This is best done with 2 people. It’s damn heavy (45kg or so).
Part 1: Create concrete table top
This was the website I used for my inspiration.
Materials needed:
Ready to mix concrete (I used Quikcrete 5000 — used for fence posts, etc)
Mixing bucket, rubber gloves, mixing shovel, wire mesh
Buy some MDF board (melamine) (Smooth Shelving material) and create a mold for the size on the table you want. This table is 24″ x 38″ and about 1.5″ thick. Use screws to connect the pieces and put some caulk on the seams.
Mix concrete and cover entire mold until it is about half filled. Place wire mesh in, and put remainder of concrete in.
Screed to take off the excess concrete and level the concrete.
Use a rubber mallet to tap the mold on the sides and underneath to remove air bubbles (This is super important as it takes out the “bug holes” and gives you the smooth top). Using an orbital sander to vibrate the mold is also very effective.
Let set for 3 days.
Unscrew the slides off the mold and lightly sand the edges to take off any burrs. Flip over so you can take off the main melamine a look at the table top!
I then took some of the porter cement to fill in the holes/gaps on the sides. A lot of it ended up coming off with the final sand, but worthwhile to make the edges look smoother.
Do a final sand (220 grit) of the top.
Apply a stone sealer (granite sealer works great) following the instructions on the container.
Part 2: Base
Buy an Ikea LACK coffee table and install without the top.
Take some 1×2’s and plane them down to about 3/4″ or 5/8″. Attach on top using woodglue and screws.
I used 2.5′ brackets (8 required) to help solidify the base and stop some side to side movement.
Place table top onto base and position into location where it is centered. Use marker to outline where it rests with edge of frame. Flip table top over and glue stoppers made of 1×2 near those markings. This is only really required for when you have to move the table to get the table top centered again. It won’t shift on the base.
Place table top back on back & Voila – finished table!