Our Old Kitchen Table has a New Life in My Shop

Frank Pellow

Member
Messages
2,332
Location
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
For the last couple of weeks we have been renovating our kitchen –mostly with new counter tops, a new sink, new taps, and a refinished floor.
Here is a picture of the old breakfast table:

Old table in kitchen -2 -small.JPG

This is a heavy (87 pounds) and well built Formica table top. I certainly could not bring myself to throw it out. Margaret and I discussed several potential uses for it both here, at camp, and at our children’s houses. Three days ago, I figured out a way to use it in my shop. The shop is very very crowded but, if I could find a place to fold it up and down, the table would come in quite handy.
Because of the weight, I needed strong legs but the legs should not take up much space. A pair of these these cast iron legs from Lee Valley (catalogue # 05K48.01) seemed to meet both requirements:

Cast Iron Legs -small.JPG

The leg on the right is upside down showing the bottom pad with a threaded 3/8 “ hole in the middle. I made wide bases out of oak scraps and attached them to the bottoms of both legs. I attached each leg to the wall studs with a single lag bolt. The table is attached to the wall with two strap hinges
Here is picture of the table in the folded up position (held up by two rotating wooden doohickeys made out of scrap):

Shop Table folded up -small.JPG

And here it is folded down:

Shop Table folded down -small.JPG

I like the position right in front of the window and I am sure that the table will be used A LOT.
 
Nice addition to the shop, Frank. Those legs look as substantial as the counter top!:thumb: Is window trim on your shop "punch list"? :huh: :D Interesting bar setup you have in the window... Security?

Kitchen renovations are a lot of work...eh? I've done the counter top, sink, plumbing part but not our floors yet, and look forward to seeing your complete renovation thread.... It will be coming soon, I hope.
 
Yes Greg, the legs are certainly up to the task of holding the heavy table.

The trim for all four windows is very high on the list of things to be done during my next annual shop clean up week which takes place every November.

The bars are, indeed, for security. They are made by a company in Calgary, Alberta.

About the kitchen renovations. The counters and sink/tap are finished and the floor will be completed this morning and I will proably post something next week.
 
Those a cool legs, Frank. Nice use of a bit of extra space. Looks like the table top would have also made a decent start to a router table.

And the doohickeys look top notch, too. :thumb: :p
 
Those a cool legs, Frank. Nice use of a bit of extra space. Looks like the table top would have also made a decent start to a router table.

And the doohickeys look top notch, too. :thumb: :p
Vaughn, I built a router table last year and, if I had not, there is a good chance this is how part of the table top would have been used. I even thought about taking the table top to Pellow's camp and using it as a router table there, but decided against it.
 
We discovered yesterday that the table is great for children's projects. Ethan (my 5.5 year old grandson) spent most of Sunday morning with me in the shop. He made a boat, a dock for the boat, and a wooden valentine "card" and he did all of the planning, assembly and painting at the table. Here he is painting the boat:

Ethan painting the boat that he made small.JPG
 
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