NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
Every deck with a grill has the same eyesore: the spare propane tank. This build disguises it as a small cedar side table — slatted sides over two 2x4 frames, a hinged slat lid for swapping tanks, and a top sturdy enough to park a tray of burgers on.
The design detail that matters is the one that looks like sloppiness: the slats have gaps, and the box has no bottom. That's not rustic styling — it's ventilation. Propane is heavier than air, and a leaking tank inside a sealed box turns a side table into a slow hazard. Build it slatted and open-bottomed like the plan says, set it on the deck boards, and never 'improve' it with weatherstripping or a floor. For the same reason, the hinged lid isn't just convenience: you want to lift it and check the valve without wrestling the whole cover off.
Cedar fence pickets keep the cost around fifty dollars, and several cuts are marked 'cut to fit' — picket widths wander enough that the front, back, and lid slats should be measured off your actual assembled box, not the cut list. Measure your tank first, too: this fits the standard 20 lb cylinder with room to lift it out.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", not dog-earedAll the slats — sides, front, back, and lid. | 6 each |
| 2x4, 10 ftThe two internal leg frames. | 1 each |
| 1x3, scrap31" total — inside lid supports. Any 3/4" scrap works. | 3 linear ft |
| Exterior screws, #8 x 1-1/4", self-tapping, star driveSlats to frames. | 60 each |
| Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping, star driveThe 2x4 frames. | 16 each |
| Piano hinge or exterior hingesExterior-rated — plain steel hinges rust-streak cedar in a season. | 1 each |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Leg capsCedar or whitewood 2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| LegsCedar or whitewood 2x4 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 21 1/2" |
| Side slatsCedar fence picketPickets run nominally 5/8" thick. | 8 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| Front and back slatsCedar fence picketCut to fit your assembled box — picket widths vary. | 8 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 21" |
| Lid slatsCedar fence picketCut to fit. | 3 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 21" |
| Inside lid supports1x3 scrap | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 15 1/4" |
Buy 8 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
1 board
5 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Screw each leg cap across the tops of two legs with the 2-1/2" screws, making two identical U-frames. These are the box's whole skeleton — check them for square, because every slat that follows registers off them.
Attach four side slats to each frame with the 1-1/4" screws, leaving a 3/4" overhang at the top — the plan's trick is to use the 1x3 lid-support stock as a spacer gauge for that overhang. Keep the slat gaps even; they're doing the ventilation work.
Stand the two slatted sides up and screw the front and back slats across them — measure the actual box for these, cutting to fit rather than trusting the list. If you want the notch for the grill's hose at the front, mark and cut it now.
Lay the 1x3 supports on top of the leg caps, centered, and set the two outer lid slats on them flush with the box's outside edges. Screw the slats to the 1x3s — not to the box — with the 1-1/4" screws. You're building the lid in place so it fits this box, not a theoretical one.
Set the remaining lid slat in the middle, gap it evenly, and screw it to the supports. Lift the finished lid off and sand it well — this is the table surface, the part hands and drinks actually touch.
Attach the lid to the box with the piano hinge (or a pair of exterior hinges) along the back edge. Swap your tank in, check the lid opens past vertical so it stays put while you work the valve, and park the table next to the grill.
Leave the cedar raw to silver, or oil it — but never seal the box up tight. The gaps are the safety feature.
No reviews yet
Sign in to review this plan or share your build.
No reviews yet. Be the first to build this.