Inspired to build a platform to elevate my dog's food and water bowls off the floor, I turned to 3D Creator to model this simple 'breakfast station'!

I used a multi-body approach for all of the wooden parts, and inserted the bowls as individual components.

I started by gluing up a few pine boards for the painted legs, and some red oak boards for the top.

I turned to my CNC to make short work of cutting out the intricate pawprint design and the holes in the top, but used my good old table saw to fabricate the stretchers.

I contemplated pre-painting the parts, but decided to do the glue-up first.

Then I turned my attention to priming and painting the base, and staining and clear coating the top. As you can see, I got creative with my clamps to hang the top so I could coat all surfaces at once. It's a hack, for sure, but it worked :).

One of the many ways to connect a table top to its leg frame is to use a figure-8 connector. These are typically metal and can be purchased from a variety of locations, but since my design called for something a bit more light-duty, I opted to design a 3D-printable version and print them out on a Sindoh 3D Printer :)

I used my drill press to create the necessary recesses in the stretchers...

...and then screwed the figure-8 connectors into place.

With the top and frame inverted and properly positioned, I could locate the holes, predrill, and then attach the screws!

Here's the breakfast station in its final home!   

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