Crank Tilt Mechanism for Table Top

[Gene Davis]

I did a search for images using the term "drafting table tilting top mechanism" and found hundreds of pics.

My favorite is this one. Look at the bevel gears! The thickness of the oak top! The beaux arts legs decor. What a piece of industrial age art!

The photo of yours was also there. Imagine the industrial world then, full of machine shops, casting shops, industrial woodworking, patternmaking, and all the rest.

[Patrick Walsh]

Wow!

I would be willing to pay a smallmfortune for this..

[Jamie Buxton]

I did a search for images using the term "drafting table tilting top mechanism" and found hundreds of pics.

My favorite is this one. Look at the bevel gears! The thickness of the oak top! The beaux arts legs decor. What a piece of industrial age art!

The photo of yours was also there. Imagine the industrial world then, full of machine shops, casting shops, industrial woodworking, patternmaking, and all the rest.

I'm not convinced that is an old piece from the days of casting shops and such. It looks to me that the vertical elements are good ol' angle iron. I think that is a modern piece, made to look kinda old, but not really.

[Keith Downing]

I'm not convinced that is an old piece from the days of casting shops and such. It looks to me that the vertical elements are good ol' angle iron. I think that is a modern piece, made to look kinda old, but not really.

These are new tables. Pretty sure I posted that in the initial thread. The guy sells them on Etsy, but they run $2,500-$4,500. So, I was looking to make a "cheap" knock off for my girlfriends birthday. Was going to use hard wood for the legs, and stock metal parts for the gears and rods.

Still not sure I can come up with all the parts at a reasonable price though.

[Dave Richards]

I think the most expensive part is going to be the screw and the nuts to go on it. Once you've got those in hand so you can get some measurements, I expect you can make most of the rest easily enough. You'll need some bushings to support the screw but the arms that connect to the nuts can be made in the shop as can their attach points on the top. You could even make the handwheel/crank in the shop although metal ones are available commercially.

If you decide you can afford the screw and nuts and the few sundry other parts, purchase them. If you need help working out the geometry for the arms, I can help you. Just send me a PM.