A&C Dining Room Table

[Marshall Comisar]

Hello all,

I'm a hobbyist woodworker of what I'd consider intermediate skill level. I'm starting to think about a dining room table for a summer project. Its going to be an arts and crafts design out of QS White Oak. The design I'm leaning toward is based on the "stickley done lightly" article in FWW #130

011130080_md.jpg

I'd like the table to seat 6 but expand to seat 10. I've done tables before, but never expandable tables. I've been reading about slides and leaf designs, but most of the articles/plans I've seen are for leaves that are placed in the center of the table. The drawback of this (for me) is that then the grain needs to run along the width of the table so the slides arent affected by seasonal wood movement. I'd much prefer the grain to run lengthwise.

I've seen tables where there is what looks like a breadboard end that slides out for a leaf to be inserted at the end of the table. This would allow the grain to run lengthwise for the main table as well as what I think will be an overall simpler design. I havent been able to find much in the way of plans, models, or pictures for thsi design. Does anyone have any suggestions, info, plans, links, etc that will point me in the right direction for this type of design?

Thanks in advance,

Marshall

[Alan Caro]

Marshall Comisar,

I think I can see your intention, and there was a Stickley trestle table that extended at the ends, but my memory of that design is that the center portion had longitudinal grain and the leaves ran the grain transversely. Unfortunately, at the moment I don't have access to my Stickley books.

There are a couple of problems, in my view, with extending trestle tables. With trestle tables, the trestle fixes the distance between the legs as an extending the trestle would have no structural value- though perhaps something might be designed to make it adjustable with repositioned pegs to secure the length when retracted or extended. With the Stickley design, the center stand is fixed and there are extending arms that support the end extensions as cantilevered from the stand. This creates a possible cantilever of 2'6" or so (I use 2'6" width per person for a dining table) and my worry is that having three people (2 on the sides and one on the end ) leaning on the cantilevered area, the extending supports will have to be extremely heavy and have complicated details that will rely on very stable materials and fitting to work and stay working.

Still, it's possible and you may be able to find images / plans of the Stickley table that works in this way. I suppose that the entire top including the extending portions might be made in one longitudinally grained piece, then the leaves separated off both ends so as to show the grain as continuous when put in place. The leaves should have two or three transverse supports that are lapped- sit into partial slots on the extension supports and that will lock it all together. The cross members will help prevent the extension panels from bowing differently than the table.

A bit complicated but that's the arts and crafts of it,..

Alan Caro

[Marshall Comisar]

Marshall Comisar,

I think I can see your intention, and there was a Stickley trestle table that extended at the ends, but my memory of that design is that the center portion had longitudinal grain and the leaves ran the grain transversely. Unfortunately, at the moment I don't have access to my Stickley books.

There are a couple of problems, in my view, with extending trestle tables. With trestle tables, the trestle fixes the distance between the legs as an extending the trestle would have no structural value- though perhaps something might be designed to make it adjustable with repositioned pegs to secure the length when retracted or extended. With the Stickley design, the center stand is fixed and there are extending arms that support the end extensions as cantilevered from the stand. This creates a possible cantilever of 2'6" or so (I use 2'6" width per person for a dining table) and my worry is that having three people (2 on the sides and one on the end ) leaning on the cantilevered area, the extending supports will have to be extremely heavy and have complicated details that will rely on very stable materials and fitting to work and stay working.

Still, it's possible and you may be able to find images / plans of the Stickley table that works in this way. I suppose that the entire top including the extending portions might be made in one longitudinally grained piece, then the leaves separated off both ends so as to show the grain as continuous when put in place. The leaves should have two or three transverse supports that are lapped- sit into partial slots on the extension supports and that will lock it all together. The cross members will help prevent the extension panels from bowing differently than the table.

A bit complicated but that's the arts and crafts of it,..

Alan Caro

Thanks for the reply Alan. My plan would be to have the main (fixed) portion of the table with grain running the length of the table. The cantilevered leaves on the end would have transverse grain like the Stickley design you mentioned. If you're able to find any detail of that design in one of your books, I'd really appreciate if you could point me to the reference.

Thanks again,
Marshall

[Von Bickley]

Marshall,
You will need to find plans for a "DRAW leaf table". The ends of the table slide out and extend the table top.

Try and google "DRAW leaf table"......

[Marshall Comisar]

Marshall,
You will need to find plans for a "DRAW leaf table". The ends of the table slide out and extend the table top.

Try and google "DRAW leaf table"......

Thanks Von Bickley. I looked up draw leaf table. Thats an interesting design, but not exactly what I'm looking for. I think the draw leaf is a bit too complicated - I have limited time this summer to work on this and I'm starting school in the fall so it has to be done before then. Also, I'm not crazy about how the table looks with the "double top" when the leaves are stowed and the top floating above the aprons with the leaves extended.

Maybe I'm making it too difficult. What I'm thinking is a "breadboard" like end that is not attached to the main table, but attached to extensions that slide out to accomodate a leaf. The leaf isnt stored in the table when not in use. I havent found any plans for a table like this and only a few example images via google search.

Thoughts?

Thanks
Marshall

[Tom Bain]

Marshall -- I have never designed or built a table like you are contemplating, but I have seen a very good example at the Berkeley Mills showroom in Berkeley, CA. They do some pretty high-end work there. The table is more of a frame and panel design as opposed to a solid top, which is what I think you are contemplating. Nonetheless, the extensions function exactly as you described. There are "arms" under the table that expand and retract with extensions on either end that sit on top of the arms when in use. You can see a photo here, but it's not exactly a plan. http://berkeleymills.com/products/ar...-dining-table/

[Brian Williamson]

I was considering something very similar a little while back. I ultimately decided to scrap the extending table idea and go with a regular old solid top. Here is the thread:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...company-boards

I'm ashamed to say I haven't built it yet...

[Bob Cooper]

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/...-NoFacet-_--_-

my my dining room table