Kamados are wonderful grills. They are so versatile that I even hate to call them grills. They can do anything that can be done on a grill or smoker with the added benefit of fantastic temperature control. The control is so easy that I prefer to call my Kamados wood-fired ovens instead of grills or smokers. For a Kamado to be completely happy, I believe it needs to live in a rolling table rather than a simple cart or stand. I decided to build one for my Kamado Joe Big Joe Kamado over the recent weeks.
First of all, I am not a woodworking enthusiast. In fact, this was my first real woodworking project. I actually had to purchase some tools including the miter saw to complete this project. That being the case, I’m also not a designer by any means. I found THESE PLANS online at GrillDome’s website and decided to use them as a starting point for this project. I had to make a few dimension changes to make the Big Joe fit, but these table plans are pretty solid.
I bought all the lumber I needed for this project. I decided to use inexpensive pressure treated pine for this project for several reasons. The main reason is that since I’m a novice woodworker, If I screw something up and have to buy more lumber, I won’t be wasting a lot of money. I started out by cutting all the boards to length.
The next step in the project was to assemble the bottom shelf. One of the first things I learned as a novice woodworker is that pressure treated lumber needs to dry out for a while before you do much with it. I experienced some shrinkage on the boards after I measured and cut them. If you decide to use this type of lumber I’d recommend buying it and letting it dry out for a couple weeks before cutting it. Stack the boards so air can circulate around them completely and wait two weeks or so.
After assembling the bottom shelf, I attached the four 4×4 leg posts. After I finished the full assembly of the table, I came back to the leg joints at the bottom shelf and put 3/8″ x 6″ carriage bolts through at those joints to provide additional strength and support.
The legs with the wheels and axle were cut 1 1/2″ shorter than the other legs. The wheels I bought are 10″ wheels so I drilled 5/8″ diameter holes in the legs 3 1/2″ up from the base and used a 36″ threaded rod as an axle.
Next I added the lumber for the tabletop frame.
The final step in the basic assembly was adding the tabletop boards…
For the Kamado Joe Big Joe, I needed a hole in the table with a 28″ diameter, so I measured and marked the center and then drew my circle and used a jigsaw to cut out the opening for the grill. At this point, I decided to let my wood dry out a good bit more before proceeding. I waited two weeks before moving forward from this point…
I bought a quart of Cabot’s Australian Timber Oil in the “Mahagony Flame” color to stain this table. I’m super stoked with this color and the results I got from this stain. The stain isn’t cheap, but I think it’s worth it. I want this table to last for a very long time. My table will not be sitting in the rain, but it will be exposed to a good bit of direct sunlight and the stain will help prevent degradation of the wood.
For a handle to use when moving the table, I went with an industrial look by using a couple half inch floor flanges, street elbows, and a 24″ length of black iron pipe thanks to a recommendation of a friend. I primed and painted this assembly and then screwed it on to the table end for mobility.
Somehow or another, I stumbled across this bottle opener on Amazon. I could NOT live with out it!
Bill of Materials for this project (with prices):
Lumber:
- 05 – 1 1/4″ x 6″ x 10′ PT Lumber ($6.37 each – Total: $31.85 – Lowes)
- 02 – 2″ x 4″ x 10′ PT Lumber ($5.47 each – Total: $10.94 – Lowes)
- 02 – 1″ x 4″ x 10′ PT ($4.97 each – Total: $9.94 – Lowes)
- 02 – 4″ x 4″ x 8′ PT ($7.77 each – Total: $15.54 – Lowes)
Cuts:
- 1 1/4 x 6 x 10 – 6 @ 58″ and 9 @ 23″
- 2 x 4 x 10 – 4 @ 30″ and 2 @ 51 1/2″
- 1 x 4 x 10 – 2 @ 23″ and 2 @ 56″
- 4 x 4 x 8 – 2 @ 34″ and 2 @ 32.5″
Wheel Assembly:
- 01 – Everbilt 5/8″-11 36″ Steel Threaded Rod – ($6.57 – Home Depot)
- 02 – 10″ Pneumatic Tires ($5.99 each – Total: $11.98 – Harbor Freight)
- 04 – 5/8″ Nuts ($0.35 each – Total: $1.40 – Lowes)
- 02 – 5/8″ Flat Washers ($0.33 each – Total: $0.66 – Lowes)
Handle Assembly:
- 02 – 1/2″ Floor Flange ($4.27 each – Total: $8.54 – Home Depot)
- 02 – 1/2″ Street Elbow ($2.60 each – Total: $5.20 – Home Depot)
- 01 – 24″ black iron pipe threaded on the ends ($6.89 – Home Depot)
Assembly Hardware:
- 01 – 1lb Box of Deck Mate Poly Plated 1 5/8″ #8 Deck Screws ($9.37 – Home Depot)
- 01 – 1lb Box of Deck Mate Poly Plated 2 1/2″ #9 Deck Screws ($9.37 – Home Depot)
- 04 – 3/8″ x 6″ Carriage Bolts ($1.10 each – Total: $4.40 – Lowes)
- 01 – 10-pack 3/8″ x 7/8″ Flat Washers ($1.10 – Lowes)
- 01 – 5-pack 3/8″ Split Lock Washers ($1.92 – Lowes)
Finishing:
- 01 – Quart of Cabot’s Australian Timber Oil – Mahagony Flame ($17.98 – Lowes)
- 01 – Rustoleum Primer ($4.27 – Lowes)
- 01 – Rustoleum Gloss Black Spray Paint ($4.24 – Lowes)
Total Materials Cost: $168.40
