A friend has a small circular table with a glass top. It now seats
about five people. She wants it to seat perhaps ten people and is
considering getting a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood and cutting out two
semi-circular pieces which, when joined together will have a diameter
of 68u inches. When she needs to seat ten people she will place these
two semi-circular pieces together on top of the table. What she is
wondering about is how to join the two pieces whkile they are in use.
She doesn't want anything protruding underneath, otherwise I would
have suggested a piano hinge.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
John
"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> A friend has a small circular table with a glass top. It now seats
> about five people. She wants it to seat perhaps ten people and is
> considering getting a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood and cutting out two
> semi-circular pieces which, when joined together will have a diameter
> of 68u inches. When she needs to seat ten people she will place these
> two semi-circular pieces together on top of the table. What she is
> wondering about is how to join the two pieces whkile they are in use.
> She doesn't want anything protruding underneath, otherwise I would
> have suggested a piano hinge.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks.
>
> John
I'm thinking about a catch on either end of the semicircle that would draw
the two sides together. Here's an example from Rockler.
http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?&offerings_id=777
I think it's going to be pretty hard to get something that doesn't protrude.
Perhaps it will be enough if it doesn't protrude against the table.
todd
John wrote:
> A friend has a small circular table with a glass top. It now seats
> about five people. She wants it to seat perhaps ten people and is
> considering getting a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood and cutting out two
> semi-circular pieces which, when joined together will have a diameter
> of 68u inches. When she needs to seat ten people she will place these
> two semi-circular pieces together on top of the table. What she is
> wondering about is how to join the two pieces whkile they are in use.
> She doesn't want anything protruding underneath, otherwise I would
> have suggested a piano hinge.
>
> Any ideas?
I think I'd still use a piano hinge on the underside of the temporary
top. I'd cut a rebate along the abutting edges before installing it so
it didn't protrude.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
(Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)
Sat, May 29, 2004, 11:23am [email protected] (Nova) says:
I think I'd still use a piano hinge on the underside of the temporary
top. I'd cut a rebate along the abutting edges before installing it so
it didn't protrude.
Nah. Hinge on top. LMAO
JOAT
If you're offered free wood, take it, period; figure out what to use it
for later.
- JOAT
In article <[email protected]>,
J T <[email protected]> wrote:
>Sat, May 29, 2004, 11:23am [email protected] (Nova) says:
>I think I'd still use a piano hinge on the underside of the temporary
>top. I'd cut a rebate along the abutting edges before installing it so
>it didn't protrude.
>
> Nah. Hinge on top. LMAO
You just *think* you're kidding.
A recessed, flush, hinge, such as Woodworker's Hardware sewing machine hinge
(SYH 116 P) or, even better, Whitechapel Ltd's 'counter' hinge (244H36), is
*ideal* for this kind of application.
It has the advantage that you can take the thing out, lay it on the table,
_still_folded_in_half_, and just 'unfold' it into place.
Mon, May 31, 2004, 6:08am (EDT+4) [email protected]
(Robert=A0Bonomi) says:
You just *think* you're kidding. <snip>
Nope, I flatout know I wasn't.
It has the advantage that you can take the thing out, lay it on the
table, _still_folded_in_half_, and just 'unfold' it into place.
That's maybe the funniest part, noybody thinking about that.
Any woman I've ever heard of would put some kind of tablecloth over
the top anyway, so wouldn't need to get too fancy, because nobody could
see it anyway.
I was waiting for this one too, but nobody came up it. Just cut an
interlock in each piece, about like a gigsaw puzzle, then wouldn't need
any hardware at all. The two individual pieces would be lighter, and
easier, to handle too. Of course, if you got some clod who leaned their
elbows on the table, that might tend to pop it up at the joint. But,
that's easy to fix; you either tell everybody no elbows on the table,
put something heavy on the joint, or start hanging out with a better
class of people. LOL.
Actually, if I was going to do something as gimmicky as a top like
that sounds, I'd probably do it different. Well, first off, I'd get a
bigger table probably, or make one. Or, a chunk of plywood over a
couple of sawhorses, whatever. Because, this sound' prerry temporary to
me. Best would probably be a table, with folding legs.
