Who has built a dining table, advise sought?

Jim Hager

Member
Messages
374
Location
N.E. Arkansas
I've been charged with yet another project for the new house. She ain't happy with me just building the whole house and now wants a dining room table, hutch plus coffee tables and end tables for the living room. All made to match her kitchen and cabinets in the living room.

I know what style I want but have never built a dining table or dealt with the slides that allow for leaves in the table. Haven't made table leaves yet either for that matter. I'm going to make the table with a mission style, hoping to do a pedestal table with the geared slides that allow the pedestal to sit still while the table top is opened for the leaves. Planning on a 6' length that will stretch out to an 8' using 2 leaves. 42" width.

Any of you goomers ever made one? Any advise would be appreciated.
 
repaired a few, and looked at them close but not actually made the whole unit jim.. what seems to be puzzling you? rennie has made a trestle table and so has jim delaney.. the sliding mechanisms are usually supplied with instructions to assemble.. your wife must be a slave driver:)
 
repaired a few, and looked at them close but not actually made the whole unit jim.. what seems to be puzzling you? rennie has made a trestle table and so has jim delaney.. the sliding mechanisms are usually supplied with instructions to assemble.. your wife must be a slave driver:)
You've got that right. LOL She's a real sweetie.
 
I built one for our home over twenty years ago. It is a round table and with the one leaf added allows 6 to sit at it. It is our kitchen table and is the classic oak pedestal table you have seen thousands of.... I used the metal equalizer slides that you mentioned. I bought the hardware from Rockler and followed the directions. I had plans for the table and leaves. It is not as difficult as you might expect. You do have to buy and install alignment pins for the leaves and it helps to have either a doweling jig or as in my case I used my Shopsmith as a horizontal boring tool to get the holes properly positioned. I initially bought plastic pins but had one snap off while putting the leaf away in the closet. I replaced all the pins with hardwood dowels and have not had a problem since. I think the table plans came from Rockler as well. As I get older I forget things.....
 
Last edited:
I rebuilt our old antique dinning room table a few years ago. I really should have rebuilt or replaced the slides as they were worn and the slop allows the leaves to come apart easily. I just got some table leaf locks in the mail and will add them to the leaves in pairs. It kind of causes problems when the leaves drop down during dinner. The table can be as small as 4 ft. square and expands too 8 ft. I do like the leaves that drop down inside the table so they are self contained. The alignment is done by some tongue and groove blocks glued? to the bottom of the top/leaf sections with steel leveling guides. I suppose I could take some pictures if you insist. This table has apron boards about 4 " tall screwed to the sides all the way around the table to hide the table mechanisms. My mom found this table at a garage sale for $35 many years ago. It was painted white. Stripping it reviled beautiful red oak with the board glue up seams almost invisible. It has 5 turned spiral/fluted legs.
 
...Planning on a 6' length that will stretch out to an 8' using 2 leaves. 42" width.
....

I just rebuilt our table with 20 inch leaves... that is a good size, since you can add one leaf to add a person to each side, and two leaves to add two people per side. Your 12 inch leaves will almost certainly have to be used in pairs - rule of thumb you need 18-24 inches for each person, so might as well have one large leaf rather than having two pieces to store, etc.

I like the 42 inch width (good seat on the end, good space in the center of the table), and the 72 inch length - sits 4 without feeling lost, sits 6 comfortably, and has an attractive ratio (appearance) in the room. But adding 12 inches (one leaf) won't comfortably seat 8
 
Mine had leaves added at the ends, not in the middle. I made the extensions myself, though I don't know if I would do it again. As Larry stated, the mechanisms come with guidance. Likely you could download the instructions from the mfg and get an idea what you are in for.
 
Jim I aint no decent enough woodworker to build a table yet but i do know LV has many table hardware parts

Tables we have make use of this kind of mechanism for leafs.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/Hardware/page.aspx?cat=3,43586&p=40139

Then there are many other table accessories in mechanisms on their site too.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/Hardware/page.aspx?cat=3,43586&p=43594

Hope you gonna show us how you do it as you go along.


Thanks for the links, still thinking about this a bit and these will help me in the process.
 
Top