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Thread: Expanding Kitchen Table

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    Villa Park. CA
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    Expanding Kitchen Table

    Here are some pictures of an expanding kitchen table that I built about six months ago. Style-wise, it’s fairly straightforward. The aspect I think is interesting is the design for the expansion.

    I wanted a table that would be small enough to fit comfortably in our kitchen but be able to expand into a table for six when we needed it. The interesting part of the design is that the table is completely self contained – that is, everything needed to expand the table is part of the table – no leaves to store in a closet.

    I’ve included a fairly complete description of the design of the table on my web site at http://members.cox.net/h-h.woodworks/ExpandingTable.htm so I’m going to ask you to look there rather than attempting to duplicate that description in this message.

    Mike Henderson
    Tustin, CA
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,675
    Now that's really kewel, Mike! Great versatility. Beautiful workmanship, too.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Harrisburg, NC
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    2,255
    Great looking table. Also like the other projects.

    Richard

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    KC, MO
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    2,041
    Mike,

    very nice - great idea; it looks terrific!! The thought process and execution are very well done!

    Thanks!

  5. #5
    Another beautiful job. Mike. I also read through the narrative on your Townsend style bureau (I saw the pics you posted a while back). You do some incredible work indeed. Thanks for sharing the pics.

    - Vaughn

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Philadelphia, Pa
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    2,266
    Very clever design. May I borrow it should the need arise? I see that you gain lathe design approval in the same manner as do I.
    Alan Turner
    Philadelphia Furniture Workshop

  7. #7
    Mike, that is a wonderful job! You not only build great looking peices, you design a wonderful way to make them adaptable. Great job!!
    Jeff Sudmeier

    "It's not the quality of the tool being used, it's the skills of the craftsman using the tool that really matter. Unfortunately, I don't have high quality in either"

  8. #8
    Oh my goodness. That rocking chair is beautiful. I've never done anything with bending, but I'll need to add it to my "one of these days" lists. Absoutely stunning.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Laguna Beach , Ca.
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    7,201
    Great design! You have put a lot of thought into the details and it really shows. Working out these kinds of solutions to problems is satisfying....great imagination and problem solving...not to mention the crafstmanship! I see the mind of a designer and invetor here.....wonderful!
    "All great work starts with love .... then it is no longer work"

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Villa Park. CA
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    Thank you, everyone, for your kind words. Alan, you certainly may use the ideas in the table - practically everything we do has its origins in the ideas of others. In fact, the field of woodworking design has been plowed so much already that I'm beginning to wonder what new ideas are possible.

    Mike Henderson
    Tustin, CA
    Last edited by Mike Henderson; 10-01-2005 at 12:47 AM.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
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    Anaheim, California
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    6,903
    What kind of hinge did you use on that tabletop? It looks like piano hinge in the partially-open picture, but it doesn't show up in the full-open picture. Or my eyes are just going bad...

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Villa Park. CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee DeRaud
    What kind of hinge did you use on that tabletop? It looks like piano hinge in the partially-open picture, but it doesn't show up in the full-open picture. Or my eyes are just going bad...
    I used three 1/2 inch Soss hidden hinges in bright brass. You could probably get by with two but I chose to use three to keep the open top "flat" across the joint - just in case the tops were to warp in some fashion.

    Mounting the hinges was difficult. I waited until I had the tops completed so I had to make a jig to hold the tops upright in my drill press so that I could drill the holes to insert the hinges. Soss says that you can use a router but I was afraid that I'd mess things up with a router. An alternative approach is to drill for the hinges in the edge board before gluing the board to the core - but that has it's problems also.

    The best approach would have been to use a slot mortiser to create the mounting holes.

    Mike Henderson
    Tustin, CA
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Mike Henderson; 09-30-2005 at 6:48 PM.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    Mike a totally great job! Excellent!
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

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