But, if something like this was really felt necessary (my personal
thought is, that storing a top like that day-to-day, taking up space,
would be more of a PITA then it's worth), it would need something to
prevent it from being bumped out of place on the top. Because you're
bound to have someone bump it. (That's another concern, small table,
big heavy top, not real stable.) So, a plwood ring just big enough to
fit over the present top. I would think about 6" rim, minimum, better a
bit more. Then the two piece top. T-nuts in the ring, and screws thru
the top, which would only take a minute to fasten. Actually, I would
have the ring, then a piece of plywood just going to the outer edge of
that, and fastened, then the T-nuts in that. Slip that over the
original top, then set one piece of big top on, and fasten down. Much
easier than trying to hold the ring in place, and fasten a piece of top
to it. A hand waves from the audience, and a voice wails, "But, how do
I keep track of the screws, so they don't get lost, when the top isn't
being used?". Keep track of the screws? No. You screw them back in
the T-nuts, so they don't get lost. And, I would use at least 3 for
each side, so even if one or two did get lost, you could still hold the
tops in place.
Actually, I would think the ring on the bottom, but cut and
fastened to each top piece, then a hing on top, would probably be the
second best bet all around. Best bet would be a totally dtifferent
table, as long as you're having to store something anyway. Now, if you
had a big top that was kept on day-to-day, and only taken off for a
smaller top on special occassions, that'd be different.
Rube Goldberg is a hero to me, and it's always fun to emulate him.
But, it never fails to fascinate me, how people cam complicate simple
things. Anything that will be used time after time, is better left
basic.
Hmm, now that I think about it, just using rubber cement to hold
the pieces in place would probably work too. That's pretty basic. LMAO
I say make it, then an update posted, after it's been used a time
or two. My thought is, the owner won't be a cheerful person in a tent.
JOAT
If you're offered free wood, take it, period; figure out what to use it
for later.
- JOAT
In article <[email protected]>,
Nova <[email protected]> wrote:
>John wrote:
>
>> A friend has a small circular table with a glass top. It now seats
>> about five people. She wants it to seat perhaps ten people and is
>> considering getting a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood and cutting out two
>> semi-circular pieces which, when joined together will have a diameter
>> of 68u inches. When she needs to seat ten people she will place these
>> two semi-circular pieces together on top of the table. What she is
>> wondering about is how to join the two pieces whkile they are in use.
>> She doesn't want anything protruding underneath, otherwise I would
>> have suggested a piano hinge.
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
>I think I'd still use a piano hinge on the underside of the temporary
>top. I'd cut a rebate along the abutting edges before installing it so
>it didn't protrude.
That sounds good - since it would give a flat/smooth working surface
(unlike the result of putting the hinge on the bottom.
However I'd be concerned about the stability of this based on the
"small circular table" - either tipping over the plywood top (it'll be
quite heavy) or tipping over the entire table with the top.
--
--henry schaffer
hes _AT_ ncsu _DOT_ edu
On Sat, 29 May 2004 12:44:44 GMT, John <[email protected]> wrote:
>A friend has a small circular table with a glass top. It now seats
>about five people. She wants it to seat perhaps ten people and is
>considering getting a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood and cutting out two
>semi-circular pieces which, when joined together will have a diameter
>of 68u inches. When she needs to seat ten people she will place these
>two semi-circular pieces together on top of the table. What she is
>wondering about is how to join the two pieces whkile they are in use.
>She doesn't want anything protruding underneath, otherwise I would
>have suggested a piano hinge.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>Thanks.
>
>John
Thanks for all the good suggestions. I was leaning towards the
Adapt-N-Lock until I saw the suggestion about rebating the two pieces
where a Piano hinge could then be installed. Now if I can only figure
out how to rebate the plywood.
My thanks to all. There are a lot of genius's out there!
John
"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> When she needs to seat ten people she will place these
> two semi-circular pieces together on top of the table. What she is
> wondering about is how to join the two pieces whkile they are in use.
> She doesn't want anything protruding underneath, otherwise I would
> have suggested a piano hinge.
>
> Any ideas?
I'd make it either tongue and groove at the mating sides or biscuits glued
into one side only. Then I'd put some sort of clips on either the ends or
on the ends on the underside. They would not have to be on the glass top
that way. Even a hook and eye could hold them in place but I'm sure there
is some better hardware if you look around.
Alternatively, you could cut mortises near the end, insert a square pieced
of wood and peg it from the top to be sure it is secure.
Ed
John wrote:
> What she is wondering about is how to join the two pieces
> while they are in use. She doesn't want anything protruding
> underneath, otherwise I would have suggested a piano hinge.
John...
How about joining the two halves with a pair of hourglass shaped
connectors? It's the easiest solution I could think of - and
provides interest if the table is used without a cover.
(Sketch on ABPW)
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto, Iowa USA