpful.  

Original Material: Roadtrek210.Blogspot.com (c) 2021