Skeleton Leg Table

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• 36" posable skeleton
• Plumbing PVC insert fittings: 6 3/4" tees to connect dowel leg sections
• 4, 3/4" PVC female adapters for base of legs
• 4, 5/8" Black plastic leg tips for tops of legs
• 4, 1/2" Flat head wood screws
• 4, 1" Flat head wood screws
• 4, 1 1/4" Flat head wood screws
• 4, 5/8"x 36" wood dowels
• 2, 11.88"x 11.88" round craftable wood signs
• Sandpaper or paint stripping bit for drill, to sand PVC fittings
• 2 fl. oz quick grip adhesive
• Needle nose pliers
• Screwdriver
• Drill
• Bandsaw or hacksaw
• Rubber mallet
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• 2 fl. oz Multi-surface satin acrylic paints in black & metallic silver
• Palette
• 1" small artist's flat chip paintbrush
• (Optional) Adhesive back felt or foam for under base level

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut off the hanger from the head of the skeleton.
2. Remove the hangers from the backs of the two round wood signs. One sign will be for the tabletop and one for the base. Both will be back side down. For stability all screws need to be placed through areas of signs with two layers of wood.
3. Tabletop: On the back of one measure and mark corners of a rectangle 6 1/4" (sides) x 7 1/2" (front and back), 6 1/4" apart on length of wood crossbar and 7 1/2" apart from one crossbar to the other. Keep marks equidistant from the edges of the crossbars. These marks are the locations for the centers of the leg tips. The leg tips will accept the tops of the dowel table legs.
4. Pre-drill holes through the center of the base of the four leg tips for 1/2" wood screws. Use needle nose pliers to hold a screw into the cup of leg tip. Start the screw in the hole. Center the leg tip over a corner mark and screw into wood. Do not let the screw point extend beyond the front of the tabletop.
5. Lay the tabletop, leg tip side down, on top of the front side of the second wood sign (base), with the wood slats running the same directions. Mark the locations of the leg tips onto the base. Remove the tabletop. Mark the center points within the leg tips marks on the base. Pre-drill holes for 1" wood screws at the marks. Pre-set wood screws from the bottom to the top of the base.
6. Sand all surfaces of PVC fittings. Clean off all dust. Paint with Multi-Surface black paint. Let dry.
7. Legs are joined with PVC fittings. Front legs will have one tee each and back legs will have two tee fittings each. All measurements are approximate (some dowels may be tapped into fittings further than others). Mark 1/2" from the end of dowel to be inserted into fitting. Make sure that the fitting is set at least up to the 1/2" mark.
8. Use a bandsaw or hacksaw to cut a 11" length from each of four dowels (bottom of legs). Use a rubber mallet to tap one tee fitting onto one end of each 11" length. Tap the remaining 25" dowels to the opposite ends of the tee fittings.
9. Two back legs: Cut two of the 25" sections of dowel to 3 1/2". Tap a tee onto the 3 1/2" dowel turning the center leg of the tee at a 90 degree from first tee. Reverse the tee direction on the second leg from direction of the first leg. Tap the remaining length of dowel into the opposite end of fitting.
10. Mark to cut all four legs to 36" L. This will ensure that the table will be level. Mark and cut bottom dowels on each leg 9 1/2" down from the bottom edge of the lowest tee. Mark and cut 36" up from the bottom of dowel legs.
11. Cut two 2 3/4" lengths of dowel. Tap into the center horizontal of tee on front legs. Tap the other end into the adjacent tee on a back leg. Make sure that the width between the centers of the dowels is 6 1/4", the distance between the leg tips. Repeat.
12. Cut one 3 3/4" length of dowel. Tap into the center horizontal of upper tee in back leg. Tap the other end into the adjacent tee in the other back leg. Make sure that the width between the centers of the dowels is 7 1/2", the distance between the leg tips.
13. Check to make sure that the frame is level when standing.
14. Place one female adapter, large side down, onto each dowel leg. Slide up away from ends of dowels. Lay the dowel leg frame on its side. Center each leg on the marks on the top of the base. Set the 1" screws into the centers of the dowels. Place Quick Grip adhesive around the lower section of the dowel and slide the female adapters down to set on the base.
15. Stand up the base with dowel frame. Place a bead of Quick Grip adhesive on top of each dowel. Place the tabletop leg tips onto the dowels.
16. Paint all the wood parts of the table with black paint. Let dry. Dry brush over all surfaces with metallic silver paint. Let dry.
17. Set the skeleton under the table. Pre-drill holes through the center of the backs of the hands for 1" screws. Pre-set screws from the back of the hands. Pre-drill holes through the back of the heels at an angle through the base of the feet for 1 1/4" screws. With the face of the skeleton facing forward (through the side of dowel legs without a horizontal bar) place the palm of each hand onto the underside of the tabletop. Place the right hand inside the right front dowel leg. Place the left hand between the left front and back dowel leg. Set the screws. Make sure points of the screws do not extend through tabletop.
18. Make sure that the legs are facing forward. Set the feet flat on the base in similar locations to the hands. Set the screws. Make sure that the points of the screws do not extend through the base.
19. Optional: Age the skeleton. Accentuate the indentations in the skeleton sculpture by adding black paint. Use a fine brush to settle paint into thin areas. Use a larger brush to dust over low areas using a dry brush technique.