DIY: Floating white-oak side-table top for Blueair 211i Max (13.5×13.5)

[ivanmkc]

Personal DIY tracking issue — a floating wood side-table top that sits on standoff legs over a Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max air purifier (legs rest on the top rim; the board floats above the exhaust vent, leaving airflow clear).

Key spec

• Measured top footprint: 13.5″ × 13.5″ square ← measured on the actual unit, overrides the 14.4″ figure from the spec sheet.
• Cut the board to 13.5 × 13.5″ (flush) or ~14″ for a small intentional overhang.

Board — decided

• Columbia Forest Products PureBond White Oak plywood, 2′×2′ (Home Depot, free in-store custom cut).
• Recommend ½″ (model 2878, ~$15.56) over the ¼″ first picked:
  • ¼″ (2861, $10.58) — oak veneer face only, flexes over a 13.5″ span, thin edges won't hold standoff screws. link
  • ½″ (2878, $15.56) — oak BOTH faces, rigid. Recommended. link
  • ¾″ (2885, $17.35) — oak both faces, stiffest; lets you router an underside bevel. link

Hardware

• Standoff legs: 1″–1½″ clearance. On plywood use barrel/through standoffs capped both faces (or threaded inserts) — don't screw studs into the thin edge. (Amazon brushed SS 4-pk, fits ½″)

Custom cut (HD panel saw — straight cuts only)

• Ask for 13.5 × 13.5″ square; keep one factory edge as two sides. Expect ~1/8″ tolerance.
• Keep the offcuts to practice the router bevel / corner template.
• Corner-rounding + underside bevel = do at home with a router (not at HD).

Router how-to (links verified live, HTTP 200)

Rounding corners

• Making a 1″ corner radius on a table top — Gerber Design Co — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWyijrOgNyk
• How To Round Over Corners With A Router (full tutorial) — Helpful DIY — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqmqByjzmHI
• Intro to Flush Trim Bits (template basics) — The Wood Whisperer — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8YJ16ziI8M

Underside bevel (thin floating edge)

• No Router Edge Profile / thin edge — Blacktail Studio — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFJCYGy1xCc
• Chamfer with a router — Fernwood Farms — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hXXs0zFKt0
• 3 Ways to Make a Chamfer (Bevel) — Tim Eggers — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZflDrj-MfA

Tip: bevel the underside only, leave the top ~25–30% square for a crisp shadow line; shallow passes to avoid burn/tearout on oak.

Live board

termchart viewer scope blueair-table/buying-options.

TODO

• Confirm ½″ vs ¾″
• Buy panel + request 13.5×13.5 cut
• Buy standoffs (through/barrel type)
• Round corners (router + template)
• Underside bevel
• Finish (clear matte) + install