Patio Island BGE stand conundrum

[Eric Acle]

I'm in the planning stages for an island for a combination island counter and a Big Green Egg stand. I live down in Miami and the rain is unrelenting. I have three designs that I am contemplating. All incorporate stone inset tops.

The first two are designed with an eye to Ipe. They would consist of tapered 4x4 legs and 2x6 aprons. The first would consist of stainless fastened joints. The second would be some sort of mortise and tenon joinery.

BGE1.jpg

BGE2.jpg

The third would be in Western Red Cedar with tapered 6x6 legs with mortise and tenon joinery.

BGE3.jpg

My concerns are that the mortise and tenon joinery will be a problem in such a wet environment. I plan on covering the island when not in use but leaks happen. Ipe is super durable but does not glue well. I know that the WRC is pretty tough stuff but I've never made furniture with it.

Any thoughts?

[Jamie Buxton]

Can you make the stone overhang the wood below, rather than making it inset? As is, the rain is going to pour into the crack around the edge of the stone, and saturate that frame. If you make the stone overhang the wood, it acts as a roof.

[Eric Acle]

Unfortunately the stone should be inset because the edges are fragile and could cause a large crack to propagate though the piece. I could always silicone the gap but...

[Jamie Buxton]

Unfortunately the stone should be inset because the edges are fragile and could cause a large crack to propagate though the piece. I could always silicone the gap but...

"stone...fragile" Hunh? Stone's pretty strong stuff, in my experience...

[Eric Acle]

It's not a stone countertop slab. It is a 36x36 stone tile around 1/2-3/4 thick. It's similar to a filled travertine.