How to cover a table top with sheet metal?

Have the sheet metal sized with a bend on all four sides and slide it over the top. Make sure you have 1/16” clearance end to end and 1/8” clearance on width (wood expands width, not length) Solder the corners. Center the top so both sides get 1/16”. Depending on the size, you may be able to bend the metal with hand benders, or a body hammer or a dead blow hammer and strong metal straight edge. The edges won’t have the crisp edge if you don’t have a dedicated bender that’s long enough. Galvanized metal has an oily film on it to keep it from rusting, that will need removed. Be careful and wear gloves, even when using a light gauge metal. Metal sheets can cut like a massively bad paper cut. Also depending on the gauge, you may need to bend the edges tight so no one gets cut, or use some wood to finish it.

Go to a heating & air conditioning shop. Give them your measurements. decide if you want the metal to lay on top or wrap down on the sides? Make sure of no sharp edges.

They will cut the metal for you. Or have them come to your home. Choose your metal wisely. Industrial is usually aluminum and the best.

How about lightly sanding, priming and spray painting with Rustoleum metallic paint. Seal with at least three caots of a water based polyurethane.

Another thought is to inlay the metal into the wood. Just need a router, straight edge router bit and build a jig to run the router straight. Go the depth of the gauge metal. You just need to check a gauge metal chart to know the approximate thickness. For instance 16 gauge is 1/16” but 11 gauge is 1/8”. Leave a slight gap for expansion of the wood on the sides. You could run a piece down the middle or at each setting.